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〃Jack laughed。 Ever since they came back； their diet had consisted mainly of basic American staples； and it was a little late for something fancy。
〃Okay。 I'm going to change and punch up something on the puter for a few minutes。〃
〃Careful with the arm。 Jack。〃
Five times a day she warns me。 Jack sighed。 Never marry a doctor。 The Ryan home was a deckhouse design。 The living/dining room had a cathedral ceiling that peaked sixteen feet over the carpeted floor with an enormous wood beam。 A wall of triple…paned windows faced the bay； with a large deck beyond the sliding glass doors。 Opposite the glass was a massive brick fireplace that reached through the roof。 The master bedroom was half a level above the living room； with a window that enabled one to look down into it。 Ryan trotted up the steps。 The house design acmodated large closets。 Ryan selected casual clothes； and went through the annoying ritual of changing himself one…handed。 He was still experimenting； trying to find an efficient way to do it。
Finished； he went back down； and curved around the stairs to the next level down； his library。 It was a large one。 Jack read a lot； and also purchased books he didn't have time to read； banking against the time when he would。 He had a large desk up against the windows on the bay side of the house。 Here was his personal puter； an Apple； and all of its peripheral equipment。 Ryan flipped it on and started typing in instructions。 Next he put his modem on line and placed a call into puServe。 The time of day guaranteed easy access； and he selected MicroQuote II from the entry menu。
A moment later he was looking at Holoware； Ltd。's stock performance over the past three years。 The stock was agreeably unimpressive； fluctuating from two dollars to as much as six； but that was two years back it was a pany which had once held great promise； but somewhere along the way investors had lost confidence。 Jack made a note； then exited the program and got into another； Disclosure II； to look at the pany's SEC filings and last annual report。 Okay； Ryan told himself。 The pany was making money； but not very much。 One problem with hi…tech issues was that so many investors wanted big returns very quickly； or they'd move on to something else； forgetting that things didn't necessarily happen that way。 This pany had found a small though somewhat precarious niche； and was ready to try something bold。 Ryan made a mental estimate of what the Navy contract would be worth and pared it with the pany's total revenues 。 。 。
〃Okay！〃 he told himself before exiting the system pletely and shutting his puter down。 Next he called his broker。 Ryan worked through a discount brokerage firm that had people on duty around the clock。 Jack always dealt with the same man。
〃Hi； Mort； it's Jack。 How's the family？〃
〃Hello again； Doctor Ryan。 Everything's fine with us。 What can we do for you tonight？〃
〃An outfit called Holoware； one of the hi…tech bunch on Highway 128 outside Boston。 It's on the AMEX。〃
〃Okay。〃 Ryan heard tapping on a keyboard。 Everyone used puters。 〃Here it is。 Going at four and seven…eighths； not a very active issue 。 。 。 until lately。 There has been some modest activity over the past month。〃
〃What kind？〃 Ryan asked。 This was another sign to look for。
〃Oh； I see。 The pany is buying itself back a little。 No big deal； but they're buying their own stock out。〃
Bingo！ Ryan smiled to himself。 Thank you； Robby。 You gave me a tip on a real live one。 Jack asked himself if this constituted trading on inside information。 His initial tip might be called that； but his decision to buy was based on confirmation made legally； on the basis of his experience as a stock trader。 Okay； it's legal。 He could do whatever he wanted。
〃How much do you think you can get for me？〃
〃It's not a very impressive stock。〃
〃How often am I wrong； Mort？〃
〃How much do you want？〃
〃At least twenty…K； and if there's more； I want all of it you can find。〃 There was no way he'd get hold of more than fifty thousand shares； but Ryan made a snap decision to grab all he could。 If he lost； it was only money； and it had been over a year since he'd last had a hunch like this one。 If they got the Navy contract； that stock would increase in value tenfold。 The pany must have had a tip； too。 Buying back their own stock on the slim resources they had would； if Ryan was guessing right； dramatically increase the firm's capital； enabling a rapid expansion of operations。 Holoware was betting on the future； and betting big。
There was five seconds of silence on the phone。
〃What do you know； Jack？〃 the broker asked finally。
〃I'm playing a hunch。〃
〃Okay 。 。 。 twenty…K plus 。 。 。 I'll call you at ten tomorrow。 You think I should 。 。 。？〃
〃It's a toss of the dice； but I think it's a good toss。〃
〃Thanks。 Anything else？〃
〃No。 I have to go eat dinner。 Good night； Mort。〃
〃See ya。〃 Both men hung up。 At the far end of the phone； the broker decided that he'd go in for a thousand shares； too。 Ryan was occasionally wrong； but when he was right； he tended to be very right。
〃Christmas Day；〃 O'Donnell said quietly。 〃Perfect。〃
〃Is that the day they're moving Sean？〃 McKenney asked。
〃He leaves London by van at four in the morning。 That's bloody good news。 I was afraid they'd use a helicopter。 No word on the route they'll use 。 。 。〃 He read on。 〃But they're going to take him across on the Lymington ferry at eight…thirty Christmas morning。 Excellent timing； when you think about it。 Too early for heavy traffic。 Everyone'll be opening his presents and getting dressed for church。 The van might even have the ferry to itself who'd expect a prisoner transfer on Christmas Day？〃
〃So； we are going to break Sean out； then？〃
〃Michael； our men do us little good when they're inside； don't they？ You and I are flying over tomorrow morning。 I think we'll drive down to Lymington and look at the ferry。〃
Chapter 9 A Day for Celebration
〃God； it'll be nice to have two arms again；〃 Ryan observed。
〃Two more weeks； maybe three；〃 Cathy reminded him。 〃And keep your hand still inside the damned sling！〃
〃Yes； dear。〃
It was about two in the morning； and things were going badly and well。 Part of the Ryan family tradition a tradition barely three years old； but a tradition nevertheless was that after Sally was in bed and asleep； her parents would creep down to the basement storage area a room with a padlocked door and bring the toys upstairs for assembly。 The previous two years； this ceremony had been acpanied by a couple of bottles of champagne。 Assembling toys was a wholly different sort of exercise when the assemblers were half blasted。 It was their method of relaxing into the Christmas spirit。
So far things had gone well。 Jack had taken his daughter to the seven o'clock children's mass at St。 Mary's； and gotten her to bed a little after nine。 His daughter had slid her head around the fireplace wall only twice before a loud mand from her father had banished her to her bedroom for good； her arm clasping an overly talkative AG Bear to her chest。 By midnight it was decided that she was asleep enough for her parents to make a little noise。 This had begun the toy trek； as Cathy called it。 Both parents removed their shoes to minimize noise on the hardwood steps and went downstairs。 Of course； Jack forgot the key to the padlock； and had to climb back upstairs to the master bedroom to search for it。 Five minutes later the door was opened and the two of them made four trips each； setting up a lavish pile of multicolored boxes near the tree； next to Jack's tool kit。
〃You know what the two most obscene words in the English language are； Cathy？〃 Ryan asked nearly two hours later。
〃 'Assembly required；' 〃 his wife answered with a giggle。 〃Honey； last year I said that。〃
〃A small Phillips。〃 Jack held his hand out。 Cathy smacked the screwdriver into his hand like a surgical instrument。 Both of them were sitting on the rug； fifteen feet from the eight…foot tree。 Around them was a crescent of toys； some in boxes； some already assembled by the now…exasperated father of a little g