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not by deception. Which meant that he would be making enemies every day, driving people into the arms of his opponents.
He might still win more battles and more wars and he might even seem to triumph completely, but, like Caligula, he would make assassins out of the people closest to him. And when he died, men just as evil but perhaps not as crazy would take his place. Killing him now would not make that much difference to the world.
Keeping Petra alive, however, would make all the difference in the world to Bean. He had made the mistakes that killed Poke and Sister Carlotta. But he was going to make no mistakes today. Petra would live because Bean couldn't bear any other outcome. She didn't even get a vote on the matter.
The colonel was weighing the situation.
Achilles was not. "I'm moving to the chopper now. My fingers are pretty tight on this trigger. Don't make me flinch, Bean."
Bean knew what Achilles was thinking: Can I kill Bean at the last moment and still get away, or should I leave that pleasure for another time?
And that was an advantage for Bean, because his thinking was not clouded by thoughts of personal vengeance.
Except, he realized, that it was. Because he, too, was trying to think of some way to save Petra and still kill Achilles.
The colonel walked up closer behind Achilles before calling out his answer to Bean. "Achilles is the architect of a great Chinese victory, and he must come to Beijing to be received in honor. My orders say nothing about the Armenian."
"They'll never let us take off without her, you fool," said Achilles.
"Sir, I give you my word, my parole. Even though Achilles has already murdered a woman and a girl who did nothing but good for him, and deserves to die for his crimes, I will let him go and let you go."
"Then our missions do not conflict," said the colonel. "I agree to your terms, provided you also agree to care for any of my men who remain behind according to the rules of war."
"I agree," said Bean.
"I'm in charge of our mission," said Achilles, "and I don't agree." "You are not in charge of our mission, sir," said the colonel.