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spacing's much wider than it used to be. That's for mecbanical

harvesting-the grape growers' way of beating the unions. The union leaders

cheated their own members out of jobs by empire building and intransigence,

so labor will soon be minimal here, with most jobs done by machine, and

more efficiently."

They passed through the township of Yountville. A few miles further,

between Oakville and Rutherford, they turned through an entranceway, framed

by adobe-colored curving walls, into the mission-style Robert Mondavi

Winery, where the luncheon would be held.

The guest of honor and his wife bad arrived early, and were in the winery's

elegant Vineyard Room, ready to greet others as they came. Humphrey, who

had met the Yales several times before, introduced Nim.

Paul Sherman Yale was small, spry and upright, with thinning white

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hair, intense gray eyes which seemed to bore into whatever they were looking

at, and a general liveliness which belied his eighty years. To Nim's

surprise he said, "I've been looking forward to meeting you, young man.

Before you go back to the city we'll find a corner somewhere and have a

talk."

Beth Yale, a warm, gracious woman who had married her husband more than

fifty years ago when he was a young Assemblyman, and she his secretary,

told Nim, "I think you'll enjoy working with Paul. Most people do."

As soon as he could, Nim eased Humphrey aside. Low-voiced, he asked, "Eric,

what's happening? What's all this about?"

"I made a promise," Humphrey said. "If I told you, I'd be breaking it. just

wait."

As the arriving guests multiplied and the line of those waiting to shake

hands with the Yales lengthened, the sense of occasion grew. It seemed as

if the entire Napa Valley had turned out to pay its homage. Nim recognized

faces attached to some of the great names of California wine making: Louis

Martini, Joe Heitz, Jack Davies of Schramsberg, today's host Robert

Mondavi, Peter Mondavi of Krug, Andr6 Tchelistcheff, Brother Timothy of

Christian Brothers, Donn Chappellet, others. The Governor, who was out of

the state, had sent the Lieutenant Governor as his representative. The

media had arrived in force, including TV camera crews.

The occasion, which had been billed as private and informal, would be

viewed or read about by most Californians tonight and tomorrow.

Luncb-with Napa Valley wines, of course-was followed by introductory

speeches, mercifully brief. A toast to Paul and Beth Yale was drunk; a

spontaneous standing ovation followed. The guest of honor rose, smiling, to

respond. He spoke for a half hour-warmly, simply, eloquently-a casual, easy

talk with friends. There was nothing earthshattering, no strident

revelations, simply the words of the local boy at last come home. "I am not

entirely ready to die," he said. "Who is? But when I leave for eternity, I

want to board the bus from here."

The kicker came at the end.

"Until that bus arrives, I intend to be active and, I hope, useful. There

is a job I have been told that I can do and which may be of service to

California. After due thought, and consultation with my wife, who was

uneasy about having me at home all day anyway . . . [Laughter] . . . I have

agreed to join the staff of Golden State Power & Light. Not as a meter

reader; unfortunately my eyesight is failing . . . [More laughter] . . .

but as a member of the board and a public spokesman for the company. In

deference to my hoary old age I am being allowed to set my own office

hours, so I shall probably arrive -on the days I choose to show up at

all-in time for an expense account lunch . . . [Loud laughter] . . . My new

boss, Mr. Eric

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Humphrey, is here today, probably to collect my Social Security number and

employment record . . . [Laughter and cheers].

There was more of the same.

Afterward, Humphrey would inform Nim: "The old boy insisted on secrecy

while he and I were negotiating, and then he wanted to make the

announcement himself in his own way. It's why I couldn't tell you in

advance, even though you are the one who will work with him in helping him

get oriented."

Meanwhile, as Mr. justice Yale (he would retain the title for the remainder

of his life) concluded his speech and sat down to sustained applause,

reporters crowded around Eric Humphrey. "We have yet to work out full

details," Humphrey told them, "but essentially Mr. Yale's role will be as

be described it-a spokesman for our company, both to the public and before

commissioners and legislators."

Humphrey looked pleased as he answered reporters' questions-as well he

might, Nim thought. Lassoing Paul Sherman Yale, bringing him into the GSP

& L orbit, was a tremendous coup. Not only did Yale have built-in public

credence, but every official door in California, from the Governor's

downward, was open to him. Clearly, what he would be was a lobbyist of

highest caliber, though Nim was certain the word "lobbyist" would never be

spoken in his presence.

Already, the TV crews were maneuvering GSP & L's new spokesman into

position for a statement. It would be one of many, Nim supposed -some of

them the kind of statements Nim himself might have continued making if he

hadn't blown it. Watching it happen, be felt a pang of envy and regret.

6

"Apart from anything else," Beth Yale told Nim with a frankness he would

later find characteristic, "we can use the money. No one gets rich being on

the Supreme Court, and living in Washington is so expensive we rarely

managed to save anything. Paul's grandfather did set up a family trust fund,

but it's been horribly mismanaged Would you mind putting on another log?"

They were seated before a fieldstone fireplace in a small, comfortable

house located in a vineyard, a mile or so from where they had had lunch.

The house had been loaned to the Yales by its owner, who used it during

summers, until they were able to locate a place of their own.

Nim added a log to the fire and stirred two others, partially burned, to a

cheerful blaze.

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A half hour ago Mr. justice Yale had excused himself to have, as he put

it, "a battery charge catnap." He explained, "It's a trick I learned many

years ago when I found my attention wandering. Some of my colleagues even

do it on the bench."

Before that they had talked for more than two hours about the affairs of

Golden State Power & Light.

The "talk in a corner" with Nim, which Paul Yale had spoken of before the

luncheon, had not happened for the reason that there Was no way he could

escape his admirers while he remained at the Mondavi winery. He had

therefore suggested that Nim come back to the house. "If I'm going to do

something, young man, I like to get moving. Eric tells me you can supply

the best over-all view of your company, so let us start viewing."

They bad done precisely that. While Nim described the status, policies

and problems of GSP & L, Paul Yale injected sharp, pertinent questions.

Nim found it a stimulating mental exercise, in a way like playing chess

with a skilled opponent. And Yale's remarkable memory astounded him. The

old man seemed to have forgotten nothing of his earlier days in

California and his knowledge of GSP & L history at times exceeded Nim's.

While her husband was having his "battery charge," Beth Yale served tea

before the fire. Soon after, Paul Yale reappeared.

He announced, "I heard you talking about the family trust."

His wife put fresh water into the teapot and set a cup before him. "I've

always said you have ears which reach around corners."

"That's from years in court-straining to hear lawyers when they mumble.

You'd be surprised how many do." Paul Yale addressed Nim. "That trust

fund Beth spoke of was set up because my grandfather hoped public service

would become a tradition in our family. He believed anyone who traveled

that route should not have to worry about having an adequate income. It's

not a fashionable viewpoint nowadays, but I happen to agree. I've seen

too many people in Washington's high places have to scratch around for

extra money. It leaves them open to temptations."

The justice drank the tea his wife bad poured, and observed, "A civilized

custom, afternoon tea. It's something we owe the British; that, and the

great body of our law." He put his cup down. "Anyway, as Beth said, the

trust fund has been mismanaged. While I was on the Court there was

nothing I could do, but now I've begun to repair some of the damage." He

chuckled. "That is, as well as working for GSP & L."

"It isn't for ourselves," Beth Yale added. "But we have grandchildren who

show signs of going into public life. It may help them later."

Nim sensed that the family trust fund was a sore point with the Yales.

Confirming this, Paul Yale grumbled, "The trust owns a winery,

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a cattle feedlot, two apartment buildings in the city and-can you believe

it?-all of them have been losing money, creating debts, eating into

capital. Last week I leaned hard on the administrator-read him the riot

act about cutting down expenses." He stopped abruptly. "Beth, we're boring

this young man with our family problems. Let's get back to God's Power &

Love."

Nim laughed at the name, used by old-timers in the state for GSP & L.

"I'm concerned, as I'm sure you are, about all the sabotage and killings

that have been going on," Paul Yale said. "The people who claim

responsibility-what is it they call themselves?"

"Friends of Freedom."

"Ab, yes. An interesting exercise in logic: 'Be free my way or I'll blow

you to pieces.' Are the police any closer to tracking them down, do you

know?"

"Apparently not."

"Why do those people do it?" Beth Yale asked. "That's what's so hard to

understand."

"A few of us at the company have done some thinking and talking about

that," Nim told her.

Paul Yale asked, "What kind of thinking?"

Nim hesitated. He had mentioned the subject on impulse and now, under Mr.

justice Yale's penetrating gaze, he wished he hadn't. However, the

question bad to be answered.

Nim explained the police theory that the Friends of Freedom group was

small, with one man the brains and leader. "Assuming that to be true, we

thought that if we could get, even partially, inside the mind of the

leader-we call him X-we'd improve our chances of catching him. We might

even get lucky, guess what he would plan next, and be ready."

What Nim did not say was that the idea bad occurred to him after the

latest bombings when the security guards were murdered. Since then he,

Harry London, Teresa Van Buren and Oscar O'Brien had met three times for

lengthy brainstorming sessions and, while nothing positive had developed,

all four felt they were moving closer to an understanding of the unknown

saboteurs and X' O'Brien, who still harbored hostility to Nim because of

the Tunipah hearings, had opposed the suggestion at first, calling it

"time wasting." But later the general counsel relented and joined in. He