Excerpt from The Wafer:

"He proclaims divine mission, with messianic fervor to the members of a grieving family when he's trying to get permission to reap the live organs and the tissues of a dying or brain-dead relative."

"Well, well. What do you think of his claim?"

"He may have led himself to believe it. Anyway, it's an excuse for unbridled behavior."

"I had no idea. Why have we not heard of him?"

"Because Sentara hospital would never buy from him, nor would he sell most of his stuff to any qualified hospital. In live organs, he deals only with faraway third-rate hospitals, usually across a southern border, unless he has a legitimate local donor. Then he makes a great show of his benevolence."

"I see."

"The second outfit, Mercury, is owned and operated for profit by Ivan Prescott, a recognized biblical scholar, a Yale divinity school graduate, and a man with the highest scruples. But Mercury supplies only banked tissue ... no live organs. It was founded in New Haven, then established in New York, and it, too, has had great success, with an impeccable reputation, and has spread to numerous cities in this country. Prescott recently moved his headquarters to Norfolk. He has been criticized because he sells for a profit."

"Then Mercury would have no interest in you?"

"I have guessed not ... but there is one more."

"Here?"

"Operational worldwide, under the name SamuelS, headquartered somewhere in mid-Africa, at a place called Xanadu. The hospital there has the same name and it takes donor material of all types, mostly for its own use."

"Its quality?"

"By reputation above reproach."

"Then neither Mercury nor SamuelS would supply material not up to standard." "Emphatically, not." "Who owns and runs SamuelS?"

"It's run by a man named Kahan, and belongs to SamuelS, an organization financed by the oil cartel of the Middle East, and by European money. After its successful start up, other big money appeared from countries and people around the world who want to be assured of transplants when needed."

"American money, too?"

"From the wealthy for a place to turn when all else fails."

"Then Xanadu is the biggest outfit in the business."

"By far and away."

"Do you know its exact location?"

"Kahan built the hospital into the side of a mountain in equatorial Africa."

"Why?"

"Isolated, and protected, and apparently transplants can always be had there. It could never happen here because of federal regulations."

"Joan, how do you know about these organizations?"

"From my position on the board of LifeChain. There, these matters are discussed in meetings. I have one of the highest and one of the lowest positions in the organization - delivery boy and board member, both without pay. Ivan Prescott, though a competitor and the owner of Mercury, serves on the board too, believe it or not, because of his expertise and his altruism. He contributes his time to help LifeChain because it's nonprofit. He knows Kahan, and sells large quantities of banked tissue to Xanadu. He has visited the hospital and Kahan several times, and always brings back the news from Africa. Of course, locally, we know something about Legation, some of it hearsay, but all very troubling."

"Money."

"Yes, I'm afraid you're right. And I also think we are in danger of losing someone to this end in our own region very soon. "

Eric thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Well, this is all very intriguing. But to more immediate concerns why don't you bathe and change while I finish getting a meal together? It will be light and small."

"Great idea."

She went toward his bedroom, and in a moment the shower came on. In the distance, muted thunder rolled, and rain began to drum heavily on the roof. ..

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