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John," Branch mutters. "I figured we'd be in for somescrapes, but I never thought it would start before weeven got there." Then he's all business. "I've got togive you a quick briefing on cur main man while wehave the chance. We may not have as much leisuretime as we expected."Branch pulls down their dinner trays and spreads outa pile of notes and news clippings. Then he pulls out apolice mug shot. "Meet Orlando Bosch," he says.Rothchild stares incredulously at a porcine Cubanman with a thin moustache and thick lips. "He lookslike the headmaster of a military school.""I know," Branch says, "but he's a killer. He's alsoa pediatrician. This whole thing's like that-yin andyang, Boston Strangler and Mad Hatter all mixed up."Branch eyes the mass of clippings and notes, wonder-ing where to begin. "It would take all night to gothrough what I've heard about Bosch, so I'll get youup to Letelier as quick as I can for now. The background is simple: Bosch has been a political terroristwhat they call an action man ever since the late For-ties in Cuba. He worked for Castro, then for the C.I.A.,and then he denounced the C.I.A. He has been an anti-Castro outlaw since the mid-Sixties, always telling theMiami Cubans not to trust the C.I.A. in their waragainst Castro. Now most of the hard-line Cubans be-lieve him. Bosch is the patriarch of Cuban terrorism."Branch pauses, then flips briskly through the clip-pings. "Bosch got arrested and indicted pretty regularly all through the Sixties. He usually got of. The wit-nesses against him tended to sweat a lot and forgetthings on the stand, if they even showed up. In gen-eral, Bosch had a threefold operation: first, politicalterror against Castro sympathizers; second, ordinarycrimes like extortion from rich people and companiesto finance the political terror; and third, all kinds ofwars and feuds with his terrorist rivals. Finally, Boschgot nailed in 1968 for shelling a Polish freighter in> [Figure: A photo of John Rothchild, Hilda Inclán, and Taylor Branch.]> John Kothchild> Hilda Inción> Taylor BranchMiami harbor. He got ten years, but he was paroledin 1972. That brings us to his international period."Branch picks up one particular clip and holds it inreadiness. "Bosch went underground two years afterhis parole and the pace of Miami bombings escalated.So did terrorist bombings against Castro's embassiesall over the world. Then, in 1974, important Cubansstarted getting knocked off in gangland-style murders.A lot of groups, including Bosch's, took credit forthem. The word was that C.I.A. stooges were beingeliminated. Bosch became a phantom. Mysterious fig-ures with names like Ernesto would pop up in the Mi-ami press to speak for him. Here's a Miami News clipfrom this period. It's headlined 'Bosch Declares Waron Castro.' Hilda wrote it. She's the last American re-porter to interview Bosch. Shortly after it came out,Bosch slipped out of the country."While Rothchild studies the clips, Branch continues,"He got arrested in Venezuela about two years ago.The Justice Department decided not to ask for his re-turn to the United States despite all he's wanted for.That's weird. Then the Venezuelans turned him looseand he left with a bunch of Chilean bodyguards and abig pile of money. I heard all kinds of stories aboutFosch being down in Chile with the Pinochet juntathere, bargaining. Now the stories jump to Februaryof last year, when Bosch got arrested in Costa Ricaright before Kissinger visited.. The rumor is that hewas plotting to assassinate Kissinger. Bosch got outof Costa Rica somebow, and pretty soon there was asecret feeting in the Dominican Republic of all themajor Cuban terrorist groups, which the Dominicansallowed, of course. There was a negotiated truce, andthe terrorists united under Bosch in an umbrella groupcalled CORU, supposedly with the support of severaljuntas in Latin America."Now in the last month there has been the Leteliermürder," Branch continues grimly. "The terroristsshowed that they were not afraid to kill in the UnitedStates, right-in the capital. They have even threstenedto kill one of the F.R.I. agents on the Letelier case.And his flancée. The anonymous threats show theyhave collected a lot of intelligence about the agent'slife. The F.B.I. is upset. Then, two weeks after Letelierwas killed, terrorists blew up a Cuban plane near Rar-:bados, killing seventy-three people. Castro blamed theC.I.A. and canceled the anti-skyjacking treaty. Theterrorists loved it: Castro and the Americans getting3