By mid-May (2007) it seemed clear that Prince Albert was uninterested in intelligence and not going to do anything about the shady people who continued to prosper and proliferate in his principality.

This was not fine with his spymaster, Robert Eringer.

Eringer had been telling other intelligence services in earnest of the Prince's seriousness about "putting morality, honesty and ethics at the forefront of my government and my cabinet" (Le Monde 2).

It all sounded good.

But it wasn't the truth.

Truth was, the Prince was doing nothing about the pervasive money laundering and numerous shady dealings of which he was aware. It was just too much of a burden for him-and he finally reached the point where he didn't want to even hear about it any more.

Eringer had not signed on to be the Prince's public relations spin-meister.

So it was time to wait, and watch, in passive mode, to see what happened next, rather than create new liaison partnerships.

Somewhere in Eringer's Internet surfing, trying to find an explanation, he came upon The Five Dysfunctions of Leadership:

* Absence of trust.

* Fear of conflict.

* Lack of commitment.

* Avoidance of accountability.

* Inattention to results.

Sadly, he concluded the Prince suffered all five. His leadership style, in a word: hedonistic.

Or, as Jean-Leonard de Massy put it, "My cousin lives on another planet."

As Eringer approached his fifth anniversary in service to the Prince, he drafted a re-definition of MIS's mission:

We respond to requests from the Sovereign for briefings (through liaison partners) and requirements (investigations and operations).

We maintain relationships with foreign intelligence services, for the purpose of assisting the Sovereign with briefings, sharing intelligence and joint investigations/operations; we also respond to requests of services with which we liaise, if they serve Monaco's sovereign interests.

Columbus Group: We grow our intelligence club to enhance deep cooperation among microstates.

Eringer wanted to discuss this redefinition with the Prince, but Albert had become elusive.

Eringer was met by de Massy at Nice airport on June 13th,, and the Prince's cousin recounted a meeting with the Prince a few days earlier. Albert had still not provided de Massy a cover job with salary, as promised eight months before, though de Massy was drowning in debt. Incredibly, the Prince had replied, "So you want me to help you [financially]?"

"No," de Massy had told him, "I just want to be paid for the work I've been doing like you agreed. What about a job in the tourism office as cover, which you suggested?"

"Oh, can't do it," the Prince replied.

"But you can do anything you want!"

"I wish," said the Prince. He directed his cousin to Claude Palmero, the Palace accountant, whom he would see the following morning.

Next day, de Massy drove straight to Hotel Columbus to see Eringer after his meeting with Palmero. De Massy was devastated, his face a pale white. He explained: With contemptuous condescension, Palmero had said to him, "So you have money troubles and you expect the Prince to bail you out?"

"No," said de Massy. "I need to be paid for the work I've done."

"What work?" Palmero demanded.

"My work with Eringer."

"Eringer's cell is terminated," Palmero replied. "Nothing has changed since what I told him six months ago. No more invoices will be paid."

Clearly, the Prince had not set Palmero straight after telling Eringer on December 14th he was going to "bawl him out" for terminating the service. More likely, Albert had allowed Palmero and Thierry Lacoste to continue to believe Eringer's service was terminated, because he could not stand up to them.

Palmero told de Massy he might be prepared to loan him money, on the Prince's behalf, and help him find a job. "So what can you do?" sniffed Palmero.

"I do intelligence with Eringer," said de Massy.

"I already told you," Palmero huffed. "Eringer is dead."

Next day was June 16th, exactly five years since the Prince hired Eringer to be his spymaster.

Eringer was in Hotel Columbus, on the ninth floor, awaiting an elevator to descend. The Prince phoned. "Sorry," he said, "I've been very busy and I'm about to leave for Paris and Marchais."

Eringer told the Prince he would depart for Malta next morning for a meeting of the Columbus Group.

Honest to goodness, the Prince said, "What's that?"

Eringer reminded Albert of the association of intelligence services from the European microstates, pointing out that San Marino would attend for the first time. An excellent addition, Eringer added, because it was in San Marino's banks that corrupt Monegasque government officials were hiding their dirty money.

The Prince did not know quite what to say, so he said nothing.

"Shall I keep going?" Eringer added.

"Yes," replied the Prince. "Keep going."

"And bill you next quarter as usual?"

"Yes, proceed," he replied.

"You know," said Eringer, "it was five years ago today that you asked me to do this job. Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary," replied the Prince.

Downstairs, de Massy chuckled. He'd just had espresso with Jean-Paul Proust's chauffeur, Paul, who hated his job because he hated his boss--about whom he told this anecdote: "Number Two" (Proust), reeking of whisky and tobacco, his shirt collar mottled with dirt and grease, climbs into the car and sits back in his seat. Then, with great effort, he hunches forward. "Paul, Paul," he says, smirking, holding out his pinkie. "Pull." Paul says, "Yes, your Excellency." Paul pulls Proust's pinkie, whereupon the minister of state releases a long beefy fart, and then falls back into a heap, giggling.

And doesn't even open the window.



Coming Next: An Absent Prince

Image: Portrait of Albert, by an ex-girlfriend

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