A Spy by Nature - Charles Cumming [27]
‘Matthew, you seem to know about the levels of import and export of fish and shellfish going to and fro between Britain and America.’
The Hobbit, flattered, says ‘Yes.’
‘Well, I suspect that the Americans export significantly higher numbers of fish and shellfish to Europe than we export to them. Is that right?’
‘Off the top of my head, yes, as much as three times the amount,’ says the Hobbit.
It’s just between the two of them for now and it’s an impressive thing to watch. Ogilvy is giving us all a lesson in man management, in how to make the little guy feel good about himself. A trace of sweat has formed above the Hobbit’s upper lip, a little vapour of nerves, but he is otherwise entirely without self-consciousness. Just getting the words out, happy to talk in facts. Maybe even enjoying himself. Ogilvy has rested his elbows on the table, fingers interlocked and raised up to his dark face.
‘So a ban on American fish and shellfish imports would hit them even harder?’
‘In theory,’ says Elaine, a dismissiveness in her voice.
‘Of course,’ says Ogilvy, cutting her off before she has a chance to tell him how unworkable a trade embargo with the United States would be. ‘I actually don’t think that we’ll have to go as far as reciprocating their ban with one of our own.’
He wants to show Rouse and Pyman that he’s seen all the angles.
‘The key to this, as I’ve said, is the Germans. If we can get them onside, and as long as any problem with the reprocessing plant can be addressed, I can’t foresee the Americans continuing with their demands. It’s important that we be seen to stand up to them.’
It’s time to steal some ideas off Ogilvy, before he runs away with it.
‘The sticking point is the automobile manufacturer. We have to make sure that that contract is secured and goes ahead. At the same time, we might offer the Germans a sweetener.’
‘What kind of a sweetener?’ Elaine asks. She lingers on ‘sweetener’ as if it is the most absurd word she has ever heard.
‘Sell them something. At a bargain price. Or we could buy more of their exports.’
This sounds meek and ill-informed; it is clear that I have not thought it through. But Ogilvy bails me out, saying ‘Yes’ with a degree of enthusiasm that I had not anticipated. Ironically, however, this leads to a bad mistake. He says:
‘We could offer to buy up deutschmarks, to push up their value briefly against the pound.’
This is ludicrous and Elaine tells him so.
‘You try it. You’d have to be owed some pretty big favours at the Exchequer to get something like that done.’
She delivers this in a tone of weary experience and for a moment Ogilvy is stumped. His square jaw tremors with humiliation and it gives me a small buzz of pleasure to watch him ride it out. It’s important that I don’t let this opportunity slip. Shut him down.
‘I have to agree with Elaine, Sam. We mustn’t pass the buck to another department. It’s difficult, without knowing more about our other negotiations with the Germans, to determine how exactly we might go about persuading them to side with us. It may not even be necessary, for two reasons. The first has already been made clear. The French plant may in fact be safe and the Americans may be acting illegally. If that’s the case, we’re in the clear. But if it does prove necessary to get the Germans onside, we could try another tactic.’
‘Yes, I -‘ says Ann, but I’m not about to be interrupted.
‘If I could just finish. Thank you. If we succeed in convincing a majority of other European states to form a united front against the Americans, the Germans will not relish being isolated. Whilst they may not want to be seen to be taking issue with the United States, at the same time they won’t want to be seen by their European partners to be forming an unholy alliance with America. We can, in effect, shut them up.’
‘We shouldn’t underestimate the Germans, or their influence,’ the Hobbit mumbles. ‘Nobody here wants to acknowledge the truth of this situation, which is that the Germans are the dominant economic