Debt of Honor - Tom Clancy [460]
"Yeah, Bernie?" Cathy said, making her notes for Mr. Redding's chart.
"You have room on the mantel, Cath?" That brought her eyes up. Katz handed over a telegram, still the traditional way of delivering such news. "You just bagged a Lasker Award, honey." Katz then delivered a hug that almost made Andrea Price reach for her gun.
"Oh, Bernie!"
"You earned it, doctor. Who knows, maybe you'll get a free trip to Sweden, too. Ten years of work It's one hell of a clinical breakthrough, Cathy."
Other faculty members came up then, applauding and shaking her hand and for Caroline Muller Ryan, MD, F.A.C.S., it was a moment to match the arrival of a baby. Well, she thought, almost…
Special Agent Price heard her beeper go off and headed to the nearest phone, taking the message down and returning to her principal.
"Is it really that good?" she finally asked.
"Well, it's about the top American award in medicine," Katz said while Cathy basked in the glow of respect from her colleagues. "You get a nice little copy of a Greek statue, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, I think, the Goddess Nike. Some money, too. But mainly what you get is the knowledge that you really made a difference. She's a great doc."
"Well, the timing is pretty good. I have to get her home and changed," Price confided.
"What for?"
"Dinner in the White House," the agent replied with a wink. "Her husband did a pretty good job, too." Just how good was a secret from nearly everyone, but not from the Service, from whom nothing was secret.
"Ambassador Whiting, I wish to apologize to you, to your government, and to your people for what has happened. I pledge to you that it will not happen again. I also pledge to you that the people responsible will answer to our law," Koga said with great if somewhat stiff dignity.
"Prime Minister, your word is sufficient to me and to my government. We will do the utmost to restore our relationship," the Ambassador promised, deeply moved by the sincerity of his host, and wishing, as many had, that America had not cut his legs out only six weeks earlier. "I will communicate your wishes to my government immediately. I believe that you will find our response to your position is highly favorable."
"I need your help," Yamata said urgently.
"What help is that?" Tracking down Zhang Han San had taken most of the day, and now the man's voice was as cold as his name.
"I can get my jet here, and from here I can fly directly to—"
"That could be viewed as an unfriendly act against two countries. No, I regret that my government cannot allow that." Fool, he didn't add. Don't you know the price for this sort of failure?
"But you—we are allies!"
"Allies in what?" Zhang inquired. "You are a businessman. I am a government official."
The conversation might have gone on with little point, but then the door to Yamata's office opened and General Tokikichi Arima came in, accompanied by two other officers. They hadn't troubled themselves to talk with the secretary in the anteroom.
"I need to speak with you, Yamata-san," the General said formally.
"I'll get back to you," the industrialist said into the phone. He hung up. He couldn't know that at the other end the official instructed his staff not to put the calls through. It would not have mattered in any case.
"Yes—what is it?" Yamata demanded. The reply was equally cold.
"I am ordered to place you under arrest."
"By whom?"
"By Prime Minister Koga himself."
"The charge?"
"Treason."
Yamata blinked hard. He looked around the room at the other men, now flanking the General. There was no sympathy in their eyes. So there it was. These mindless automatons had orders, but not the wit to understand them. But perhaps they still had honor.
"With your permission, I would like a few moments alone." The meaning of the request was clear.
"My orders" Arima said, "are to return you to Tokyo alive."
"Huh?"
"I am sorry, Yamata-san, but you are not to avail yourself of that form of escape." With that the General motioned to the junior