Executive orders - Tom Clancy [194]
And strangled by the embargo, Badrayn added, wondering what information this observation would elicit.
It is time for that to end, Daryaei agreed. Something in his eyes congratulated Ali for the observation. Yes, that was the obvious play, wasn't it? A sop to the West. The embargo would be lifted. Food would then flood the country, and the population would be delighted with the new regime. He would please everybody at once, all the while planning to please no one but himself. And Allah, of course. But Daryaei was one of those who was sure that his policies were inspired by Allah, an idea Badrayn had long since disposed of.
America will be a problem, as will others closer to you.
We are examining those issues. This statement was delivered comfortably. Well, that made sense. He must have been thinking about this move for years, and at a moment like this one he must have felt invincible. That also made sense, Badrayn knew. Daryaei always thought Allah was on his side-at his side was more accurate. And perhaps He was, but there was much more to it than that. There had to be if you wanted success. Miracles most often appeared when summoned by preparation. Why not a play to see if he might take a hand in the next miracle, Ali thought.
I've been looking at the new American leader.
Oh? Daryaei's eyes focused a little more tightly.
It's not difficult, gathering information in the modern age. The American media publishes so much, and it can all be easily accessed now. I have some of my people working on it even now, building a careful dossier. Badrayn kept his voice casual. It wasn't hard. He was bone-tired. It really is quite remarkable how vulnerable they are now.
Indeed. Tell me more.
The key to America is this Ryan fellow. Is that not obvious?
THE KEY TO changing America is a constitutional convention, Ernie Brown said, after long days of silent contemplation. Pete Holbrook was flipping the controller on his slide projector. He'd shot three rolls of film of the Capitol building, and a few more of other buildings like the White House, unable completely to avoid being the tourist. He grumbled, seeing that one of the slides was in the caddie upside-down. This idea had gestated long enough, and the result wasn't all that impressive.
We've talked about that for a long time, Holbrook agreed as he lifted the caddie off the projector. But how do you-
Force it? Easy. If there's no President and no way to select one within the Constitution, then something has to happen, doesn't it?
Kill the President? Pete snorted. Which one?
There was the problem. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Take out Ryan, and Kealty would step in. Take out Kealty, and Ryan was in like Flynn. It would be tough enough now. Both men remembered all the security they'd seen at the White House. Kill either one, and the American SS would put a wall around the one who was left that you'd need a nuke to breach. The Mountain Men didn't have any of those. They preferred traditional American weapons, like rifles. Even those had their limitations. The South Lawn of the White House was thoroughly forested with trees, and, they'd noticed, also shielded by skillfully concealed earthen berms. Just seeing the White House was possible down only one visual avenue, past the fountain at the building itself. The surrounding buildings were all government-owned, and atop them would always be people with binoculars-and rifles. The American SS were determined to keep the people away from their President, the servant of the people, whose guards didn't trust the people at all. But if the man who lived in that house was really one of the people, there would have been no need, would there? Once Teddy Roosevelt had thrown open the doors and shaken hands with ordinary citizens for four whole hours. No way that would happen anymore!
Both at once. The way I figure, Ryan will be the hard target, right? Brown asked. I mean, he's there where most of the protection is. Kealty has to move around a lot, talking to the newspaper pukes,