Executive orders - Tom Clancy [407]
So you're asking both countries to suspend their exercises?
We're going to ask them to consider that, yes.
Mr. President, said John Plumber, this is your first foreign policy crisis and
Ryan looked down at the elderly reporter and wanted to observe that his first domestic crisis had been of his making, but you couldn't afford to make enemies of the press, and you could only make friends with them if they liked you-an altogether unlikely possibility, he'd come to understand.
Mr. Plumber, before you do anything, you have to find out the facts. We're working on that just as hard as we can. I had my national security team in this morning-
But not Secretary Adler, Plumber pointed out. Good reporter that he was, he'd checked the official cars on West Executive Drive. Why wasn't he here?
He'll be in later today, Ryan dodged.
Where is he now? Plumber persisted.
Ryan just shook his head. Can we limit this to just one topic? It's a little early in the morning for so many questions, and as you pointed out, I do have a situation to deal with, Mr. Plumber.
And he is your principal foreign policy adviser, sir. Where is he now?
Next question, the President said tersely. He got about what he deserved from Barry of CNN:
Mr. President, a moment ago you said both Chinas. Sir, does this signal a change in our China policy, and-
IT WAS JUST after eight in the evening in Beijing, and things were good. He could see it on TV. How strange to watch a political figure so singularly lacking in charm and adroitness, especially an American. Zhang Han San lit a cigarette and congratulated himself. He'd done it again. There had been a danger in staging the exercise, most particularly the recent air sorties-but then the Republic's aviators had so kindly obliged by shooting first, just as he'd hoped they would, and now there was a crisis which he could control precisely, and end it at any time, merely by recalling his own forces to their bases. He'd force America to react not so much by action as by inaction-and then someone else would take the lead in provoking its new President. He had no idea what Daryaei had in mind. An assassination attempt, perhaps? Something else? All he had to do was watch, as he was doing now, and reap the harvest when the opportunity arose, which it surely would. America couldn't stay lucky forever. Not with this young fool in the White House.
BARRY, ONE COUNTRY calls itself the People's Republic of China, and the other calls itself the Republic of China. I have to call them something, don't I? Ryan asked testily. Oh, shit, have I done it again?
Yes, Mr. President, but-
But we probably have fourteen American citizens dead, and this is not a time to worry about semantics. There, take that.
What are we going to do? a female voice demanded.
First, we're going to try to find out what took place. Then we can start thinking about reactions.
But why don't we know yet?
Because as much as we would like to know everything that takes place in the world every minute, it's simply impossible.
Is that why your administration is radically increasing the size of the CIA?
As I have said before, we do not discuss intelligence matters, ever.
Mr. President, there are published reports that-
There are published reports that UFOs land here on a regular basis, Ryan shot back. Do you believe that, too?
The room actually went quiet for a moment. It wasn't every day that you saw a President lose his temper. They loved it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I regret the fact that I cannot answer all your questions to your satisfaction. In fact, I am asking some of the same questions myself, but correct answers take time. If I have to wait for the information, so do you, he said, trying to get the news conference back on track.
Mr. President, a man who looks very much like the former Chairman of the Soviet KGB has appeared on live television and- The reporter stopped, as he saw Ryan's face glow red under the makeup. He expected another blowup, but it didn't happen. The President's knuckles went ivory-white on the lectern,