Lethal Trajectories - Michael Conley [116]
Burkmeister seemed relieved to have issued his final directive as president—or maybe it was just the effects of the IV drip pain medication—and his energy level seemed to improve.
“Now, what’s been going on these last few days, Clayton? I’m afraid I’ve been in a bit of a fog with these drugs I’m taking.”
“I guess the biggest piece of news is that Chairman Lin Cheng called yesterday to confirm that China is willing to partner with us in a collaborative alliance to deal with the Mustafa regime. He had called earlier last week with progress reports, as you know, but he was finally able to close the deal on his end.”
“Fantastic, Clayton, that’s simply wonderful. What else did he have to say?'
“He shared with me the battle he had with his Politburo, but he said they came around to his thinking after realizing the true danger of the Saudi threat. There were a lot of hard feelings toward the Japanese, he said, but China is willing to put the Chunxiao matter on hold until the Saudi mess is resolved. He said your willingness to call for a moratorium on Chunxiao helped turn the tide. He even invited me to visit China, speak to the Chinese people, and meet privately with the Politburo as soon as possible, and said he would reciprocate if it would be helpful.”
“That’s astonishing Clayton. Where do we go from here?”
“Wang Peng and Jack are working out a framework for the joint planning and preparation that others will follow. Jack will leave sometime tomorrow for a hush-hush meeting with Wang. Oh, and the locale of their meeting was decided based on the next piece of news I have for you.”
“What news is that?” the president asked curiously.
“You probably heard the taped interview that Prince Khalid gave on Friday?”
“Yes I did, and I must admit I was really surprised by what he said.”
“That’s only part of it, Mr. President. Shortly after the tapes were broadcast, CIA operatives contacted Prince Khalid. The CIA advised me that Khalid is respected in Saudi Arabia and would be a good man to cultivate as a leader in exile. Our intermediary said that Khalid agreed to meet with a representative of the American government, provided that person had the direct ear of the president. I immediately thought of Jack, and we instructed the CIA to tell them this could be arranged. We didn’t tell them who the representative would be. I apologize—this all just happened, and I haven’t had a chance to run it by you.”
Unconcerned, Burkmeister asked, “So your thinking is to tie Jack’s conference with Wang to a meeting with Khalid?”
“That’s the idea, Mr. President. We’re thinking now that if at all possible, Jack will arrange a clandestine meeting with Wang Peng in Geneva and hopefully schedule a private meeting with Prince Khalid beforehand. Jack will advise Wang of his contact with Khalid, but Wang will of course not attend.”
“That sounds promising, Clayton. If we could unite with China and organize a world coalition against the Saudis, complete with a credible Saudi leader to undermine King Mustafa’s legitimacy, it … well, it changes the whole dynamic.” Burkmeister pondered that scenario for a few moments before asking, “On a domestic note, are you still planning to address a joint session of Congress?”
“My plan is still to address Congress next Monday night. I’ll make a brief statement to the press following the swearing-in ceremony advising them of the congressional address on Monday night and that the White House will remain silent until then. The press won’t like it, but until we can get everything sorted out and packaged, there are so many moving parts that I wouldn’t know for sure what to say.”
“What’s the latest on Elizabeth Cartright? Has she accepted your offer yet of the vice presidency?”
“We had a long talk on Friday, and she called last night to tell me she’d be honored to be my vice president. I’ll also make that announcement right after my swearing in.”
“That’s wonderful news; Elizabeth’s top-shelf in every respect. I assume