The Bear and the Dragon - Tom Clancy [163]
"This Zhang guy is tight with their Defense Minister—in fact he has a major voice in their entire national-security establishment. If hes expanding his influence into trade policy, we have a problem, and our trade negotiations team needs to know that up front," the DCI informed them.
"So?" Ming asked tiredly. She hated getting dressed and leaving, and it meant a night of not-enough sleep.
"So, you should get in early and upload this on Chais computer. Its just a new system file, the new one, six-point-eight-point-one, like the one I uploaded on your computer." In fact, the newest real system file was 6.3.2, and so there was at least a year until a write-over would actually be necessary.
"Why do you have me do this?"
"Does it matter, Baubei?" he asked.
She actually hesitated, thinking it over a bit, and the second or so of uncertainty chilled the American spy. "No, I suppose not."
"I need to get you some new things," Nomuri whispered, taking her in his arms.
"Like what?" she asked. All his previous gifts had been noteworthy.
"It will be a surprise, and a good one," he promised.
Her dark eyes sparkled with anticipation. Nomuri helped her on with her dreadful jacket. Dressing her back up was not nearly as fun as undressing her, but that was to be expected. A moment later, he gave her the final goodbye kiss at the door, and watched her depart, then went back to his computer to tell patsbakery@brownienet.com that hed arranged for a second recipe that he hoped she might find tasty.
CHAPTER 22—The Table and the Recipe
"Minister this is a pleasure," Cliff Rutledge said in his friendliest diplomatic voice, shaking hands. Rutledge was glad the PRC had adopted the Western custom—hed never learned the exact protocol of bowing.
Carl Hitch, the U.S. Ambassador to the Peoples Republic, was there for the opening ceremony. He was a career foreign service officer whod always preferred working abroad to working at Foggy Bottom. Running day-to-day diplomatic relations wasnt especially exciting, but in a place like this, it did require a steady hand. Hitch had that, and he was apparently well liked by the rest of the diplomatic community, which didnt hurt.
It was all new for Mark Gant, however. The room was impressive, like the boardroom of a major corporation—designed to keep the board members happy, like noblemen from medieval Italy. It had high ceilings and fabric-covered walls—Chinese silk, in this case, red, of course, so that the effect was rather like crawling inside the heart of a whale, complete with chandeliers, cut crystal, and polished brass. Everyone had a tiny glass of mao-tai, which really was like drinking flavored lighter fluid, as hed been warned.
"It is your first time in Beijing?" some minor official asked him.
Gant turned to look down at the little guy. "Yes, it is."
"Too soon for first impressions, then?"
"Yes, but this room is quite stunning.., but then silk is something with which your people have a long and fruitful history," he went on, wondering if he sounded diplomatic or merely awkward.
"This is so, yes," the official agreed with a toothy grin and a nod, neither of which told the visiting American much of anything, except that he didnt waste much money on toothbrushes.
"I have heard much of the imperial art collection."
"You will see it the official promised. "It is part of the official program."
"Excellent. In addition to my duties, I would like to play tourist."
"I hope you will find us acceptable hosts," the little guy said. For his part, Gant was wondering if this smiling, bowing dwarf would hit his knees and offer a blow job, but diplomacy was an entirely new area for him. These were not investment bankers, who were generally polite sharks, giving you good food and drink before sitting you down and trying to bite your dick off. But they never concealed the fact that they were sharks. These people—he just wasnt sure. This degree of politeness and solicitude was a new experience for Gant, but given his pre-mission brief, he wondered if the hospitality only presaged an unusually