The Bear and the Dragon - Tom Clancy [287]
Ryan's head turned. "Talk to me, Arnie."
"This looks serious, Jack," van Damm said.
"Gee, Arnie, I can see that. How serious?"
"Enough that I'd sell stock in those companies. They're going to take a hit. And this movement may have legs … "
"What?"
"I mean it might not go away real soon. Next you're going to see posters with stills from the TV coverage of those two clerics being murdered. That's an image that doesn't go away. If there's any product the Chinese sell here that we can get elsewhere, then a lot of Americans will start buying it elsewhere."
The picture on CNN changed to live coverage of a demonstration outside the PRC Embassy in Washington. The signs said things like MURDERERS, KILLERS, and BARBARIANS!
"I wonder if Taiwan is helping to organize this … "
"Probably not—at least not yet," van Damm thought. "If I were they, I wouldn't exactly mind, but I wouldn't need to play with this. They'll probably increase their efforts to distinguish themselves from the mainland—and that amounts to the same thing. Look for the networks to do stories about the Republic of China, and how upset they are with all this crap in Beijing, how they don't want to be tarred with the same brush and all that," the Chief of Staff said. "You know, 'Yes, we are Chinese, but we believe in human rights and freedom of religion.' That sort of thing. It's the smart move. They have some good PR advisers here in D.C. Hell, I probably know some of them, and if I were on the payroll, that's what I would advise."
That's when the phone rang. It was Ryan's private line, the one that usually bypassed the secretaries. Jack lifted it. "Yeah?"
"Jack, it's George across the street. Got a minute? I want to show you something, buddy."
"Sure. Come on over." Jack hung up and turned to Arnie. "Sec-Treas," he explained. "Says it's important." The President paused. "Arnie?"
"Yeah?"
"How much maneuvering room do I have with this?"
"The Chinese?" Arnie asked, getting a nod. "Not a hell of a lot, Jack. Sometimes the people themselves decide what our policy is. And the people will be making policy now by voting with their pocketbooks. Next we'll see some companies announce that they're suspending their commercial contracts with the PRC. The Chinese already fucked Boeing over, and in the full light of day, which wasn't real smart. Now the people out there will want to fuck them back. You know, there are times when the average Joe Citizen stands up on his hind feet and gives the world the finger. When that happens, it's your job mainly to follow them, not to lead them," the Chief of Staff concluded. His Secret Service code name was CARPENTER, and he'd just constructed a box for his President to stay inside.
Jack nodded and stubbed out the smoke. He might be the Most Powerful Man in the World, hut his power came from the people, and as it was theirs to give, it was also sometimes theirs to exercise.
Few people could simply open the door to the Oval Office and walk in, but George Winston was one of them, mainly because the Secret Service belonged to him. Mark Gant was with him, looking as though he'd just run a marathon chased by a dozen armed and angry Marines in jeeps.
"Hey, Jack."
"George. Mark, you look like hell," Ryan said. "Oh, you just flew in, didn't you?"
"Is this Washington or Shanghai?" Gant offered, as rather a wan joke.
"We took the tunnel. Jesus, have you seen the demonstrators outside? I think they want you to nuke Beijing," SecTreas observed. The President just pointed at his bank of television sets by way of an answer.
"Hell, why are they demonstrating here? I'm on their side—at least I