“Like what?” Jack asked quietly. There was more to her demeanor than panic.
“I don't know — something… ” Elliot allowed her voice to trail off, leaving an opening for her visitor.
Ryan leaned forward and waited until he had her full attention. “The historical precedent you're looking for, Dr. Elliot, is, 'Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?' Now, if you're trying to tell me something, let's get it clear and in the open, shall we? Are you proposing that we interfere with the parliament of a friendly democratic country, or that we do something illegal within the borders of the United States of America?” A pause while her eyes focused a little more tightly. “Neither one of those things will happen, Dr. Elliot. We let them make up their own minds. If you even think of telling me to interfere with Israel 's democratic processes, the President gets my resignation just as fast as I can drive down here to deliver it. If you're wishing out loud for us to hurt that little old guy in New York, remember that such wishes fall under at least two conspiracy statutes. My duty as an ordinary citizen, much less an official of the government of my country, is to report suspected violations of the law to the appropriate law-enforcement agencies.” The look Ryan got after his pronouncement was venomous.
“Damn you! I never said—”
“You just fell into the most dangerous trap in government service, ma'am. You started to think that your wishes to make the world a better place supersede the principles under which our government is supposed to operate. I can't stop you from having such thoughts, but I can tell you that my agency will not be a party to it, not as long as I'm there.” It sounded too much like a lecture, but Ryan felt that she needed it. She was entertaining the most dangerous of thoughts.
“I never said that!”
Bullshit. “Fine, you never said or thought that. I was mistaken. You have my apology. Let the Israelis decide to ratify the treaties or not. They have a democratic government. It is their right to decide. We have the right to nudge them in the right direction, to tell them that our continued level of aid is contingent upon their agreeing to it, but not to interfere directly with their governmental processes. There are some lines you may not cross, even if 'you' happen to be the U.S. government.”
The National Security Advisor managed a smile. “Thank you for your views on the matter of proper government policy, Dr. Ryan. That will be all.”
“Thank you, Dr. Elliot. My assessment, by the way, is that we should let things be. The treaty will be approved, despite what you see here.”
“Why?” Elliot managed not to hiss.
“The treaties are good for Israel in any objective sense. The people will realize that as soon as they've had a chance to digest the information, and make their views known to their representatives. Israel is a democracy, and democracies generally do the smart thing. History, you see. Democracy has become popular in the world because it works. If we panic and take precipitous action, we'll only mess things up. If we let the process work as it's supposed to work, the right thing will probably happen.”
“Probably?”
“There are no certainties in life; there are only probabilities,” Ryan explained. Why didn't everyone understand that? he wondered to himself. “But interference has a higher probability of failure than doing nothing. Doing nothing at all is often the right thing. This is such a case. Let their system work. I think it will work. That is my opinion.”
“Thank you for your assessment,” she said, turning away.
“A pleasure, as always.”
Elliot waited until she heard the door close before turning to look. “You arrogant prick, I'll break you for that,” she promised.
Ryan climbed back into his car on West Executive Drive. You went too far, man, he told himself.
No, you didn't. She was starting to think that way, and you had to slam the door on it right there and then.
It was the most dangerous thought that a person in government could have. He'd seen it before. Some dreadful thing happened to people in Washington, D.C. They arrived in the city, usually full of ideals, and those fine thoughts evaporated so rapidly in what was in fact a muggy and humid environment. Some called it being captured by the system. Ryan thought of it as a kind of environmental pollution. The very atmosphere of Washington corroded the soul.
And what makes you immune, Jack?
Ryan considered that, unmindful of the look Clark gave him in the mirror as they drove towards the river. What had made him different to this point was the fact that he had never given in, not even once… or had he? There were things he might have done differently. There were some things that hadn't worked out quite as well as he might have wished.
You're not different at all. You just think you are.
As long as I can face the question and the answers, then I am safe.
Sure.
“So?”
“So, I can do many things,” Ghosn replied. “But not alone. I will need help.”
“And security?”
“That is an important question. I have to make a serious assessment of what the possibilities are. At that point I will know my precise requirements. I know I will need help in some areas, however.”
“Such as?” the Commander asked.
“The explosives.”
“But you are an expert in such things,” Qati objected.
“Commander, this task requires precision such as we have never been forced to face. We cannot use ordinary plastic explosives, for example, for the simple reason that they are plastic — they change shape. The explosive blocks I use must be as rigid as stone, must be shaped to a thousandth of a millimeter, and the shape must be determined mathematically. The theoretical side of that is something I could assimilate, but it will take months. I would rather devote my time to refabricating the nuclear material… and…”
“Yes?”
“I believe I can improve the bomb, Commander.”
“Improve? How?”
“If my initial readings are correct, this type of weapon can be adapted to become not a bomb but a trigger.”
Trigger for what?' Qati asked.
“A thermonuclear fusion bomb, a hydrogen bomb, Ismael. The yield of the weapon might be increased by a factor of ten, perhaps a hundred. We could destroy Israel, certainly a very large part of it.”
The commander paused for a few breaths, assimilating that bit of information. When he spoke, he spoke softly. “But you need help. Where might be the best place?”
“Gunther may have some valuable contacts in Germany. If he can be trusted,” Ghosn added.
“I have considered this. Gunther can be trusted.” Qati explained why.
“We are sure the story is real?” Ghosn asked. “I have no more faith in coincidences than you, Commander.”
“There was a photograph in a German newspaper. It appeared quite genuine.” A German tabloid had managed to get a graphic black-and-white photo that showed the results of a hanging in all its ghastly splendor. The fact that Petra was nude above the waist had ensured its publication. Such an end for a terrorist murderer was too juicy to be denied to the German males, one of whom had been castrated by this woman.
The problem is simply that we must minimize the number of people who know about this, else — excuse me, Ismael.'
“But we need some help. Yes, I understand that.” Qati smiled. “You are correct. It is time to discuss our plans with our friend. You propose to explode the bomb in Israel?”
“Where else? It is not my place to make such plans, but I assumed—”
“I have not thought about it. One thing at a time, Ibrahim. When are you leaving for Israel?”
“I planned to do so in the next week or so.”
“Let it wait until we see what this treaty business will do.” Qati thought. “Begin your studies. We will make haste slowly on this matter. First you must determine your requirements. We will then try to meet them in the most
