|
|
|
|
|
|
tone used only for emergency calls. He picked it up gingerly, and said, "Yes?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It was the duty officer at the Communications Center, a captain of the security forces. She said, "Washington has informed us that the White House will be calling in five minutes, Mr. President." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cherny's mind went blank for a moment. With everything he had on his mind, the informal message Ambassador James Rankin had brought from the American President had been almost forgotten. Besides, the premise in the message was preposterousRussian submarines and nuclear missiles and dying Eskimos. His automatic response to the duty officer was a pedagogic rebuke. "The White House is an inanimate object, Captain. It calls no one. Who in the White House is calling? Is it President Caidin himself, Dr. Kellner, his National Security Adviser, or another of the President's aides?" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"The President himself is on the line, sir." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
God, he thought exasperatedly. What could the importunate Americans want at this moment that could not wait? To Cherny's mind, Cole Caidin was still an adolescent, a beautiful, youthful television era President, more concerned with image than with substance. He started to ask the captain to call Foreign Minister Mirisov to join him before the call went through, but realized with a shock that he was unsure of the man's loyalties. I am alone, he thought, no matter what President Caidin had in mind, and I must act alone. "I will come straightaway, Captain." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The captain on duty outside the Hot Line Room to whom Cherny had spoken was a woman in her forties, plainly proud to be in such a position of trust. She stood stiffly at attention as Cherny entered. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cherny nodded, then said, "Captain." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Please forgive me for my rude remark about the White House. It was ungracious." |
|
|
|
|
|