< previous page page_44 next page >

Page 44
appeared, and no one knows how the new world will develop. The United States is the world's only superpower, and we're needed everywhere to provide at least a semblance of security. We don't need any more gadflies like the CCND and Anna Neville with her wild accusations souring the relations between the Canadians and ourselves.
"Prime Minister Halloran is fielding nasty questions every day in their parliament. He's upset. Ian Halloran is the President's friend. So the President is upset. The CCND are spoiling for trouble with us, as usual. They want an excuse to abrogate a dozen Canadian-American agreements, possiblyor especiallythe Free Trade treaty. Anna Neville and her accident may provide that excuse."
"We want you to go talk to Anna Neville," Kellner said urgently. "The FBI and CIA files on the Nevilles are available to you, John. Look at them. But they can't leave the White House. The CIA file contains material about Jacob and Anna Neville that came from other sources outside the agency. Some came from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and more from the Ministry of Defense. The Canadian cousins will take it very poorly if we let slip that they have spied on a Canadian citizen and her American husband, and then handed the product over to us."
Ambassador Conroy said, "Nathan Abramov, the chief of the Russian UN Mission, tells me confidentially that the old Communists, together with the new imperialists in the Russian Duma, would love to see us embarrassed publicly. Too many years of 'one superpower' talk has them thinking about how marvelous for the nomenklatura the old system was."
"What is President Cherny doing about that?" Morgan asked.
"The President is in a dicey position, Colonel, on all sides. He has made promises to the reformers that are unfulfilled. He has made promises to high officers in the military, and there is no way he can meet their expectations. Russia still has two million men under arms because they have nothing else for

 
< previous page page_44 next page >