Part 21 (2/2)
The working group milled around this central fact and then, given the press of time, ended with a list of targeting options. Luckily, Kingsley had begged off chairmans.h.i.+p of this group, and a bulky French astrophysicist got the job of carrying their conclusions to figures in the Department of Defense and to their parallel figures with the U.N.-based coalition. The political nuances now seemed even more complicated than the physics.
Kingsley got away pretty quickly, dodging the usual pockets of undersecretaries and such who always wanted one's ”angle” on the thinking of the inner circle. The familiar Was.h.i.+ngton circuitry of instant a.n.a.lysis and jockeying for position ran on at high voltage, blissfully unaware that this was an event unparalleled in the experience of even this remarkable-and remarkably lucky-nation.
Some of the policy mannerisms here were identical to those of London. Always be clever, but never be certain Always be clever, but never be certain. That held for a good 90 percent of the time, for example. It was no good in this crisis, since only firm answers had any chance of being heard over the din.
Perhaps, he pondered, that explained his anomalous entry into these elevated circles. He had been willing to make predictions that came true-and not only about basic physics and astronomy. These minds around him were used to dealing with social forces that were, in the large, predictable. But the very concept of the utterly strange was for them the stuff of horror, not thought. Yet science taught its pract.i.tioners, at an intuitive level, that the universe was fundamentally of the Other.
Still, he felt a curious claustrophobia in the entire proceedings. It would be good to escape back to Hawaii.
Regrettably, he had agreed to submit to an interview arranged for the press pool. Arno had not worked out well in that regard, proving too brusque for the whipsaw warm-and-rea.s.suring pose useful before the cameras. As well, Kingsley's attempts to fas.h.i.+on Benjamin Knowlton into a serviceable media buffer had failed ignominiously. After losing Channing, the fellow would probably be much worse. It had hit him hard.
So he found himself facing a battery of the modern breed of journalist, faces famous in their own right for being at great events while having no responsibility for them. Their a.s.surance equaled only their ignorance as they shot questions at him and he tried to convey some of the scientific issues without looking impossibly prissy about terminology.
He got through a vague description of what they knew of the hole's interior regions, and then a savant of the image works asked, ”Why is an Englishman leading the scientific arm of what is mostly a United States effort?”
Kingsley paused just long enough to give the appearance of thinking this over. ”Because the Americans have pulled in those they can work with, I suppose.”
”There's a resolution before the Security Council to force control into the Council's hands explicitly-”
”Yes, very bad move.”
”-and world opinion is lining up pretty solidly behind it.”
”The only solidity to be gained here is through the alliance the United States has yet again st.i.tched together. Who could imagine, say, the Chinese doing remotely likewise?”
”But a.s.sembling the wisest heads of all nations at the U.N. would-”
”Be a madhouse.”
”But certainly with everyone's lives at stake-”
”Since the Gulf War of thirty-two years ago, the Americans have twice more put together a coalition to deal with a rogue state. This one deals with a rogue ent.i.ty, but the cla.s.sic means of alliance diplomacy are the essential skills.”
”As a scientist, how are you qualified-”
This last from a frowzy woman apparently noted for her ”incisive” questions. He put a stop to her by turning his back and walking away, which from startled looks from the ”handlers” a.s.signed to him was Just Not Done to Famous Media Personalities. Nonetheless, it got him quickly out of the floodlit room and shortly after into a helicopter for Dulles.
Everywhere people seemed to have only a dim notion of what was at stake in this crisis. He avoided conversation with people in nearby seats from State and Defense. Takeoff was delayed by several people maneuvering for seats near others. The Marine guard got irked at this, quite rightly, and threatened to throw a White House aide off if he would not ”get your a.s.s in gear,” a delicious American turn of phrase that no foreigner could ever get exactly right in intonation.
”Hey, Kingsley,” a fellow from the U Agency called, plunking himself down next to him before Kingsley could think of a plausible reason why the seat had to be kept open as a grave matter of national security. ”Herb Mansfield. I met you a couple weeks ago on the Big Island. You heading back?”
”To Hawaii? Yes.”
”We'd like you to catch a chopper at Dulles, visit us over by Langley.”
”Sorry, can't. Have to”-What's the Americanism?-”mind the store.”
”We had a few things to go over.”
Something ominous in his tone? ”I believe there are a plent.i.tude of you fellows at the Center.”
”Not policy stuff.”
”Scientific?”
”Personal.”
The helicopter roared into the air then, giving him time to judge this odd approach. He barely knew this man. There was an air of heavy a.s.surance about the way he wore his gray suit and undistinguished tie, a ma.s.sive sense that he was not used to being differed with. When they had cleared the trees over the nearby hills, Kingsley said, ”I didn't think you cared.”
This lightness had no effect upon the government armor. ”Oh, we do. Vital personnel we are taking a big interest in.”
How nice. ”I am scarcely vital.”
”You handled getting your friends into the Center pretty well.”
”I prefer to work with people I know.”
”Funny you didn't bring your wife in.”
”She is not a scientist.”
”Talked to her lately?”
”I haven't spoken to her in months; I don't like to interrupt her.”
This little joke provoked not even a twinge of his upper lip. The helicopter hammered at the long pause between them. All right, then, dead earnest it is All right, then, dead earnest it is. ”I suppose I might find it difficult?”
”Some people are hard to reach.”
He had to admire the style of this threat, as anyone overhearing it would think it completely bland chat. ”You may have overestimated the value of that particular card.”
”Don't think so.”
”We are separated.”
No big effect, but the eyes lost a touch of hardness.
Kingsley sat back and allowed himself the luxury of looking out at greenery zooming by. Generally this sort, from his admittedly limited experience, took a steely stare as the lingua franca lingua franca of such negotiations. Perhaps a show of indifference would work best. He took his time with the scenery. Then: ”I don't believe you have weighed all factors here.” of such negotiations. Perhaps a show of indifference would work best. He took his time with the scenery. Then: ”I don't believe you have weighed all factors here.”
”I think so, friend.”
”Negative inducements seldom work.”
A s.h.i.+ft of mood in the otherwise uninteresting face. ”Maybe not, for a customer like you. Let me s.h.i.+ft the terms.”
”Do.”
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