‘Oh, shit, I never thought of that.’ Pauline tapped her forehead with the heel of her hand, in a gesture that meant How could I be so dumb? She looked at Gus, thinking how often he turned out to be the smartest person in the room.
‘It’s possible,’ Chess said. ‘They will say they never intended to kill American geologists, just as we say we never wanted our drone to be used to kill Chinese engineers. We’ll say it’s not the same, and they’ll say what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Neutral countries will shrug and say these superpowers are all the goddamn same.’
It was true, but it angered Pauline. ‘These are people, not debating points. They have families who grieve for them.’
‘I know. As they say in the Mafia, whaddaya gonna do?’
Pauline clenched her fists. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do.’
At her desktop workstation, there was a tone indicating a video call. Pauline sat behind the desk, looked at the screen, and clicked her mouse. Chen appeared. Although he was as smart as ever, in his usual blue suit, he looked tired. It was midnight there, and he had probably had a long day.
But she was not in a mood to enquire how he was. She said: ‘Mr President, the action of the Chinese navy in sinking the Vietnamese ship Vu Trong Phung—’
To her surprise he interrupted her rudely and loudly in English. ‘Madam President, I protest in the strongest possible terms about criminal activities by Americans in the South China Sea.’
Pauline was astonished. ‘You’re protesting? You just murdered two Americans!’
‘It is against the law for foreign nations to drill for oil in Chinese waters. We do not drill in the Gulf of Mexico without permission; why do you not give us the same respect?’
‘It’s not against international law to explore for oil in the South China Sea.’
‘It’s against our law.’
‘You can’t make up international law to suit yourselves.’
‘Why not? It’s what the Western nations did for centuries. When we made opium illegal, the British declared war on us!’ Chen smiled maliciously. ‘Now the boot is on the other foot.’
‘That’s ancient history.’
‘And you might prefer it to be forgotten, but we Chinese remember.’
Pauline took a deep breath to help her keep her temper. ‘The Vietnamese activities were not criminal but, even if they had been, that would not have justified sinking the ship and killing those on board.’
‘The illegal drill ship refused to surrender. Police action was necessary. Some of the crew were arrested. The ship became damaged and some of those on board regrettably drowned.’
‘Bullshit. We have satellite photos. You sank the ship with a cruise missile fired from three miles away.’
‘We enforced the law.’
‘When you discover people doing something you think is illegal, you don’t kill them, not in a civilized country.’
‘What do police officers do when a criminal refuses to surrender in the civilized United States? They shoot him – especially if he’s non-white.’
‘So next time a Chinese tourist is caught shoplifting tights in Macy’s, you would be perfectly happy for the security guard to shoot her dead.’
‘If she’s a thief, we don’t want her back in China.’ This was a remarkable conversation to have with a Chinese president, and Pauline paused for a moment. Chinese politicians could be politely aggressive. Chen seemed to have lost his cool. She resolved to keep hers.
Then she said: ‘We don’t shoot shoplifters, and neither do you. But we don’t sink unarmed ships, even if they violate our rules, and it’s unacceptable for you to do so.’
‘This is an internal Chinese matter, and you may not interfere.’
Jacqueline Brody held up a sheet of paper with the words: ASK ABOUT DR LAFAYETTE.
Pauline said: ‘Perhaps we should talk about the surviving American, Dr Joan Lafayette. She must be allowed to come home.’
Chen said: ‘I regret that will not be possible at this time. Goodbye, Madam President.’ To Pauline’s amazement, he hung up. The screen went blank and the phone became silent.
Pauline turned to the others. ‘I fucked that up royally, didn’t I?’ she said.
‘Yeah,’ said Gus. ‘You did.’
*
Pauline left the Oval Office and went to the Residence to say goodbye to her daughter and husband.
Pippa was leaving on a three-day school trip to Boston, staying two nights at a budget hotel. The pupils would visit the Kennedy Museum as part of their history course. The trip included tours of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Former pupils of Foggy Bottom Day School who were now college students would show them around. Foggy Bottom parents were very keen on elite universities.
The school had asked for two parents to accompany the trip and act as supervisors and marshals, and Gerry had volunteered. He and Pippa would each be accompanied by a Secret Service team, as always. The school was accustomed to bodyguards: several pupils were the children of high-profile parents.
Gerry had one small suitcase. He would wear the same tweed suit for three days, changing only his shirt and underwear. Pippa had packed at least two outfits per day, and needed two suitcases plus an overstuffed carry-on bag. Pauline made no comment on the luggage. She was not surprised. A school trip was an exciting social occasion, and everyone wanted to look cool. Romances would begin and end. The boys would bring a bottle of vodka, which would result in at least one girl making a fool of herself. Someone else would try smoking cigarettes and throw up. Pauline just hoped no one would get arrested.
‘How many grown-ups are going?’ Pauline asked Pippa as she hauled her bags into the Center Hall.
‘Four,’ said Pippa. ‘My unfavourite teacher, Mr Newbegin; his mousy wife, who’s coming as a volunteer parent; Ms I-know-best Judd; and Daddy.’
Pauline glanced at Gerry, who was busying himself putting a strap around his case. So he was going to spend two nights in a hotel with Ms Judd, concisely described by Pippa as small and blonde with big tits.
Making her voice casual, Pauline said: ‘What does Ms Judd’s husband do? Schoolteachers often marry schoolteachers. I bet Mr Judd is a teacher too.’
Without looking at Pauline, Gerry said: ‘No idea.’
Pippa said: ‘I think she’s divorced. Anyway she doesn’t wear a wedding ring.’
Just fancy that, Pauline thought.
Was this why Gerry had changed – because he had fallen for someone else? Or was it the other way around? Had he become disaffected with Pauline and then got interested in Amelia Judd? Probably the two things had worked together, his disenchantment with Pauline heightened by a growing attraction to Ms Judd.
A White House porter took the baggage away. Pauline hugged Pippa and felt a sense of loss. This was the first time Pippa had been on a trip that was not a family holiday. Soon she would want to spend a summer touring Europe by rail with girls of her own age. Then she would go to college and live in a dorm; then she would want to share an apartment off campus for her sophomore year; and then how soon would it be before she moved in with a boy? Her childhood had gone by too fast. Pauline wanted to live through those years again, and relish them more the second time.
‘Have a great trip, but don’t misbehave,’ she said.
‘My daddy will be watching me,’ Pippa said. ‘While the others are playing strip poker and snorting cocaine, I’ll have to be drinking warm milk and reading a book by Scott frigging Fitzgerald.’
Pauline could not help laughing. Pippa could be a pain in the neck but she was funny too.
Pauline went to Gerry and tilted her face for a kiss. He brushed his lips against hers as if he was in a hurry. ‘Goodbye,’ he said. ‘Keep the world safe while we’re gone.’