strut, thrusting herself into every affair as though anointed of
God.”
“And you would propose . . . ?” She let the sentence trail off
delicately, knowing that the words were a mistake as soon as they left
her mouth.
“Algeria, Libya, Iran, perhaps the Saudis. And, of course, our friends
in South Africa.”
“To summarize, any nation with whom we have had a conflict in the last
twenty years,” she said sharply. “No, I think there are better
choices. The Swiss, perhaps.”
The Cuban ambassador sneered. “The ones who hide so much of your money
illegally?”
The debate, she knew, would continue for hours. Neither side would get
what it wanted, and in the end, the truth would be hidden even deeper
within layers of administrative demands, reckless proclamations, and
finger-pointing. Cuba would continue to maintain that America had
destroyed the aircraft, intervening in Cuba’s sovereign airspace. The
U.S however, knew that it had been a strictly internal affair.
Furthermore, there was no way she could use the one trump card she’d
already privately played with the Cuban ambassador. The presence of
nuclear weapons on Cuban soil she shivered slightly, then regained
control of herself.
To give details and provide proof would simply reveal too much about
America’s intelligence capabilities. Like many bits of intelligence,
this one was simply too dangerous to use.
Was there any hope for this process? There were days when she
wondered. But still, all in all, the United Nations beat hands-down
other forms developed for resolving conflict. Answers were slow,
cumbersome, and often unworkable, but they represented the best
intentions of the nations brought to bear on difficult and insoluble
problems. And for that reason, she stayed.
She turned to the Bahamian chairman of the committee and lifted one
hand in a gesture of resignation. “We are open to any reasonable
proposal, but none has been tendered yet.
I ask you, Mr. Ambassador, as well as the other nations represented
here” she glanced around the table, catching each set of eyes in turn”
what you think we can achieve.
I beg you to reason with your neighbor to the west.”
Antigua and the Bahamas looked away, the blush barely visible on the
Antiguan ambassador.
“You couldn’t have been serious about it?” the British ambassador
queried. “I mean, really,” he finished, drawing the last word out in a
patrician accent. “We know those people, of course. Colonies for
years. Never should have let them declare independence weren’t ready
for it, won’t be for centuries.” He shook his head. “You recall, the
United States supported that.”
“Cut the crap, Geoffrey,” she said wearily. She reached across the
table and fished another of the small, soft rolls out of the woven
basket between them. “It won’t help things now. What I need is
answers, not more problems.”
“Sometimes I see this relationship as strangely familial,” he said. He
pushed the small china dish containing the freshly churned butter
toward her. “We’re your older brother, of course, always there with
advice and a bit of guidance when you chaps need it.”
“Would you like me to beg?”
He shook his head, a smile twitching at the corners of his normally
impassive mouth. “Not this time. But I reserve the right to remind
you of this conversation later.”
She nodded. “You know we didn’t do it.”
“Of course not. Play bloody hell with the rest of the world, though,
convincing them.” The British ambassador glanced around the room, as
though looking for their waiter.
“They’re all watching now, you know. Every last bloody one of them.”
“Tell me about Europe.” She saw him stiffen slightly at her bluntness,
and was amused. Surely he was used to it by now, after all his years
in the United States. Still, Geoffrey never passed up a chance to be
thoroughly and totally British in front of her.
“It won’t be good,” he said, matching her bluntness. “You may have
embargoed trade, but many of us still enjoy the best cigar the world
has to offer. Among other things sugar, of course.”
“It’s in our backyard,” she pointed out.
“And our backyard economically,” he countered. “Naturally, you’ll have
our support, publicly and privately. I suspect Her Majesty wishes that