Mike Slade finally said, “Dorothy will set up individual meetings for all of you with the ambassador later in the day. Thank you.”
Mary resented his taking charge. When she and Slade were alone, Mary asked, “Which one of them is the CIA agent attached to the embassy?”
Mike looked at her a moment and said, “Why don’t you come with me?”
He walked out of the office. Mary hesitated a moment, and then went after him. She followed him down a long corridor, past a rabbit warren of offices. He came to a large door with a marine guard standing in front of it. The guard stepped aside as Mike pushed the door open. He turned and gestured for Mary to enter.
She stepped inside and looked around. The room was an incredible combination of metal and glass, covering the floor, the walls, and the ceiling.
Mike Slade closed the heavy door behind them. “This is the Bubble Room. Every embassy in an iron curtain country has one. It’s the only room in the embassy that can’t be bugged.”
He saw her look of disbelief.
“Madam Ambassador, not only is the embassy bugged, but you can bet your last dollar that your residence is bugged, and that if you go out to a restaurant for dinner, your table will be bugged. You’re in enemy territory.”
Mary sank into a chair. “How do you handle that?” she asked. “I mean not ever being able to talk freely?”
“We do an electronic sweep every morning. We find their bugs and pull them out. Then they replace them, and we pull those out.”
“Why do we permit Romanians to work in the embassy?”
“It’s their playground. They’re the home team. We play by their rules, or blow the ball game. They can’t get their microphones into this room because there are marine guards on duty in front of that door twenty-four hours a day. Now—what are your questions?”
“I just wondered who the CIA man was.”
“Eddie Maltz, your political consular.”
She tried to recall what Eddie Maltz looked like. Grayhaired and heavy. No, that was the agriculture consular. Eddie Maltz…ah, he was the middle-aged one, very thin, a sinister face. Or did she think that now in retrospect because she was told he was CIA?
“Is he the only CIA man on the staff?”
“Yes.”
Was there a hesitation in his voice?
Mike Slade looked at his watch. “You’re due to present your credentials in thirty minutes. Florian is waiting for you outside. Take your letter of credence. You’ll give the original to President Ionescu and put a copy in our safe.”
Mary found that she was gritting her teeth. “I know that, Mr. Slade.”
“He requested that you bring the children with you. I’ve sent a car for them.”
Without consulting her. “Thank you.”
Headquarters for the Romanian government is a forbidding-looking building made of blocks of sandstone in the center of Bucharest. It is protected by a steel wall, with armed guards in front of it. There were more guards at the entrance to the building. An aide escorted Mary and the children upstairs.
President Alexandras Ionescu greeted Mary and the children in a long, rectangular-shaped room on the second floor. The President of Romania had a powerful presence. He was dark, with hawklike features and curly black hair. He had one of the most imperious noses she had ever seen. His eyes were blazing, mesmerizing.
The aide said, “Your Excellency, may I present Madam Ambassador from the United States?”
The President took Mary’s hand and gave it a lingering kiss. “You are even more beautiful than your photographs.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency. This is my daughter, Beth, and my son, Tim.”
“Fine-looking children,” Ionescu said. He looked at her expectantly. “You have something for me?”
Mary had almost forgotten. She quickly opened her purse and took out the letter of credence from President Ellison.
Alexandras Ionescu gave it a careless glance. “Thank you. I accept it on behalf of the Romanian government. You are now officially the American ambassador to my country.” He beamed at her. “I have arranged a reception this evening for you. You will meet some of our people who will be working with you.”