Ultimatum

by Matthew Glass

  Chen’s eyes narrowed.

  “President Wen should judge President Benton on his actions. I want that message to be very clear. I’m going to give it to Ambassador Liu when I meet him, but I’ve got a feeling President Wen’s going to get it a lot quicker from you.” Olsen sat forward. “Chen, here’s the thing. The government of the United States cannot tolerate inactivity on the issue of emissions. It may be the case, that in the past, we haven’t acted with as much urgency as we should. Between you and me and Ben here, I’m prepared to admit that in many cases we haven’t lived up to everything we’ve promised, and we’re no better than anyone else in that respect. So I’m not getting on any high horse. But what I am telling you is, that’s changed. That time is gone. The issue is urgent, and under this administration, when we say we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it. So this is now the number one priority of this administration. The government of the United States cannot tolerate, and will not tolerate, inactivity.” Olsen paused. “But we’re only looking for a fair solution, and a just solution, to this problem. This has to be win-win for both our countries, inasmuch as you can even talk about a win in this situation. This isn’t a question of an unequal treaty.” Olsen stopped again. He wanted to be sure Chen noted the terminology he had used. The agreements imposed on the Chinese empire by foreign governments in the nineteenth century were referred to as unequal treaties, and their memory still provoked anger and resentment in Beijing. “We understand and accept that. The time for such treaties is long gone, and they should never have happened. But we do need to come to an agreement, one that’s fair. As I said, this is our number one priority and that’s not going to change. Now, your government has rejected a number of proposals already that were made by the previous administration. So when you come back to talk to me, I would like to hear what your government would like. Take your time. Take a week or even two. Ben here is the man to contact when you’re ready. In the meantime, I repeat, judge President Benton by his actions.”

  Olsen sat back.

  Chen gazed at him. The muscles in his jaw clenched a couple of times. “The Chinese government is only looking for a just solution as well,” he said eventually.

  “Good,” said Olsen. “Then we shouldn’t have any trouble, should we?”

  ~ * ~

  “I’ll minute it,” said Hoffman after he had shown Chen out.

  “Thanks,” said Olsen. “What did you think?”

  “You were harsh on him.”

  “You think that was harsh?”

  “Isn’t there something about not making Chinese lose face?”

  Olsen laughed. “Chen and I go way back, Ben.”

  “Okay. Well, to be honest, Larry, I’m not sure the president expected you to go that far. Do you think it was wise to take Gartner’s proposal off the table?”

  “Gartner’s proposal wasn’t on the table. What was on the table—or what would have been on the table—were bits of Gartner’s proposal. The bits our friends happened to like. That’s not going to work. We’re in an endgame, Ben. They have to understand that.”

  Hoffman frowned. “I’m not sure everyone on our side sees it as an endgame.”

  “What about you, Ben?”

  Hoffman didn’t reply.

  Olsen nodded. “Watch a little. Just watch what they do.”

  “Do you think it was smart to tell them how urgent we regard it? Doesn’t that encourage them to prevaricate?”

  “That’s a fair question. To be honest, it could do that. On the other hand, it doesn’t look like they’ve needed much encouragement to prevaricate so far, so what have we got to lose? Ben, this is more about setting a tone. Straight talking. It’s like: I know you’re going to try to play games with me, but I’m going to talk straight. Because I know you need a deal too. So you can play your games with me, but it won’t get you anywhere because I’m not going to play them with you. Nothing’s going to change so let’s cut the crap and get started.”

  Hoffman looked at him doubtfully.

  “And if you’re in doubt,” added Olsen, “watch us. We’re going to show you we really are prepared to act.”

  Hoffman thought about it. “What do you think they’ll come back with?”

  “This time round? Nothing.” Olsen smiled. “That’s the game, Ben.”

  ~ * ~

  Wednesday, January 26

  Oval Office, The White House

  He gripped the edges of the lectern with both hands. Adam Gehrig was a slim, handsome man, with curly black hair and a dimpled chin. In the Oval Office, the president, Ben Hoffman, John Eales and Jodie Ames were watching him via the feed from the press briefing room.

  Gehrig had already announced that Hugh Ogilvie, the British prime minister, would be visiting Washington in mid-February. Next he announced that the president had signed a set of executive orders releasing additional funds for people who had already been moved under President Gartner’s Relocation program. Then he got onto the final announcement of the press conference.

  “As you are aware, this morning President Benton announced the immediate suspension of aid to both Syria and Iraq until they come to an agreement over sharing the waters of the Euphrates River. The president, of course, is aware of the special U.S. responsibility in these two countries, for reasons that we all understand. He has today spoken to both President Al-Difaari and President Lahoush to assure them of the continuing U.S. commitment to reconstruction in their countries and his hope for the earliest possible resumption of aid. However, this dispute must be brought to an amicable end. Over the last eight years it has resulted in four major border incursions and numerous smaller incidents with considerable loss of life. The president believes a resolution of this dispute is not only possible, but attainable within a short time and strongly urges the parties to resume the negotiations that were broken off in September. To this end, he will be sending as his special envoy General Alger Weiss, who, as you may know, has considerable experience in the region dating back to his service as a marine in the Second Gulf War. A biography of General Weiss is available in the press area of the White House website. The president will meet with General Weiss later today in the Blue Room. There will be an opportunity for photographs but the president will not be taking questions. A statement will be released after the meeting.” Gehrig paused. “Now I’ll take questions.”

  They started. But the questions weren’t about the Iraq-Syria initiative, nor about the British prime minister’s visit, nor about the release of funds for the victims of the Gartner relocation. They were about Hugo Montera.

  Gehrig fielded a half dozen of them.

  In the Oval Office, Joe Benton watched.

  “It’s amazing how many ways they can find to ask the same question,” murmured Ben Hoffman.

  “No, it’s not,” said Jodie Ames.

  They kept watching. Gehrig fielded a final assault. Ben Hoffman switched off the stream.

  A couple of minutes later, Gehrig came in.

  “The man himself,” said Eales.

  Benton smiled. “That didn’t look like much fun.”

  “I’ve had better briefings, Mr President,” said Gehrig.

  “Do you think they even heard the announcement on the Iraq-Syria initiative?”

  “Well, sir, I told them.”

  “Jodie,” said Eales, “make sure they cover it.”

  “Is it that important?” said Ames.

  “Yes,” replied Benton. “Get Hugo Montera off the front page and my initiative onto it.”

  “With respect, Mr. President, there’s only one way to do that.”

  “Jodie, that’s not going to happen. I won’t have this administration getting a reputation for being soft in defense of its people.”

  “Well, that makes it hard, sir. What was happening out there, they figure if they get to a certain point, if they bring the story to a certain level, they’ve done their job. They deserve the scalp.”

  “They deserve it?” demanded Bento
n. He avoided looking in John Eales’s direction. Eales had already told him it was time to cut Montera loose. “If the time comes, I’ll do what I have to do. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them tell me when that is.”

  There was silence. Ames glanced at Gehrig, who gave a slight shrug.

  “Jodie,” said John Eales. “Just make sure they cover the action the president’s taken over Syria and Iraq. It’s important.”

  ~ * ~

  Monday, January 31

  West Wing, The White House

  Chen was alone this time. They got down to business quickly. Larry Olsen didn’t have much to say. This time, he was there to listen.

  “President Wen wishes me to pass on his commendation of the president’s action on the Iraq-Syria Euphrates dispute,” said the Chinese diplomat. “Hopefully, this will help bring it to an end. For a number of years it has been the belief of President Wen that this is a destabilizing dispute which is capable of resolution, and the United States is the natural mediator to help bring this about. President Wen said this to President Gartner a number of times.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Chen,” said Ben Hoffman. “I’ll be sure to pass on to the president your remarks.”

  Chen nodded.

  Larry Olsen had noted the way Chen referred to President Wen, not the government of the People’s Republic. This wasn’t accidental, he knew.

  “I’m glad President Wen took note of this action, Mr. Chen,” he said. “And particularly the swift and decisive nature of it. As you may know, General Weiss is already in Baghdad. I think this illustrates what I was telling you about President Benton last time we met.”

  “I repeat, Mr. Secretary, President Wen commends the initiative of President Benton, and the People’s Republic will be supporting the resolution of the United States in the upcoming vote in the Security Council.”

  There was silence. Olsen gazed at Chen. Chen stared back at him. Ben Hoffman watched the two men. The silence went on. It was almost unbearable. Hoffman had to hold himself back from saying something, anything, to break it.

  Chen spoke.

  “President Wen has asked me to state that he has the intention of issuing an invitation to President Benton to visit Beijing if he can be assured that President Benton would be favorably disposed to such an invitation.”

  Larry Olsen didn’t reply.

  “As you aware, President Gartner met President Wen on a number of occasions, first as vice president and later when he became president himself. Each of these meetings was fruitful. President Wen regards President Gartner as a personal friend, and he hopes he will have the opportunity to regard President Benton as a friend as well.”

  Olsen nodded. “I sincerely hope so.”

  Chen waited for Olsen to say something else. Eventually he continued. “As a mark of respect for President Benton, President Wen would like this meeting to take place as soon as possible. An early meeting would show the world the respect in which each of our leaders holds the other. Provided President Benton is favorable, President Wen believes that it would be possible to welcome the president to Beijing as early as September.”

  “As early as September?” said Olsen.

  “This would be after the G9 meeting in India. Of course, the two presidents may meet then as well, but this is not the same, I think, as a visit to Beijing.”

  “No,” said Olsen. “It isn’t.”

  Chen glanced questioningly at Ben Hoffman.

  “There are a number of schedulings I would have to check.”

  “Of course,” said Chen. He looked back at Olsen. “President Wen’s view is that negotiations on any matter will proceed more smoothly once he and President Benton have had the opportunity to speak face-to-face. Familiarity makes understanding, Mr. Secretary.”

  Olsen cleared his throat. “Mr. Chen, I am certain that President Benton would greatly appreciate the opportunity to visit Beijing, and that provided this visit comes at the right time and in the right circumstances it will be, as you say, a fruitful one.”

  Chen waited for Olsen to continue, but Olsen said nothing more. Chen glanced at Ben Hoffman. Hoffman sat rigidly, trying not to move a muscle.

  “Mr. Secretary,” said Chen, “do you have a message you would like me to give back to President Wen? The early date that President Wen is suggesting for the meeting with President Benton is a great mark of respect.”

  “That was the message, Mr. Chen. I just gave it to you.”

  “I’m not sure I understand exactly . . .”

  Olsen repeated the words in Mandarin.

  Chen was silent.

  “Last time we met, I explained that we were waiting to see the proposal of your government on the issue of carbon emissions. We’re still waiting for that, Mr. Chen.” Olsen paused, watching the other man. Then he stood up. “Good to see you, Mr. Chen.” He held out his hand.

  Chen stood up and shook it.

  “Mr. Chen,” said Ben Hoffman, holding out his hand.

  “Thank you, Mr. Hoffman,” said Chen.

  Olsen watched Hoffman walk him out.

  Ben came back and closed the door. He sat down with a troubled look on his face.

  Olsen smiled. “Ben, I told you last time not to expect anything back.”

  “You think they haven’t got a proposal?”

  “They might have. But our friend Chen sure as hell wasn’t going to turn up with it today.”

  “Meaning he might later?”

  “If Wen thinks the door’s closing.”

  “Is the door closing?”

  Olsen shrugged. “The door never closes. It just squeaks a little sometimes.”

  Ben Hoffman frowned. “Maybe the president should go meet Wen, like they say.”

  “Yeah, right.” Olsen smiled, shaking his head. “Like I’d let him do that.”

  ~ * ~

  Tuesday, February 1

  Cabinet Room, The White House

  Joe Benton was late as he walked the short distance from the Oval Office to the Cabinet Room. He had been in an emergency phone conference with Erin O’Donnell, the attorney general, and Sol Katzenberger, director of the FBI. Prior to that he had spoken to Tom Walters, governor of Montana. Overnight an attempted arrest for nonpayment of federal taxes had developed into a siege of a compound near the town of Whitefish. The FBI estimated that ninety people, including up to fifty women and children, were holed up under the leadership of a known extremist called Bill Dare. They were now surrounded by four hundred FBI agents and Montana state troopers. Katzenberger wanted to give the go-ahead for his men to go in and get everyone out in a sharp, overwhelming attack. As long as they went in fast, Katzenberger was confident of minimum casualties. That level of optimism rang alarm bells in Joe Benton’s mind. Katzenberger couldn’t provide a plan for the assault. The alternative, said the FBI director, was the risk that the situation would develop into a drawn-out siege, ending in a catastrophe like Waco back in the early 1990s, when over eighty people died. In Dare’s twisted view of the world, that might have been exactly what he wanted, some crazy kind of martyrdom.

  Tom Walters, a republican who had been elected on a hard-line law-and-order ticket, was for immediate action. Erin O’Donnell wanted to wait.

  This was the first time Benton had been asked to approve a specific action which might result in a loss of life. He felt the responsibility of executive power more strongly at that moment than at any other time since his inauguration. He weighed the options. Rightly or wrongly, he wasn’t prepared to give the go-ahead, not on the basis of what Katzenberger had told him. He asked the FBI director to come back to him within twenty-four hours with a detailed plan for an attack. In the interim, his agents were to act only in self-defense.

  He was still thinking about the decision when he walked into the Cabinet Room for his meeting with the legislators. He opened the door and was immediately among a bunch of familiar faces. Kay Wilson, the Senate majority leader, was standing beside the House Speaker, Don Bales. The maj
ority whips of both houses were there, Senator Val Birley and Congressman Paul Rudd. A dozen of the other most influential Democrats on the Hill had also been invited, including Celia Amadi, the veteran senior senator from New York, and Rose Miller, a Florida congresswoman. From the White House, Angela Chavez, John Eales, Steve Kivopoulos, one of Eales’s aides, Jodie Ames, Adam Gehrig, Josh Singer, the counsel to the president, and Barb Mukerjee, the president’s chief legislative aide, were present. Ben Hoffman was delayed by something and would be along as soon as he could get away.