(1989) The Guest of Honour

by Irving Wallace

  hundred marketplaces that deal with Soviet weapons just as they deal with American weapons.’

  ‘The president may want you to prove that.’

  ‘It requires no proof. Only logic and good faith.’ Ambassador Berzins stood up. ‘I have a message for you to take to your president. Our government wants him to rescind the effort to get Madame Noy to address the General Assembly. It is the only way to continue the progress being made by our two nations towards a peace plan.’

  Morrison came to his feet. ‘I’ll report your request to the president. I can’t promise anything. I am merely the secretary of state, not the president. It will be up to him to decide. But I will do my best.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Ambassador Berzins coolly, and he left the room.

  Once he was by himself, Morrison put through a call to Chief of Staff Paul Blake and requested that they both meet with President Underwood in an hour, if possible.

  Blake called back shortly. It was possible, and Morrison was expected at the Oval Office in one hour.

  Fifty minutes later Morrison was in Blake’s office in the White House, quickly filling him in on the Soviet ambassador’s protest and request.

  Soon Morrison and Blake were seated opposite the president in the Oval Office.

  ‘What’s on your mind?’ demanded Underwood.

  ‘I’m concerned about a visit I had a short time ago from the Soviet ambassador.’

  Morrison then proceeded to lay out Berzins’s protest and his demand.

  The president listened in stony silence. ‘In short, what it comes to is that he wants me to cancel Madame Noy’s appearance before the General Assembly?’

  ‘He feels that as an ally of Lampang, you can do it. There are two points to be considered here, Mr. President.’

  ‘Go ahead.’

  ‘First,’ said Morrison, ‘Berzins feels the grounds for Madame

  Noy’s appearance are shaky, at best. Evidence that the Lampang communists instigated the attack is questionable and possibly unfounded. Evidence that the communists used Soviet weapons is also questionable, since the weapons could have come from many sources other than the Soviet Union. The ambassador feels Madame Noy’s appearance will certainly chill any peace negotiations between you and the Soviet secretary general. That’s the first point.’

  ‘What’s the second?’

  Blake intervened, to give Morrison a hand. ‘The second point involves our own self-interest. We’ve stated our position before, and it’s apparent we should state it again.’

  ‘Madame Noy,’ said Morrison, ‘wants to condemn the Lampang communists to force them back to her own peace table.’

  ‘And that,’ added Blake, ‘is something we don’t want.’

  ‘I think it’s an admirable idea,’ said Underwood.

  ‘Forgive me, but it’s a terrible idea,’ said Morrison, ‘especially from the point of view of the United States. Madame Noy is imbued with impractical, idealistic notions, possibly obtained from her late husband. But these are notions that don’t work in the world of reality.’

  Blake lent support once more. ‘They can’t work, Matt, because the communists will walk over Madame Noy in any meeting or series of meetings. They’re tough and good at that. She isn’t. Matt, we have a big investment in Lampang. We’re just beginning the process of constructing a giant air base there. We can’t take chances with the local communists. They are capable of infiltrating under the guise of a democratic party and then trying to weaken the American position. Madame Noy’s speech at the United Nations will serve the communists in two ways. Obstruct our own peace talks with the Soviets. Obstruct our own strength in Lampang.’ Blake was silent a moment. ‘Matt, consider what Ezra has told you and what I have said. You must get on the phone to Lampang and speak to Madame Noy. You must inform her there’s been a change of policy here. You must tell her in the strongest terms that she cannot speak at the UN. Will you do it?’

  Underwood stared at Blake, then shifted his unwavering gaze to Morrison.

  At last he spoke. ‘The answer is no. I will not tell Madame Noy she is unwelcome at the United Nations. I think she should speak there. I’m all for it, and let’s not have any more on this subject. Good day, gentlemen.’

  The following day, late in the afternoon, Matt Underwood had been seated in the Oval Office with Blake, going over his United Nations speech, when his secretary buzzed him.

  ‘Yes, Emily?’

  ‘A call from your daughter at Wellesley. Can you take it or should I have Dianne phone back?’

  Underwood was immediately enthusiastic. He hadn’t spoken to Dianne in almost two weeks, and he was eager to hear her voice. Moreover, a call in the afternoon was surprising. She usually telephoned Alice or him in the evening in the family quarters upstairs.

  ‘Of course I’ll take it. Put her through.’

  Blake came to his feet. ‘I’ll let you speak to her alone,’ he said. ‘I’ll be next door if you want to go over the speech once more.’

  ‘Thanks, Paul.’

  After his chief of staff had left, Underwood took the call on the telephone rather than the speaker. ‘Dianne, what a treat.’

  ‘Hi, Dad. How are you?’

  ‘Dianne, where are you calling from?’

  ‘Right here in the dorm,’ said Dianne.

  Underwood could see her the moment that he heard her voice. She had long, flowing blonde hair reaching to her shoulders, a sweet face with an upturned nose as tilted as Alice’s own. There was no doubt that she took after Alice. Underwood never thought of himself as good-looking, although perhaps Dianne had inherited a certain warmth and openness that was in his own countenance.

  ‘How are you, Dianne, honey? Is everything all right?’

  ‘Couldn’t be better, Father. I’m working hard, and I’m still spending some evenings out with Steve.’

  ‘Great.’

  ‘I wanted to tell you I got my dissertation subject okayed. “Great Female Leaders in the 20th Century.” How do you like it?’

  ‘I like it very much. You mean Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir and the like?’

  ‘And how they affected their countries and the world in ways male leaders might not have.’

  ‘I’m feeling a little put down,’ said Underwood cheerfully.

  ‘You’ve had enough attention. I think women should get their share.’

  ‘Couldn’t agree with you more, Dianne.’

  ‘That’s why I’m calling. I need a favour.’

  ‘Shoot.’

  ‘I know, of course, you and the Russians are addressing the United Nations the end of the week. But I saw in this morning’s New York Times that Madame Noy Sang of Lampang will be on hand to speak to the General Assembly.’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Is she a friendly sort of person?’ asked Dianne.

  ‘Very. You’d like her.’

  ‘Well, that’s it,’ said Dianne. ‘I want to come down to New York and interview her. Can you lend a hand?’

  Underwood hesitated momentarily. ‘Possibly. I don’t know her plans except for the UN address. What do you have in mind?’

  ‘It would be a real scoop for me, meeting her,’ said Dianne excitedly. ‘Not only because I admire her, but talking to her firsthand would give me a perfect wind-up for my dissertation on modern women leaders.’

  Underwood agreed that was a good idea.

  Dianne said quickly, ‘I mean, if she’d take the time to talk to me.’

  Underwood thought of Noy and knew there would be no problem. ‘She’d talk to you, all right,’ said Underwood. ‘But there is another obstacle. As I pointed out, I don’t know what she’s planned for after the UN when -‘ Underwood interrupted himself. ‘What am I saying, Dianne? Of course I know what

  she’ll be doing after the UN. I invited her to dinner - she and several members of her staff are dining with me at The Four Seasons - and she accepted. You can join us there. I’ll seat you right next to her.’ />
  ‘You would? That would be memorable.’

  ‘Count it as done,’ said Underwood, pleased. ‘Say, Dianne, how’d you like to hear your old man speak at the UN? You can be there for Madame Sang’s address, too.’

  ‘I’d love it!’

  ‘I’ll reserve a seat for you in the gallery. When the UN session is over we can meet in the Delegates’ Lounge and then move on to the United Nations Plaza and talk a little before dinner.’

  ‘No, you’ll be busy after the speeches,’ said Dianne. ‘I have a few friends to see in New York. I’ll meet you at The Four Seasons. How’s that?’

  ‘Fine. Make it eight o’clock.’

  ‘How should I dress, Father?’

  ‘How do I know about such things, Dianne? You’re beautiful in whatever you wear.’

  ‘Never mind. I’ll be there all duded up, and with a notebook. You sure you don’t mind?’

  ‘I’m sure,’ said Underwood. ‘And I’m sure that Madame Noy will be pleased. See you then on Friday.’

  Underwood summoned Blake and worked for another hour on his UN speech, and when he was satisfied, they called it a day and he headed for dinner with Alice.

  He walked from the Oval Office across the L-shaped colonnaded terrace to the ground floor entrance, and rode the elevator upstairs.

  He found Alice having her vodka martini in the Family Dining Room.

  ‘I’ll have one of those, too,’ said Underwood, speaking to the valet, and sitting across from his wife.

  ‘I just had a call from Dianne,’ said Alice. ‘She wanted to know what to wear when she joins you and that Noy woman for dinner in New York after your speech.’

  ‘Of course, you’re invited to join us, too.’

  Alice ignored this. ‘I told you when you made a fool of yourself on Lampang that I won’t have you seeing this Noy woman again.’

  ‘Alone, you said.’

  Alice shrugged. ‘That’s true.’

  ‘You know I am not going to be alone with her. Madame Noy will have some of her staff. I’ll have my daughter. Do consider coming along.’

  ‘Count me out. I’d like to see Dianne, but I can see her anytime. As for the Noy woman with her political blabbing, that would be intensely boring. So no thanks, I’ll wait for you to tell me what happened.’

  ‘If you insist. But won’t you reconsider, Alice?’

  ‘Sounds dreary,’ she said. ‘No, thanks again.’ She finished her drink and came to her feet. ‘Let me dress for dinner. And see if you can be as amusing with your wife as I’m sure you’ll be with that sarong lady.’

  She left the room, and Underwood’s eyes followed her sadly.

  Dianne Underwood was already at The Four Seasons when her father arrived with his chief of staff Paul Blake (Morrison was occupied at a reception given by his Soviet counterpart), Noy Sang, Marsop, Secret Service agents, and Noy’s personal security guards.

  Underwood kissed his daughter, and quickly brought her into the group to make the introductions.

  ‘Your speech was very good,’ Dianne said to her father.

  ‘You’re kind of prejudiced,’ Underwood said to his daughter. ‘My speech wasn’t half as good as Madame Noy’s … You really impressed everyone, Noy. It was your directness and sincerity. It gave a good deal of validity to my own words.’

  ‘You flatter me, Matt,’ said Noy. ‘But I admit the speech was a high. Me, up there alone at the speaker’s rostrum in the General Assembly Hall, standing between the two Leger murals in that giant domed place. Addressing 2,000 people,

  who were hearing my speech in six languages. I admit it was thrilling.’

  As the maitre d’ led them down the steps to the lower level of the restaurant towards the central fountain, Dianne overheard Noy say to her father, ‘Your daughter, Matt, she is perfectly exquisite.’

  ‘Thank you, Noy. If she is as beautiful as you, I would be more than pleased.’

  When they arrived at the main table, Blake took over the seating. He helped Noy to her place, directed Dianne to one side of her and Underwood to the other, and then set chairs for Marsop and himself.

  After they had been seated, the sommelier collected their drink orders and Blake conferred with the maitre d’ about their dinner.

  Underwood heard Dianne’s voice.

  ‘You’re truly wonderful to let me be here and question you,’ Dianne was saying to Noy.

  ‘I’m flattered to be part of your dissertation,’ replied Noy.

  Dianne leaned towards Noy. ‘My father already congratulated you about your speech today, but let me do so again. I watched the faces of the people you were talking to. I could see they were impressed.’

  Noy laughed. ‘All except the Russians, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Your grasp of politics is remarkable,’ Dianne went on.

  Noy at once became serious. ‘If I have any such grasp, I owe it to my late husband. And, of course, in the time since, to Marsop.’

  Underwood intervened, to speak to his daughter and Noy. ‘Don’t be fooled by her modesty, Dianne. Of course she owes much to her husband and Marsop. But I have never met a women with such a perfect political instinct - yes, instinct, as well as logic and good sense. She’s a marvel. You may quote me, Dianne.’

  Her notebook on the table before her, Dianne had her pen in hand and was already scribbling information.

  She glanced up. ‘I’m not going after facts,’ she explained to

  Noy. ‘I have pages and pages on you from other sources. What I’m interested in is what I can get only from you.’ Her eyes met Noy’s. ‘I mean your feelings about everything.’

  Noy seemed startled. ‘My feelings?’

  ‘For example, take Wellesley,’ said Dianne. ‘Not many years ago you were there. I’m there now. Of all schools, what made you choose that one?’

  Noy smiled. ‘Since I was growing up in a democracy, I wanted to study in the leading democracy in the world. I told my parents and there were no objections. My mother sent for dozens of university catalogues. Wellesley seemed the most attractive.’

  Once more, Underwood intervened. ‘Not quite, Dianne, not quite. Noy is being deliberately evasive and even frivolous. Again, her modesty. I happen to know, from discussing it with her, that she chose Wellesley because she had made an almost scientific study of the courses there and saw they were superior to others.’

  ‘Oh, Matt -‘ Noy interjected.

  ‘Don’t deny it, I know it’s true,’ said Underwood. ‘It was your sensibility, your brain power, Noy. I’ve known many high-powered women, but never one with the kind of head you carry around.’

  ‘Were you happy at school, Madame Noy?’ Dianne wondered.

  ‘Yes, why do you ask?’

  ‘Well, I’m comfortable there,’ said Dianne. ‘But I’m an American. It’s where I belong, home. But you came from a long distance, a foreigner from Southeast Asia. How did you feel about that?’

  Noy was thoughtful, remembering. ‘At first, I felt alien, isolated,’ she said. ‘Scared. Soon I made friends. I found we were all people, with much in common, I began to feel comfortable, American, much as you do today.’

  ‘Dinner is being served now, Dianne,’ Underwood interrupted. ‘Save your questions for later.’

  ‘Let her go on, Matt,’ Noy said. ‘Dianne, you can continue

  asking questions while we eat. I really can do two things at one time.’

  ‘Just one more question for right now,’ Dianne said.

  ‘Please go ahead.’

  ‘Another to do with your feelings, Madame Noy, much, much later, just recently.’

  ‘Whatever you wish, if I can answer.’

  ‘You’re the only one who can answer,’ Dianne said. ‘It’s about after your husband was killed and you became the president of Lampang.’

  ‘Is that question necessary, Dianne?’ Underwood asked.

  ‘No, it’s quite all right, Matt,’ Noy said to Underwood. ‘Let your daughter go on.’ She half turned tow
ard Dianne. ‘The question you want to present?’

  Dianne was having a little difficulty, but at last she formulated what she wanted to say. ‘Your husband, once you lost him and were alone, did you ever have any desire for another man?’

  Noy stared at the girl seriously. ‘Another man,’ she repeated. ‘Do you mean for sexual needs or for companionship?’

  Dianne seemed taken aback by her frankness. ‘IT guess I meant companionship. Maybe I meant both. Let’s speak of companionship.’

  Noy nodded. ‘In the year and a quarter since the assassination, I have never met another man I wanted to spend time with, except one. At the risk of embarrassing him, I am speaking of your father.’

  Dianne blinked, glanced at her father and back to Noy. ‘Really, you enjoyed being with my father?’

  ‘Don’t take Madame Noy seriously,’ Underwood said quickly. ‘It’s really the other way around. Dianne, you can take me seriously when I say that of all the women I’ve met since I’ve been in the White House, Madame Noy has been far and away the most congenial. On each occasion we met, I requested additional time to be with her.’

  Dianne looked at Noy, thought she might be blushing, and then she fixed on her father. ‘Why?’ she asked.

  ‘Why I wanted to spend more time with her?’

  ‘Yes, I want to know. I want to know how she appears to someone like you.’

  ‘There are obvious reasons,’ said Underwood. ‘She’s intelligent, for one thing. Interesting, for another. Also, she possesses certain qualities that can’t be exactly defined.’

  ‘Like what?’ Dianne pressed her father.

  ‘She’s warm, she’s attractive. Then there’s something indefinable. A magnetic quality.’

  Noy smiled and addressed Dianne. ‘That’s the very way I see your father. Now I think we really must have our dinner. Try your salad, it’s delicious. That sweet thing is a mango. We have them in Lampang.’

  ‘I know,’ said Underwood. ‘I had The Four Seasons arrange to have them sent from Lampang. To make you feel at home, Noy. Now let’s eat.’

  By this time they were all hungry and they ate.

  There was little talk except from Dianne, who continued to interject questions, which Noy tried to answer as honestly as possible.