Page 181 of Never

‘Chang has let us know that Joan Lafayette is in good shape and has no real need of hospital treatment. She has been questioned about what she was doing in the South China Sea, she has answered frankly and, off the record, they don’t think she’s any kind of spy. She clearly knows everything there is to know about prospecting for oil and very little about international politics.’

‘Pretty much what we would have guessed.’

‘Yes. All this is unofficial, of course. The Chinese government may well say the opposite in public.’

Chess put in: ‘They’re taking an aggressive line. The Foreign Ministry refuses to discuss Dr Lafayette’s return home or anything else to do with her unless we admit that theVu Trong Phungwas engaged in illegal activity.’

‘Well, we can’t do that, even to rescue an American,’ Pauline said flatly. ‘We would be stating that the South China Sea is not international waters. That would violate every maritime agreement and undermine our allies.’

‘Precisely. But the Chinese won’t discuss Dr Lafayette until we do.’

Pauline put down her fork. ‘They’ve got us up against the fucking wall, haven’t they?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Options?’

Chess said: ‘We could increase our presence in the South China Sea. We already carry out FONOPs, Freedom of Navigation Operations, sailing battleships through the waters and overflying. We could simply double our FONOPs.’

Pauline said: ‘The diplomatic equivalent of a gorilla beating its chest and tearing up the vegetation.’

‘Well, yes.’

‘Which would get us nowhere, though it might make us feel better. Gus?’

‘We could arrest a Chinese citizen here in the States – the FBI keeps tabs on them all, and there’s always someone breaking the law – then we could offer to trade.’

‘It’s what they would do in parallel circumstances, but it’s not our style, is it?’

Gus shook his head. ‘And we don’t want to escalate. If we arrest a visiting Chinese person, they might arrest two Americans in China.’

‘But we have to get Joan Lafayette back.’

‘If you’ll forgive me for being mundane, bringing her home would also give your popularity a boost.’

‘Don’t apologize, Gus – this is a democracy, which means we should never stop thinking about public opinion.’

‘And public opinion likes James Moore’s nuke-’em-all approach to international diplomacy. Your Timid Jim remark didn’t have the same traction.’

‘I should never descend to name-calling – it’s not really me.’

Chess said: ‘Then it looks as if poor Joan Lafayette is going to spend the next few years in China.’

‘Wait,’ said Pauline. ‘Perhaps we haven’t thought hard enough about this.’

The other two looked puzzled, evidently wondering what she would come up with.

She said: ‘We can’t do what they’re asking – but they must know that. The Chinese aren’t stupid. They’re the opposite of stupid. They’ve demanded something they know we can’t give. They don’t expect us to do it.’

Chess said: ‘I guess that must be true.’

‘So what do they really want?’

‘They’re making a point,’ said Chess.

‘Is that all?’

‘I don’t know.’