The American Ambassador by Ward Just Page A

own mind, to smooth some of the rough edges. Can we go back to the embassy, the week before Thanksgiving 1982.” He looked at the ceiling, as if trying to assemble his thoughts. “You see, the other thing that’s interested them, that they can’t pin down, and that worries them, is the German connection. So. You’re in your embassy, your office, and the Germans come to call. They have made a request to see Ambassador North—”
    â€œPaul, this wasn’t the Court of Saint James’s. Kleust rang me up and said he wanted to chat and I said fine, when, and he gave me a time and I said, fine, any time you want. I didn’t know what was on his mind. Maybe he wanted a tennis game.”
    â€œâ€”and you granted it. What happened next? I mean the names of those present, our side and their side, what you said and what they said and so forth and so on.”
    â€œYou have all that.”
    â€œYes, and so does the committee.”
    â€œAnd it wasn’t our side and their side. It was not a confrontation, or démarche. It was a chat, them and me.”
    â€œWhatever,” Carruthers said.
    â€œNot ‘whatever,’ ” North said. “Let’s get it straight. It’s important. I didn’t know what it was about. It turned out, as you know, to concern my boy. They wanted to give me some information. Kleust’s initiative.”
    â€œKleust?”
    â€œKurt Kleust, an old friend.”
    Hartnett said, “You have Bill's report. He has nothing to add to that. There
is
nothing to add to it.”
    â€œWe want to make certain that nothing was inadvertently omitted. That sometimes happens, no? And now there’s a little bit of urgency. And any time the Germans are involved—” He raised his hands and let them fall. “That committee, there’s so much mischief to be made.”
    Hartnett switched on the lamp at his elbow. They had been sitting in near darkness. “This isn’t the best time for Bill,” he said.
    â€œI know,” Carruthers said. “Alas. But it’s the time we have. Winston and Dunphy aren’t going to wait on Bill’s health, and we can’t either.”
    North said, “Tell me again what Winston wants.”
    â€œWinston?” Carruthers paused, steepling his fingers. He reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette, found one, and lit it. The smoke hung in the damp air. “He wants a conspiracy. I don’t think he can get one, but that’s what he wants. The ambassador, the ambassador’s son, the Department of State.”
    â€œChrist,” Hartnett said, laughing.
    â€œA conspiracy to suppress.”
    â€œWhat?” North said. “Suppress what?”
    â€œThe
connection
,” Carruthers said. “They have an idea that your boy is a dangerous character. And they’re not the only ones who have that idea. Young Bill has an unpleasant record, and has had access to classified information. The way our embassies are secured. Or not secured. The procedures, the encryption system. I don’t have to spell it out. And you and Elinor are the last people to’ve seen him and we didn’t know about it before, we knew about it
after.
Do you see?” he smiled encouragingly.
    â€œYou mean, our loyalties.”
    â€œThat’s correct.”
    North said pleasantly, “Are you taping this conversation, Paul?”
    His smile faded. “No.”
    â€œGood,” North said.
    â€œAnd I don’t take it kindly that you’d suggest such a thing. It’s against the regulations. I wouldn’t do it. And the under secretary wouldn’t allow it.”
    â€œOf course he wouldn’t, Paul. Apologies.”
    Carruthers was silent a moment, then nodded at Hartnett. “Is he wired?”
    â€œYou wired, counselor?”
    Hartnett opened his coat, as if he were about to be frisked. “Not me,” he said.
    â€œI guess no one’s