Page 183 of Never
‘They say we shouldn’t have allowed our drone to fall into terrorist hands.’
‘So that’s why they killed Fred and Hiran?’
‘They deny it.’
‘That’s evil!’
‘They probably think that taking two American lives in exchange for one hundred and three Chinese lives is a restrained reaction.’
‘Is that the way people think about this kind of thing?’
Pauline decided she had been too frank. ‘I don’t think that and nor does anyone on my team. For me, one American life is very precious.’
‘And that’s why you brought me home. I can never thank you enough.’
Pauline smiled. ‘It’s my job.’
***
That evening she watched the news with Gus in the former Beauty Salon at the Residence. Joan Lafayette led the bulletin, and the pictures of her with Pauline at Kennedy looked good. But the second lead story was a press conference given by James Moore.
‘Determined to upstage you,’ Gus said.
‘I wonder what he’s got.’
Moore did not use a lectern: it did not suit his folksy style. He sat on a stool in front of a crowd of reporters and cameras. ‘I been looking at who gives money to President Green,’ he said. His tone was chatty and intimate. ‘Her biggest political action committee is run by a guy who owns a company called As If.’
It was true. As If was a smartphone app hugely popular with teenagers all over the world. Its founder, Bahman Stephen McBride, was an Iranian American, the grandson of immigrants, and a top fund-raiser for Pauline’s re-election campaign.
Moore went on: ‘Now, I been wondering why our lady president is kinda soft on China. They murdered two Americans and nearly killed a third, but Pauline Green really hasn’t laid into them. So I ask myself: Do they have some kind of hold over her?’
Pauline said: ‘Where the hell is he going with this?’
Moore said: ‘Turns out As If is part owned by China. Now ain’t that interesting?’
Pauline said to Gus: ‘Can you check that?’
He already had his phone out. ‘On it.’
‘Shanghai Data Group is one of the biggest Chinese corporations,’ said Moore. ‘Course, they pretend it’s an independent company, but we know that every Chinese business takes orders from the all-powerful President Chen.’
Gus said: ‘Shanghai Data has a two per cent stake in As If, and no directors on the board.’
‘Two per cent! Is that all?’
‘Moore hasn’t mentioned the figure, has he?’
‘No, and he won’t. It would spoil his smear.’
‘Most of his supporters have no idea how stocks and shares work. A lot of them are going to believe you’re in Chen’s pocket.’
Cyrus, the butler, put his greying head around the door and said: ‘Madam President, your dinner is ready.’
‘Thank you, Cy.’ On impulse she said to Gus: ‘We could continue this discussion over dinner.’
‘I have no plans.’
She turned back to the butler. ‘Do we have enough for two?’
