Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)(75)

—She said she would handle it personally. How did you know?

—I did not. It seemed like a logical explanation.

—You find this logical? You use US funds to finance this project, US helicopters, drones, American troops to locate and retrieve all the pieces of this machine from all over the world—illegally, I might add—killing several American citizens and foreign nationals in the process. You assemble it on US soil, use American scientists on the US government payroll to figure out how it works, in an American base, of course, a base that you later destroy, bringing this country to the brink of war.

At your suggestion, the president of the United States then agrees to drop this machine into the ocean, a measure you yourself described as temporary. Then you turn around and give it to Russia and the UAE. Does that about sum it up? What part of this does not constitute treason from your perspective?

—Which question should I answer first?

—Answer whichever you like.

—No.

—No, you don’t want to answer?

—No is the answer to your first question.

—Which was?

—“Does that about sum it up?” It does not.

—What did I miss?

—The first part of your statement, however redundant and melodramatic, was generally accurate. Aside from the individuals who were directly involved in this project, the United States is mostly responsible for its success. As for the latter, you forgot South Korea. Most importantly, I did not “give” anything to anyone. First, it was not mine to give. Second, it was not free, far from it.

—I’m not really interested in hearing anything you have to say.

—You did ask. Your plan, as we have established, was to have me arrested and tried for treason. We now both know that this particular plan will not come to fruition. I am offering you an alternative, one that will greatly benefit the United States. It also does not involve my having a sudden heart attack or a fatal reaction to a bee sting.

—Why, though? Why would the president not want to arrest you?

—You will have to ask her.

—She knew. Didn’t she? She knew all along. Did the former president know?

—I…

—Don’t answer that. I know you won’t tell me. So that’s it, isn’t it? That was the plan all along.

—You just told me not to answer.

—I don’t get it.

—That was not a joke.

—I don’t understand how any of this is good for us.

—Perhaps your feeling of impotence regarding my arrest is clouding your judgment. Let me repeat what I said earlier. I did not give anything to anyone. First, it was not mine to give. It was not yours either. The reason the former president agreed to drop it in the ocean is precisely because for the United States to insist on keeping the device for itself would have precipitated a global conflict. Do you agree?

—Does it matter? Let’s say that I do, for the sake of argument.

—Why would it precipitate a global conflict?

—Because Russia wouldn’t let us keep it.

—Correct. Russia would not have let the balance of power tip so far in your favor. They would not have been alone. It would have left the Middle East in even more turmoil. They know you would eventually use it there. Asia would have been upset as well.

—Your point?

—Having established that the device was not yours to keep, I presume I will not have to convince you that it did not belong to Russia either.

—I thought that was my point.

—Indeed. Moscow is well aware of that. Now that they have had their hand caught in the cookie jar, so to speak, do you believe they are in a position to play the moral card as they did in the past with the robot now in US custody?

—I’m pretty sure you want me to answer no here.

—How about the Middle East? Perhaps if, say, the Emirates had been involved…How about Europe? Asia? Would a German company being part of the consortium be helpful? Japan, Korea…Do you believe any of them, now faced with the likely prospect of losing everything, will try to prevent the United States from participating in this venture?

—OK, it’s clever; I get it. So we share it with Russia, now that they’ll let us…

—More or less. But you are missing the real beauty of this situation. As I said before, I did not give anything away. It was not free. The nations involved spent in the neighborhood of $200 billion to retrieve the device and construct the Puerto Rico base. Had the US attempted to do the same, it would have had to disburse that amount on its own. To do it clandestinely would have been impossible, as you could not appropriate $200 billion, for anything, without anyone’s noticing.

—OK, it’s clever and we saved a bunch of money. What do you want from me, a medal?

—A simple thank-you would suffice.

—I still don’t get it. If the president knew, and it sure looks that way, why not let me in on that clever plan of yours?

—I cannot tell you what the president knew or did not know, I do not handle these briefings. As I mentioned several times to your predecessor, there are a great many things that require an attention span greater than eight years. Consequently, there are also a great many things that never reach this office. As for the plan, you must realize that, if it existed at all, it would never have been that well-defined. The device was causing too much turmoil, in part owing to the manner in which the pieces were acquired. Hypothetically speaking, the former president might have agreed that other nations should share some of the burden, and some of the cost. I would then have assembled a group of interested parties and begun construction on the Puerto Rico facility.