Free Balance of Power: A Novel by James W. Huston Page A

challenge to your newforeign policy, sir.” Corder had taught International Affairs at Yale, and then served as ambassador to Spain. He still wasn’t completely comfortable as Secretary of State, a position he had held only for six months. His forehead reddened when he spoke.
    Manchester interrupted him by saying to the chief of staff, “Arlan, would you get Ms. Vaughan here? I want her in on every meeting. Somebody needs to watch my backside.”
    “We’re all watching out for your interests, Mr. President,” Van den Bosch replied.
    “Well then, one more won’t hurt, will it?” Manchester said. “You were saying, Nathaniel?” he asked, watching Corder’s glowing forehead.
    “Your peace and diplomacy through commerce program’s goals are to have the military play less of a role in the world and increase our maritime presence in the world. To rejuvenate our shipping industry, you proposed a law that requires fifty percent of the goods carried into U.S. ports to be on U.S.-flagged vessels by the year 2010. And half of those had to be built in the U.S.”
    “So?” Manchester said, growing impatient.
    “Sir, I think it was the right strategy. But someone else out there may fear that the U.S. is going to expand its influence in the world through shipping and exporting U.S. goods. An American Empire, built on our new ability to facilitate trade. Like England’s of the nineteenth century, but with no colonies, no compulsion, no force. Simply put, sir, they don’t want you to succeed.”
    “But who?” said Van den Bosch impatiently.
    “Let me finish,” Corder said. “Which ship was it that was sunk?” he asked rhetorically. “The Pacific Flyer . The very first of the newest design of ships, built by NASSCO in San Diego, and a U.S.-flagged vessel carrying U.S. goods to a foreign port. A symbol if there ever was one. And not just any U.S. goods. The newest Ford, the Ascenda, designed to take on the global market. And not just any shipment of Fords. The first shipment to abrand-new Ford dealership in Jakarta. This one was being followed in the press. A new era in American business. A new way of doing business.”
    “But who?” Van den Bosch asked again.
    Corder shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just trying to identify a possible motive. That may help us discover the who.”
    “My guess, if I may, sir,” said Warner. “This wasn’t done by someone who wants to remain anonymous. We’re going to hear from these people again.” His dry deep voice showed no emotion whatsoever.
    Manchester nodded and looked at Admiral Hart. “Admiral, what are our options?”
    Hart looked at the President, then back at the chart. He studied the hundreds of islands of Indonesia, the immense area of ocean and finally said, “Frankly, to wait. We don’t know who did this, or why, or where they have gone. We’ll certainly be looking for the cigarette boats—we have every airplane with infrared and ISAR radar airborne right now looking for them, but it’s going to be very difficult. Inverted Synthetic Aperture Radar allows for good definition, so you can tell one ship from another with it; but there’s an awful lot of ocean there, and more islands than you can count.” He breathed in noisily through his nose. “And unless they decide to tell us who they are, it may be virtually impossible to respond.”
    “We got anybody on the ground in Jakarta that can tell us anything?”
    Molly opened the door quietly and sat down without speaking. They glanced at her, then back at Warner.
    Warner responded, “We have very limited resources on the ground in Indonesia. We had no warning of trouble brewing in the region. I’m not optimistic they’ll be able to find out much after the fact, but they have already been instructed to try, sir.”
    Manchester clenched his fists. “We are going to look like fools. We have the largest military in the world, an entire battle group in the area, and the best intelligence inthe world. We are