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dazed expression on her face. Her family was watching her, wide-eyed. ‘Yes, sir. I do. I recognize your voice. I – I’m sorry about hanging up a moment ago. Beth thought it was Virgil, and – yes, sir. Thank you.’ She stood there listening. ‘Would I be willing to serve as what?’ Her face suddenly flushed.

      Edward was on his feet, moving towards the phone, the children close behind him.

      ‘There must be some mistake, Mr President. My name is Mary Ashley. I’m a professor at Kansas State University, and – You read it? Thank you, sir … That’s very kind of you … Yes, I believe it is …’ She listened for a long time. ‘Yes, sir, I agree. But that doesn’t mean that I … Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I see. Well, I’m certainly flattered. I’m sure it’s a wonderful opportunity, but I … Of course I will. I’ll talk it over with my husband and get back to you.’ She picked up a pen and wrote down a number. ‘Yes, sir. I have it. Thank you, Mr President. Goodbye.’

      She slowly replaced the receiver and stood there in shock.

      ‘What in God’s name was that all about?’ Edward demanded.

      ‘Was that really the President?’ Tim asked.

      Mary sank into a chair. ‘Yes. It really was.’

      Edward took Mary’s hand in his. ‘Mary – what did he say? What did he want?’

      Mary sat there, numb, thinking: So that’s what all the questioning has been about.

      She looked up at Edward and the children and said slowly, ‘The President read my book and the article of mine in Foreign Affairs magazine, and he thought they were brilliant. He said that’s the kind of thinking he wants for his people-to-people programme. He wants to nominate me as Ambassador to Romania.’

      There was a look of total disbelief on Edward’s face.

       ‘You? Why you?’

      It was exactly what Mary had asked herself, but she felt that Edward could have been more tactful. He could have said, How wonderful! You’d make a great ambassador. But he was being realistic. Why me, indeed?

      ‘You haven’t had any political experience.’

      ‘I’m well aware of that,’ Mary responded tartly. ‘I agree that the whole thing is ridiculous.’

      ‘Are you going to be the Ambassador?’ Tim asked. ‘Are we moving to Rome?’

      ‘Romania.’

      ‘Where’s Romania?’

      Edward turned to the children. ‘You two finish your dinner. Your mother and I would like to have a little talk.’

      ‘Don’t we get a vote?’ Tim asked.

      ‘By absentee ballot.’

      Edward took Mary’s arm and led her into the library. He turned to her and said, ‘I’m sorry if I sounded like a pompous ass in there. It was just such a –’

      ‘No. You were perfectly right, Edward. Why on earth should they have chosen me?’

      When Mary called him Edward, he knew he was in trouble.

      ‘Honey, you’d probably make a great ambassador, or ambassadress, or whatever they call it these days. But you must admit it came as a bit of a shock.’

      Mary softened. ‘Try thunderbolt.’ She sounded like a little girl. ‘I still can’t believe it.’ She laughed. ‘Wait until I tell Florence. She’ll die.’

      Edward was watching her closely. ‘You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?’

      She looked at him in surprise. ‘Of course I am. Wouldn’t you be?’

      Edward chose his words carefully. ‘It is a great honour, honey, and I’m sure it’s not one they would offer lightly. They must have had good reason for choosing you.’ He hesitated. ‘We have to think about this very carefully. About what it would do to our lives.’

      She knew what he was going to say, and she thought: Edward’s right. Of course he’s right.

      ‘I can’t just leave my practice and walk out on my patients. I have to stay here. I don’t know how long you’d have to be away, but if it really means a lot to you, well, maybe we could work out some way where you could go over there with the children and I could join you whenever –’

      Mary said softly, ‘You crazy man. Do you think I could live away from you?’

      ‘Well – it’s an awfully big honour, and –’

      ‘So is being your wife. Nothing means as much to me as you and the children. I would never leave you. This town can’t find another doctor like you, but all the government has to do to find a better ambassador than me is to look in the yellow pages.’

      He took her in his arms. ‘Are you sure?’

      ‘I’m positive. It was exciting being asked. That’s enough for –’

      The door flew open and Beth and Tim hurried in. Beth said, ‘I just called Virgil and told him you’re going to be an ambassador.’

      ‘Then you’d better call him back and tell him I’m not.’

      ‘Why not?’ Beth asked.

      ‘Your mother has decided she’s going to stay here.’

      ‘Why?’ Beth wailed. ‘I’ve never been to Romania. I’ve never been anywhere.’

      ‘Me, neither,’ Tim said. He turned to Beth. ‘I told you we’re never going to escape from this place.’

      ‘The subject is closed,’ Mary informed them.

      

      The following morning Mary dialled the telephone number that the President had given her. When an operator answered, Mary said, ‘This is Mrs Edward Ashley. I think the President’s assistant – a Mr Greene – is expecting my call.’

      ‘One moment, please.’

      A male voice on the other end said, ‘Hello. Mrs Ashley?’

      ‘Yes,’ Mary said. ‘Would you please give the President a message for me?’

      ‘Certainly.’

      ‘Would you please tell him that I’m very, very flattered by his offer, but my husband’s profession ties him down here, so I’m afraid it would be impossible for me to accept. I hope he understands.’

      ‘I’ll pass on your message,’ the voice said non-committally. ‘Thank you, Mrs Ashley.’ The line went dead.

      Mary slowly replaced the receiver. It was done. For one brief moment, a tantalizing dream had been offered her. But that was all it was. A dream. This is my real world. I’d better get ready for my fourth period history class.

       Manama, Bahrain

      The whitewashed stone house was anonymous, hidden among dozens of identical houses, a short walk from the souks, the large, colourful outdoor markets. It was owned by a merchant sympathetic to the cause of the organization known as the Patriots for Freedom.

      ‘We will need it for only one day,’ a voice over the telephone told him.

      It was arranged. Now the chairman was speaking to the men gathered in the living room.

      ‘A problem has arisen,’ the chairman said. ‘The motion that was recently passed has run into difficulty.’

      ‘What sort of difficulty?’ Balder asked.

      ‘The go-between we selected – Harry Lantz – is dead.’

      ‘Dead? Dead, how?’

      ‘He was murdered. His body was found floating in

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