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.His eyes came to a halt on the one word that would remain the same in both languages.The one word he had not told Lawrence.Adam wondered how the icon had ever fallen into the hands of Goering in the first place.He must have bequeathed it to his father unknowingly — for had he realised the true importance of what was hidden inside it, he would surely have been able to bargain for his own freedom with either side."Voila, voila," said the farmer's wife, waving her hands as she placed warm socks, pants and trousers in front of Adam.How long had he spent engrossed in his fateful discovery? She looked down at the upside down parchment and smiled.Adam quickly snapped the icon closed and then studied the masterpiece carefully.So skilfully had the wood been cut that he could no longer see the join.He thought of the words of the letter left to him in his father's will: "But if you open it only to discover its purpose is to involve you in some dishonourable enterprise, be rid of it without a second thought." He did not need to give a second thought to how his father would have reacted in the same circumstances.The farmer's wife was now standing hands on hips, staring at him with a puzzled look.Adam quickly replaced the icon in his jacket pocket and pulled back on his trousers.He could think of no adequate way of thanking the farmer's wife for her hospitality, her lack of suspicion or inquisitiveness, so he simply walked over to her, took her gently by the shoulders, and kissed her on the cheek.She blushed and handed him a small plastic bag.He looked inside to find three apples, some bread and a large piece of cheese.She removed a crumb from his lip with the edge of her apron and led him to the open door.Adam thanked her and then walked outside into his other world.PART THREETHE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DCJune 17,1966CHAPTER SEVENTEENTHE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DCJune 17,1966"I don't want to be the first god-damn President in the history of the United States to hand back an American state rather than be founding one.""I appreciate that, Mr President," said the Secretary of State."But.""Where do we stand on this legally, Dean?""We don't, Mr President.Abraham Brunweld, the leading authority on documents of this period, confirms that the terms of the ninety-nine year lease are binding on both sides.The lease was signed on behalf of Russia by Edward de Stoeckle and for the US by the then Secretary of State, William Seward.""Can this agreement still be valid today?" asked the President, turning to his chief legal officer, Nicholas Katzenbach."It certainly can, sir," said the Attorney General."But only if they can produce their original.If they do, the UN and the international court at The Hague would have no choice but to support the Russian claim.Otherwise no international agreement signed by us in the past or in the future would carry any credibility.""What you're asking me to do is lie down and wag my tail like a prize labrador while the Russians shit all over us," said the President."I understand how you feel, Mr President," said the Attorney General, "but it remains my responsibility to make you aware of the legal position.""God dammit, is there a precedent for this kind of stupidity by a Head of State?""The British," chipped in Dean Rusk, "will be facing a similar problem with the Chinese in 1999 over the New Territories of Hong Kong.They have already accepted the reality of the situation and indeed have made it clear to the Chinese Government that they are willing to come to an agreement with them.""That's just one example," said the President, "and we all know about the British and their 'fair play' diplomacy.""Also, in 1898," continued Rusk, "the Russians obtained a ninety-nine-year lease on Port Arthur in Northern China.The port was vital to them because, unlike Vladivostok, it is ice-free all year round.""I had no idea the Russians had a port in China.""They don't any longer, Mr President.They returned it to Mao in 1955, as an act of goodwill between fellow Communists.""You can be damn sure,the Russians won't return this piece of land to us as an act of goodwill," said the President."Am I left with any alternative?""Short of military action to prevent the Soviets claiming what they will rightfully see as theirs, no sir," replied the Secretary of State."So one Johnson buys the land from the Russians in 1867 and another has to sell it back in 1966.Why did Seward and the President ever agree to such a damn cockamaney idea in the first place?""At the time," said the Attorney General, removing his spectacles, "the purchase price of the land in question was seven point two million dollars and inflation was then virtually unheard of.Andrew Johnson could never have imagined the Russians wanting to purchase it back at ninety-nine times its original value, or in real terms, seven hundred and twelve point eight million dollars in gold bullion.In reality, years of inflation have made the asking price cheap.And the Russians have already lodged the full amount in a New York bank to prove it.""So we can't even hope that they won't stump up in time," said the President."It would seem not, sir.""But why did Tsar Alexander want to lease the damn land in the first place? That's what beats me.""He was having trouble with some of his senior ministers at the time over the selling off of land belonging to Russia in Eastern Asia.The Tsar thought this transaction would be more palatable to his inner circle if he presented it as nothing more than a long lease, with a buy-back clause, rather than an outright sale.""Why didn't Congress object?""After Congress ratified the main treaty, the amendment was not strictly subject to approval by the House, because no further expenditure by the United States government was involved," Rusk explained."Ironically, Seward was proud of the fact he had demanded such a high premium in the repayment clause.At the time he had every reason to believe it would be impossible to repay.""Now it's worth that in annual oil revenue alone," said the President, looking out of the Oval Office window towards the Washington Monument."Not to mention the military chaos it's going to create in this country if they've got their hands on their copy of the treaty [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]