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SEA OF SHADOWS 27
mound, where the real work began. The nickname had not proven to be
very accurate, because he generally accomplished more serious work in
the bullpen than he did at his desk—which (according to the metaphor)
should have been the pitcher’s mound. But, apropos or not, the nickname
had stuck.
The president walked over to the bullpen and spent a few minutes
greeting the members of his meeting team and shaking hands. Not
counting himself and his chief of staff, Veronica Doyle, the team consisted
of Secretary of State Elizabeth Whelkin; National Security Advisor
Gregory Brenthoven; Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asian
Affairs William Collins; and a designated note taker, Marine Corps
Lieutenant Michael Summers, on loan from the National Security Council.
There would be no need for an interpreter, as the Chinese ambassador
spoke excellent English.
The hallway door opened and the ambassador was ushered in by a
deputy assistant to somebody-or-other in the National Security Council.
The young woman, who probably didn’t know that she had been selected
on the basis of her obscurity, was visibly nervous over what was obviously
her first visit to the Oval Office. Despite her nervousness, she made her
announcement flawlessly. “Mr. President, may I present Ambassador
Shaozu Tian, minister plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China.”
The president smiled and stepped forward to shake the ambassador’s
hand. “Good evening, Ambassador Shaozu. Thank you for coming on
such short notice.”
The ambassador returned his smile. “I am honored to be of service,
Mr. President. And I bring you greetings on behalf of the citizens and
government of the People’s Republic of China.”
The next few moments were dedicated to handshakes and pleasantries
as the ambassador was introduced to the rest of the team.
When the members of the team took their seats, they fell silent. In
accordance with the dictates of protocol, the president would speak as the
sole representative of the United States—just as the ambassador would
speak as the sole representative of his own government. The other
members of the team were there to watch, gather information, and
formulate ideas for the discussion that would immediately follow the
meeting. During the meeting itself, they might pass the president notes or
documents, but they would not contribute directly to the conversation.