"When he called to tell me you were not at the Crillon, he asked me to put him in touch with you whenever you checked in. I told him I would. You want to talk to him?"
"What choice do I have?"
"Not much, Charley. But it's your call."
"How do I do that?"
"We're wired into the White House net. Just say the word."
"I wish you could eavesdrop, sir."
"If you don't tell me to get off the speakerphone…"
"Thank you."
Miller's voice went into the heavens and back: "Bring the White House switchboard into the loop." "Switchboard."
"C. G. Castillo for Ambassador Montvale. I will need a secure line."
"One moment, please." "Director Montvale's office."
"I have Mr. C. G. Castillo on a secure line for Director Montvale."
"One moment, please." "Charles Montvale here. Is that you, Major?"
"Yes, sir. Good morning, sir."
"This line is secure, right?"
"So I have been informed, sir."
"I have made inquiries vis-a-vis the FBI agent Yung, in Montevideo, Major."
"Thank you, sir."
"An interesting situation, Major. The attorney general tells me that Yung has been seconded to the State Department on a mission with the highest possible security clearance. What he's doing is so secret, I am informed, that neither the director of the FBI nor the attorney general knows what he is doing."
"That's very interesting, sir."
"And there is more, Major. When I asked the director of the State Department's bureau of intelligence and research, he told me that he was unable to discuss Agent Yung's activities with me without the specific permission of the secretary of state."
"Even more interesting, sir."
"Apparently Secretary Cohen neglected to inform the appropriate people of the President's finding."
"Have you had the opportunity to discuss this with Secretary Cohen, sir?"
"This is where this situation becomes really interesting, Major. Yes, I have. She says that she has no knowledge whatever of Agent Yung beyond what she heard in our conversation aboard Air Force One. She assures me, however, that as soon as she gets to Singapore, she will take the appropriate steps to get to the root of the matter."
"She's on her way to Singapore, sir?"
"Apparently. And she did not choose to share with me her reasons for not making use of the communications system aboard her aircraft."
"Sometimes it doesn't work, sir."
"I suppose that's true. In any event, Major, I regret not being able to be of greater service."
"I understand the problem, sir. Thank you for your effort."