Castle Lorne. They sat motionless, buried in their own thoughts. D’Arby hung his head in despair. ‘Not so soon, not so soon,’ they heard him whisper. ‘The reporter mentioned other embassies,’ Blythe Edwards said, her voice grim. ‘We need to find these things out,’ Shunin added. ‘There is a telephone here?’ ‘Most certainly,’ Flora replied. ‘Then, if I may, Mrs MacDougall, I would like to use it to call my embassy,’ he said, for the first time deploying impeccable manners. ‘We can’t,’ D’Arby said, looking up. ‘But we must,’ Shunin countered. The American President nodded her support. ‘We have to know what’s going on.’ ‘Think about it. Just think!’ D’Arby demanded, growing animated. ‘You know the Chinese. They’ve got the capacity to scan the skies for key words that will alert them to any significant calls. One false word–just one–and it will give them our location.’ He wasn’t looking directly at anyone but focusing his attention on a silver napkin ring that he was twirling between his fingers.
