The Janson Directive - By Robert Ludlum Page 0,234

nations of the world. It will be a beached whale upon the shore of history. Or we can take action now, before it is too late. I have just been elected to another five-year term, with the near unanimous support of the General Assembly. I am uniquely in a position to make decisive, unilateral executive decisions. I have the popularity and the credibility to do so. And I must do so to save this organization."

"I've always thought your reputation for foresight was well earned," Novak said. "But so is your reputation for strategic ambiguity, mon cher. I wish I had a better sense of what you're proposing."

"Simply put, there can be no salvation for us except through partnership with you. A special joint division can be established - joint between the Liberty Foundation and the U.N. - devoted to economic development. Over time, more and more of the U.N.'s institutional resources and responsibilities would migrate to this joint division. It will be a powerful, invisible directorate within the United Nations. I can serve as the bridge between the two empires, yours and mine. U.N. appropriations would continue, of course, but the Liberty Foundation would be able to make intimate use of the U.N.'s extensive assets."

"You intrigue me, Mathieu," said Novak. "But we both know the rules of bureaucratic inertia. You tell me you envy and admire the extraordinary effectiveness of the Liberty Foundation, and I thank you for the kind words. But there's a reason for our record: the fact that I have always retained absolute, top-to-bottom control of it."

"I am deeply aware of that fact," said the secretary-general. "And when I speak of 'partnerships,' I need you to understand my meaning. 'Strategic ambiguity,' as you call it, is something my role at the United Nations often requires. But on one issue there can be no ambiguity. Ultimate control would be exercised by you, Peter."

There was a long moment of silence, and Zinsou briefly wondered whether Novak's phone had gone dead. Then the man spoke again. "You are indeed a man of vision. It's always nice to meet another one."

"It is a grave, an immense responsibility. Are you prepared for it?" Zinsou did not wait for an answer but continued to speak, with passion, eloquence, and urgency, elaborating on his vision.

Twenty minutes later, the man who called himself Peter Novak maintained an odd reticence.

"We have so much to discuss," Zinsou said, winding up. "So much that can only be discussed face-to-face, just you and me, together. Perhaps it is grandiose of me to say it, but I truly believe the world is depending on us."

At last, a mirthless laugh came from the phone: "Sounds like you're offering to sell me the United Nations."

"I hope I didn't say that!" Zinsou exclaimed lightly. "It is a treasure beyond price. But yes, I think we understand each other."

"And in the short term, my Liberty Foundation people would have ambassadorial rank, diplomatic immunity?"

"The U.N. is like a corporation with a hundred and sixty-nine CEOs. Nimble it is not. But yes, the charter I'll draft will make that quite clear," answered the secretary-general.

"And what about you, mon cher Mathieu? You'll be serving out your second term - and then what?" The voice on the phone grew friendly. "You have served your organization selflessly for so many years."

"You're kind to say so," the secretary-general said, catching his drift. "The personal element is an entirely subsidiary one, you appreciate. My real concerns are for the survival of this institution. But, yes, I will be frank. The U.N. job does not exactly pay well. A job as, let us say, a director of a new Liberty Foundation institute ... obviously with the salary and benefits to be negotiated ... would be the ideal way to continue my work for international peace. Forgive me for being so forward. The complexity of what I propose makes it imperative that we be absolutely straightforward with each other."

"I believe I'm coming to a better understanding, and find it all very encouraging," said the man who was Peter Novak, now sounding positively genial.

"Then why don't we have dinner. Something tr猫s intime. At my residence. The sooner the better. I'm prepared to clear my schedule."

"Mon cher Mathieu," the man on the phone repeated. A warm glow suffused his voice, the glow of a man who had just been offered the United Nations. It would be a final ornament to his redoubtable empire, and a fitting one. Abruptly, he said: "I'll get back to you."