Diplomacy

comfortable and spacious house was provided for them in Tervuren in the green belt around the capital. Maria was all too used to packing up, leaving, and settling down again in another part of the world without too much advanced notice and made it her personal goal to make each house still feel like home.

    12 | Z a h r a O w e n s

    “You know Jack, we should ask that young Englishman with the American girlfriend to dinner one night.” Maria was buttering a piece of toast in their kitchen.
    Jack looked up from his newspaper. “Why?”
    Maria gave him an ‘I don’t know how you’ve achieved what you have with that attitude’ look. “He’s charming! Even the First Lady couldn’t stop talking about him after they met at the reception and they spoke for…what? All of three minutes? I just figured he’s an up and coming guy and his girlfriend could use a little help.” Jack raised his eyebrows.
    “I mean she’s a nice enough girl, but if she ever wants a chance at helping her future husband’s career, she’s going to need to be educated a bit. Did you know this is her first time outside of the States?” Maria was hugging a cup of coffee by now, settling down next to Jack, and stealing the New York Times from his stack of different newspapers.
    “Well, he did tell me he was going to be the liaison officer to our Embassy, so maybe we should get better acquainted. Mind you, we will be talking shop all night, so it may get a bit boring for you girls,” Jack answered without looking at his wife.
    Maria rolled up her Times and playfully flogged him with it.
    “Well, I’m sure ‘us girls’ can retreat upstairs and paint our toenails while the men do business.”
    Jack looked up and realized he’d just offended his well-educated wife.

    LATER that morning, Jack’s secretary stuck her head inside his office as he reviewed the new financial sanctions the Belgians had imposed an all non-EU imports.
    “Mr. Christensen, security has Mr. Lucas Carlton downstairs. He’s the liaison from the...”
    “I know who he is, Mrs. Claessens, just send him on through and…” he called her back just before she left, “…arrange with security to let him through next time? He’s C.D. like the rest of us, just U.K. instead of U.S.”

    D i p l o m a c y | 13

    She nodded as she closed the door again to relay her boss’s request.
    Just minutes later Lucas strolled confidently into Jack’s office, a small folder under his arm, wearing virtually the same clothes as Jack had seen him in at the reception. The ever present smile on his face, he leaned over the impressive oak desk littered with papers to shake Jack’s hand.
    “Mr. Christensen, I’m glad…” Lucas stopped mid-sentence as Jack raised his hand.
    “Please, call me Jack. If we are going to have to work together on everything that concerns both our countries, then you are going to drive me crazy with all that ‘Mister’ing, so just… Jack.” Lucas smiled broadly. “Okay, Jack. But it was still nice of you to see me without an appointment. I’m usually better at sticking to protocol, but I wanted some fresh air and these papers needed to be delivered, so…”
    “So you walked from your Embassy to mine? With…” Jack quickly leafed through the folder, “…three pages on the U.K.’s view on the import sanctions?” He realized he was amused by this as he watched the young man loosen his scarf while not quite settling in one of the chairs across from him.
    “It’s only about a five minute walk and like I said, I needed the air.
    Taking a car would have been utterly useless.” His voice trailed off as he admired the rather opulent decoration of the office.
    “So how’s old Boyles?” Jack asked, understanding that the young man wasn’t going to indulge him with a straight answer.
    Lucas was still looking around at the intricately carved borders near the ceiling, giving Jack the chance to stare at the young man. “He’s had a bit of a…relapse, so we’re expecting that he’ll go home to England for an extended…rest, pretty soon.”
    Jack chuckled. He had met the U.K. Ambassador only once and they had taken an instant dislike to one another. The man was notoriously inept at keeping his alcohol consumption to an acceptable level and always managed to insult a few people before he needed to be escorted out. Not Jack’s favorite kind of diplomat.
    “Can I get you anything to drink? Since you walked… I thought you might be thirsty,”