Honour Among Thieves
but nothing, as yet, has been scheduled.' 'Nothing, as yet, has been scheduled. Of course.' 'President Clinton has also requested that it be a strictly private visit, which would not be open to the public or the press.' 'Not be open to the press. Of course.' 'After the explosion at the World Trade Center, one can't be too careful.' 'Can't be too careful. Of course.' 'And I would be obliged if you did not discuss any aspect of the visit with your staff, however senior, until we are able to confirm a definite date. These things have a habit of getting out and then, for security reasons, the visit might have to be cancelled.' 'Have to be cancelled. Of course. But if it's to be a private visit,' said the Archivist, 'is there anything the President particularly wants to see, or will it just be the standard tour of the building?' 'I'm glad you asked that question,' said Mr Butterworth, opening the file in front of him. 'The President has made one particular request, apart from which he will be in your hands.' 'In my hands. Of course.' 'He wants to see the Declaration of Independence.' 'The Declaration of Independence. That's easy enough.' 'That is not the request,' said Butterworth. 'Not the request?' 'No. The President wishes to see the Declaration, but not as he saw it when he was a freshman at Georgetown, under a thick pane of glass. He wishes the frame to be removed so he can study the parchment itself. He hopes you will grant this request, if only for a few moments.' This time the Archivist did not immediately say 'Of course.' Instead he said, 'Most unusual,' and added, 'Hopes I would grant him this request, if only for a few moments.' There was a long pause before he said, 'I'm sure that will be possible, of course.' 'Thank you,' said Mr Butterworth, trying not to sound too relieved. 'I know the President will be most appreciative. And, if I could impress on you again, not a word until we've been able to confirm the date.' Butterworth rose and glanced at the long-case clock at the far end of the room. The meeting had taken twenty-two minutes. He would still be able to escape from the conference'room before he was thrown out by the officious woman from Scheduling. The Special Assistant to the President guided his guest towards the door. 'The President wondered if you would like to see the Oval Office while you're here?' 'The Oval Office. Of course, of course.'
HAMID AL OBAYDI was left alone in the centre of the room. After two of the four guards had stripped him naked, the other two had expertly checked every stitch of his clothing for anything that might endanger the life of their President. On a nod from the man who appeared to be the chief guard, a side door opened and a doctor entered the room, followed by an orderly who carried a chair in one hand and a rubber glove in the other. The chair was placed behind Al Obaydi, and he was invited to sit. He did so. The doctor first checked his nails and ears before instructing him to open his mouth wide while he tapped every tooth with a spatula. He then placed a clamp in his jaw so that it opened even wider, which allowed him to look into every crevice. Satisfied, he removed the clamp. He then asked Al Obaydi to stand up, turn round, place his legs straight and wide while bending over until his hands touched the seat of the chair. Al Obaydi heard the rubber glove being placed on the doctor's hand and felt a sudden burst of pain as two fingers were thrust up his rectum. He cried out and the guards facing him began to laugh. The fingers were extracted just as abruptly, repeating the jab of pain a second time. 'Thank you, Deputy Ambassador,' said the doctor, as if he had just checked Al Obaydi's temperature for a mild dose of 'flu. 'You can get dressed now.' Al Obaydi knelt down and picked up his pants as the doctor and the orderly left the room. As he dressed, Al Obaydi couldn't help wondering if each member of the Security Council went through the same humiliation every time Saddam called a meeting of the Revolutionary Command Council. The order to return to Baghdad to give Sayedi an update on the latest position, as the Ambassador to the UN had described the summons, filled Al Obaydi with considerable apprehension, despite the fact that following his most recent meeting with Cavalli he felt he had the answers to any questions the President might put to him. Once Al Obaydi had reached Baghdad after a seemingly endless journey through Jordan - direct flights having been
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