“‘We consider these actions as an unwanted development and we’re deeply disappointed by it,” Sarney rapped. “‘We’ve made it very clear that we have legitimate legal basis for returning Mr. Kold to the USA and that he will be granted all rights provided to those accused in our country within the framework of our legal system. As for the motivation for the actions of the Russian side, I’ll leave it to the Russian authorities to clarify.’”
A few more questions followed straight away:
“‘What are the diplomatic consequences of this step? And what are the possibilities in this regard beyond the diplomatic?’”
Sarney hesitated for a moment but quickly regained controclass="underline"
“‘Your colleague just asked me a question about President Obama’s visit to Moscow. I have already stated that I cannot tell you what our decision will be at the moment. We are judging the expediency of this visit in the light of this and other events. But for now I can’t say what the decision will be.’”
“‘I would like to put a wider question,’” a large man in a blue suit asked. “‘In the light of this event have you considered rethinking the rebooting of the relationship between Russia and USA started by Hilary Clinton?’”
“‘Our relations with Russia, just as with other influential countries in the world, are based on realism,’” Sarney looked at the audience victoriously and continued: “‘And it’s absolutely clear that the so-called reboot in our relationship with Russia has brought positive results in relation to our national security and the interests of the American people. Thanks to that reboot we have Russian cooperation in the transit of cargo and materials to our military in Afghanistan. It has also provided us with cooperation in relation to Iran. It has provided Russian cooperation on a new agreement about the reduction of nuclear arms under START. And it has provided other forms of cooperation which benefit the United States, our people and our national security.
“‘During the evolution of our relations with Russia over the last four and a half years, we have had conflicts. We have had disagreements with Russia, and we have always stated our position in respect of these conflicts and disagreements very clearly. The last time was over the situation in Syria. That is how things were in the past and that is how it’ll be in the future.
“‘Of course, those who assumed it wasn’t worth rebooting our relationship with Russia after president Obama came to power, may today reiterate that the results achieved weren’t worth the effort spent on them. But I don’t think this is the case. And I don’t think that anyone can convincingly prove otherwise.’”
“They would justify their actions even if the whole world found out that they were killing and eating babies in the White House,” Kold said. “The octopus will never acknowledge that he is wrong. And at one point I really believed that everything would change with the arrival of Obama…”
“The most interesting bit is starting,” the Lawyer nodded at the screen. There was a dialogue emerging.
“‘Jay, what do you think the Russians are trying to achieve?’” a pleasant-looking blonde woman asked. “‘Obviously, when taking a decision to grant Kold asylum, they were not expecting their decision would be met with understanding in the White House…’”
Sarney answered at once:
“‘Yes, I don’t think they were expecting that.’”
“‘And yet they did it. Why, do you think?’” the blonde was pushing the Press Secretary, but hadn’t managed to confuse him.
“‘I was asked this question before,’” Sarney reassured her. “‘I am not going to invent motives for them. I guess the official representatives of Russia can explain them themselves. We are obviously disappointed in this development. We have a wide and important agenda for interaction with Russia. It includes the areas where we’ve achieved agreement and we cooperate, and it also includes areas where we have disagreements and conflicts.
“‘We stated long ago, just as president Putin did, that we don’t want the Kold affair to become a problem in our bilateral relations, because of their scale and importance. We are aware of this and will therefore continue moving forward in our relations with the Russian leadership.’”
The secretary announced a break in the briefing.
“This already looks like pouring water into mortar,” the Lawyer spread his arms. “But in politics it’s important to present a good face in a bad game. Mr. Sarney does it quite well.”
“In the book you gave me, I liked one phrase,” Kold said, looking at Sarney as he departed. “‘To judge people impartially, we need to reject our preconceived opinions and our habitual attitudes towards the people and objects that usually surround us.’ There in the White House, they think I’m just like everyone else, that they have calculated everything… Idiots! We are all different. Martin, Mitchell, Banning, Cassandzhi and I. Although there is one man I would associate myself with. He also wanted to make his country – and in the end the whole world – a better place.”
“And who is that?” the Lawyer asked with interest.
“Guy Fawkes!” Kold stated solemnly, and his eyes began to glitter. “Since I was a child I admired this man who wasn’t afraid to stand up against the cruel and unfair system existing at that time in England.”
“People say that in English schools children still learn a rhyme about Guy Fawkes,” the Lawyer noted: “‘Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder treason and plot’.”
“There are two of them,” Kold said in his usual uninformative manner.
“Two of what?”
“Rhymes. They start in the same way but then… Compare them yourself, here’s the variation where Guy Fawkes is a sneaky traitor:
“Well, it doesn’t lack historic truthfulness,” the Lawyer smiled. “Guy Fawkes was a criminal.”
“He was a hero,” Kold objected. “A second rhyme says more:
“Hmm,” the Lawyer shook his head. “I haven’t heard this version before. But it doesn’t remove the essential truth: Guy Fawkes was plotting against the legitimate authority.”