Page 6 (1/2)

Part 1 December 23 rd

On the afternoon and early evening of Decely unconnected and, in distance, three thousand uarded circuits, from the President of the United States to the Prime Minister of Canada; the conversation lasted almost an hour and was sombre The second event was an official reception at the Ottawa residence of Her Majesty's Governor General; the third, the berthing of a ship at Vancouver on the Canadian West coast

The telephone call cainated in the President's study of the White House and was taken by the Prime Minister in his East Block office on Parliament Hill

Next was the berthing of the ship It was the Motor Vessel Vastervik, 10,000 tons, Liberian registry, its ian It made fast at La Pointe Pier, on the south and city side of Burrard Inlet Harbour at three o'clock

Just an hour later in Ottahere, because of a three-hour tiuests began arriving at Government House The reception was a smallish one: an annual pre-Christave cabinet members and their wives

Only two of the party guests – the Prime Minister and his Secretary of State for External Affairs – had knowledge of the US President's call Not one of the guests had ever heard of the MV Vastervik, nor in the sches was it likely that they would

And yet, irrevocably and inextricably, the three occurrences were destined to intertwine, like planets and their nebulae whose orbits, in strange e and share a moment's scintillation

Part 2 The Prime Minister

Chapter 1

The Ottawa night was crisp and cold, with clouding skies holding pro The nation's capital – so the experts said – was in for a white Christmas

In the rear of a black, chauffeur-driven Oldsaret Howden, wife of the Prime Minister of Canada, touched her husband's hand 'Jamie,' she said, 'you look tired'

The Right Honourable James McCallu in the car's warmth Now he opened them 'Not really' He hated to ad a little The past forty-eight hours…' He checked hilass betas raised, but even so it paid to be cautious

A light frolass and he could see his own reflection: the heavy, hawklike face, eagle-beak nose and jutting chin

Beside hi at yourself or you'll develop… what's that psychiatry thing?'

'Narcissis 'But I've had it for years In politics it's an occupational norm'

There was a pause, then they were serious again

'Soaret said softly 'So important' She had turned towards him, her face troubled, and preoccupied as he was, he could perceive the classic shapeliness of her features Margaret was still a lovely woht, and heads had always turned when they caether

'Yes,' he acknowledged For an instant he was te that had occurred so swiftly, beginning with the secret telephone call fro across the border two days earlier; the second call this afternoon Then he decided: this was not the time

Beside his lately, and so few moments we've had alone' 'I know' He reached out and held her hand As if the gesture had unleashed words held back: 'Is it worth it all? Haven't you done enough?' Margaret Howden spoke quickly, aware of the journey's shortness, knowing that it was a few minutes drive only between their own house and the Governor General's residence In a minute or two one 'We've been married forty-two years, Jamie, and most of that time I've had just a part of you There isn't all that much of life that's left'

'It hasn't been easy for you, has it?' He spoke quietly, genuinely Margaret's words had moved him

'No; not always' There was a note of uncertainty It was an entangled subject, so they spoke of rarely

'There will be ti the imponderables about the future which the past two days had brought

'What other things?'

'There's one est I've had'

She withdrew her hand 'Why does it have to be you?'

It was iaret, privy to so hts, he could never mouth his innermost conviction: because there is no one else; no other with reat decisions soon to come

'Why you?' Margaret said again

They had entered the grounds of Governravel In the darkness, parkland rolled away on either side

Mouilt about his relationship with Margaret She had always accepted political life loyally, even though never enjoying it as he did hi sensed her hope that one day he would abandon politics so that they could becoain, as in the early years

On the other hand he had been a good husband There had been no other woman in his life… except for the one occasion years before: the love affair that had begun, and had lasted almost a year until he had ended it resolutely, before his ed hiaret should ever learn the truth