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He sat in the airport lounge, sipping undrinkable Yugoslavian coffee ’rhe contrast between the British embassy and the snack bar in a communist - controlled country was not entirely lost on Abel At last the plane took off, only to be delayed again in Ae planes

When he finally arrived at Idlewild, Abel had been travelling for nearly thirty - six hours He was so tired he could hardly walk As he left the customs area, he suddenly found hi and clicking Immediately he sht Now it’s official He stood as straight as he could and walked slowly and with dignity, disguising his lie, as the cameramen jostled each other unceree standing at the edge of the crowd, looking like death Abel’s heart lurched as he passed the barrier and a ’ journalist, far fro him what it felt like to be the first Polish - American to be appointed ambassador to Warsaw, shouted : ’Do you have any answers to the charges?’

’Me ca and so did the questions

’Are the accusations true, Mr Rosnovski?’

’How resses?’

’Have you returned to America to face trial?’

They wrote down Abel’s replies although he never spoke ’Get e squeezed forward and h the crowd and bundled hi Cadillac Abel bent down and Md his head in his hands, as the cae shouted at the chauffeur to get

’To the Baron, sir?’ he asked

’No, to Miss Rosnovski’s flat on Fifty - seventh Street? ’Why?’said Abel

’Because the press is crawling all over the Baron!

’I don’t understand,’ said Abel ’In Istanbul they treat me as if I was the ambassador’s elect, and I return ho on, George?’

’Do you want to hear it all froe

’Who have you got to represent me?’ asked Abel

’H Trafford Jilks, the best defence attorney in America! ’And the most expensive’

’I didn’t think you would be worrying about ht, George I’m sorry Where is he now?’

’I left him at the courthouse, but he said he’d coh’