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Mercier ate lunch with the President in the fa room of the White House He was thankful that his boss, unlike other chief executives, served up cocktails before five o'clock The second Rob Roy tasted even better than the first, though it didn't exactly complement the Salisbury steak

"The latest intelligence says the Russians have moved another division up to the Indian border That h for an invasion force"

The President wolfed down a boiled potato "The boys in the Krehanistan and Pakistan And now they've got a full-fledged Musli on their hands that has spilled into Mother Russia I wish they would invade India It's more than we could hope for"

"We couldn't sit on the sidelines and not become militarily involved"

"Oh, we'd rattle our sabers andanother exaression Send a few aircraft carriers into the Indian Ocean Launch another trade eo"

Mercier picked at his salad "In other words, the saiven Stand by and watch-"

"-the Soviets dig their own grave," interrupted the President "Marching on seven hundred million people who live in poverty would be like General Motors buying a vast welfare depart"

Mercier did not agree with the President, but deep down he knew the nation's leader was probably right He dropped the subject and turned to a problem closer to home

"The Quebec referendu down to defeat in '80

and '86, it looks like the third time may be the lucky charm"

The President appeared unconcerned as he scooped up a forkful of peas "If the French think full sovereignty leads to utopia, they're in for a rude awakening"

Mercier put out a feeler "We could stop it with a show of force"

"You never give up, do you, Alan?"

"The honeymoon is over, Mr President It's only a question of tiin labeling you an indecisive leader The very opposite of what you pron"

"All because I won't go to war over the Middle East or send troops into Canada?"