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joy of being obstructive. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, do you?”
    â€œIn your job it is,” Avakian replied. “They’re letting you know they’re for real. They’re letting you know it’s their town, they’re running the show, and they’re not going to lay down for the big, powerful U.S. of A. They’re making sure you never take their cooperation for granted.”
    Marquand just stared at him for a second. “So basically, you’re saying the Chinese are my wife, and I need to send them flowers?”
    Avakian burst out laughing. “Not exactly, but it’s not a bad way of looking at it. But I don’t think flowers would do you any good.” Then he paused, still grinning appreciatively. “Might not hurt, though.”
    â€œOkay, that was a nice little amusing interlude,” said Marquand. “Now I need you to help me out on this.”
    â€œI feel your pain, I really do. But the answer is still no.”
    â€œI don’t understand why you’re having such a problem with this.”
    â€œProbably because it’s a job for one of the Citizen Services Consuls. Or whatever young sprout you’ve got hanging around here who just passed the foreign service exam.”
    â€œOh, so it’s beneath you. You never got anyone out of jail before?”
    â€œPlenty of times. About twenty-three years ago when I was a lieutenant. Wait a minute. I did it once when I was a major. But that was just so I could fire a dumbass staff sergeant personally. Because if you’re not smart enough to keep your ass out of jail, you’re too dumb to wear a green beret.”
    â€œA heartwarming tale.”
    â€œAnd the moral of it is, I am not getting some bitch-kitten Paris Hilton girl gymnast out of jail for you. It’s a simple chore. Send one of your large-necked security people to do it.”
    â€œThe Chinese are making an issue of it.”
    â€œI’m not surprised.”
    â€œAnd they asked for you. Personally.”
    Avakian’s expression was pure exasperation. “You couldn’t have told me that at the beginning? You don’t have enough heartburn, you have to manufacture your own?”
    â€œI appreciate you absolving yourself of responsibility for my heartburn. Why would the Chinese ask for you?”
    â€œBecause we’re like this now,” Avakian said, holding up two crossed fingers. “Hermanos.”
    â€œSeriously.”
    â€œThey’re killing two birds with one stone. They release the notorious girl gymnast whose release everyone is screaming for, and they’re going to release her to me personally so I get the credit and I’m obligated to them.”
    â€œWill you be?”
    Avakian shook his head. “You’re only obligated if you acknowledge the obligation.”
    â€œI’m not even going to pretend I understand that.”
    â€œYou should try to get more sleep.”
    â€œSo will you do it?”
    â€œSure.”
    â€œYou’ll do it,” said Marquand.
    â€œYou might want to get your hearing checked the same time you deal with that learning disability,” Avakian observed.
    â€œWhat makes the Chinese asking for you enough to change your mind?”
    â€œBecause whenever the Chinese have an ulterior motiveit’s worth finding out what it is. Maybe they have some information on my little chase they want to share with me.”
    â€œBy the way, the CIA decided that stadium recon was nothing to be worried about.”
    â€œThey would,” said Avakian. “Do yourself a favor—put your money on the CIA. After all, it’s not like they’ve blown the call on every major crisis of the last fifty years or anything.”
    Marquand paused to give that some thought, then decided not to comment. “You really think the Chinese want to pass you something else? Washington went nuts on the Taiwan thing. I really don’t