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"Please excuse me for a moment," the President said, heightening the mystery. He turned and stepped through the doorway to the antechamber.
In the President's eyes, Pitt looked like a derelict from hell. He came forward and embraced him.
"Mr. Pitt, you don't know how happy I am to see you."
"Sorry I'm late," was all Pitt could think to reply. Then he forced a crooked smile and carefully held up the holed paper.
The President took the treaty and carefully scanned its contents. When he looked up, Pitt was surprised to see tears rimming his eyes. In a rare instance of emotion he muttered a choked "Thank you," and turned away.
Mercier and Moon sat down before the TV monitor and watched the President return to the lectern.
"My apologies for the interruption, but a document of great historical significance has just been handed to me. It is called the North American Treaty."
Ten minutes later, the President concluded solemnly "and so for seventy-five years, under the terms set forth, Canada and the United States have unknowingly been existing as two nations while under international law they were only one . . ."
Mercier let out a long sigh. "Thank God, he didn't slap them in the face by saying they belonged to us."
"The future will not look upon us kindly," the President continued, "if we fail to consider the tremendous potential our former leaders have laid before us. We must not stand separate from one another as we have in the past. We must not look upon ourselves as English-Canadian or Anglo-American or French Canadian or Mexican-American. We must all look upon ourselves as simply Americans. Because that's what we are, North Americans . . ."
The ministers of Parliament and the premiers of the provinces reflected varied degrees of emotion. Some sat quietly enraged, some showed thoughtful contemplation, others nodded as though in agreement. It was clear the President was not holding the treaty over their heads like a club. He made no demands or threats. But they never doubted for a moment that the power was there. ". . . our histories are closely entwined, our people strikingly similar in life-styles and outlook. The only fundamental difference between us is a viewpoint toward tradition . . ."
"If the provinces of Canada decide to go separate ways, they face a long and difficult journey that can only end in collision with others. For the good of all, this must not happen. Therefore, I call upon you to join with me in building the mightiest nation on earth . . . the United States of Canada."
In the Senate chamber the applause was mild and scattered after the President's address. The listeners sat numb, unsure of how to take his proposal for a single nation. The unthinkable had at last been brought out in the open.
Mercier sighed and turned off the TV monitor. "Well, it's begun," he said softly.
Oates nodded. "Thank God the treaty got here in time, or we might have witnessed a political disaster."
Instinctively they all turned to voice their thanks to the man who had done so much to incur their debt.
But Dirk Pitt had fallen sound asleep.
The Prime Minister's Rolls braked to a stop before the huge jetliner bearing the presidential seal. Secret Service men exited the cars behind and discreetly placed themselves around the boarding ramp.
Inside, Sarveux leaned forward and unfolded a hurled walnut vanity table from the rear of the front seat.
Then he opened a cabinet, produced a crystal decanter of Seagrams Crown Royal whiskey and poured two small goblets.
"Here's to two old and close friends who have covered a long haul."
"That we have," said the President, with a weary sigh. "If anyone ever found out how you and I secretly worked together all these years to formulate a single-nation concept, we'd both be shot for treason."
Sarveux smiled faintly. "Drummed out of public office perhaps, but surely not shot."
The President thoughtfully sipped the whiskey. "Strange how a casual conversation between a young minister of Parliament and a freshman senator in front of a fireplace at a hunting lodge so many years ago could change the course of history."
"The right time and place for a chance meeting of two men who shared the same dream," said Sarveux, thinking back.
"The merging of the United States and Canada is inevitable. If not in the next two years, then in the next two hundred. You and I simply worked together to advance the timetable."
"I hope we don't live to regret it."
"A unified continent with nearly the population and land mass of the Soviet Union is nothing to regret. It may well prove to be the salvation of both countries."
"The United States of Canada," said Sarveux. "I like the sound."
"How do you read the future?"
