“You probably saw his assistant, Stewart Graves, leave my office before you came in.”
“Yes, ma’am. He said he was being posted to the London station.”
“That is correct. I thought I would toss a little grenade into the hierarchy here as a way of expressing my displeasure about all this. As a result, Mr. Graves is going to London, and since you hold the same job in operations, you are being moved out of there, as well.”
“Out of Langley, ma’am?” Holly knew that she was held in some measure of disdain by those higher-ups in the Agency who knew she had never held a foreign station post.
“No, Holly,” the director said. She pointed at an open door across the room. “You are being moved into that office. I’ve posted my assistant, Greg Barton, to Rome. I’d like you to replace him here.”
Holly stared blankly at her. All sorts of things had run through her mind on the way up there, but this was the one thing she had not anticipated.
“Holly,” the director said, “are you still with me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Holly replied, though she was not sure about that. Now she knew what was meant by the mind reeling.
“I chose you for two reasons,” the director said. “First, because of your outstanding record, and second, because you are the least political person I know at your level.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“I also chose you because of my high personal regard for you.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’m very grateful to you for the opportunity.”
“Then you accept?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am!” Holly said.
“Good,” the director said. “I wasn’t sure there for a minute.”
“I’m just a little bowled over.”
“All right, you go down to your office and spend the rest of the day getting ready to hand off to your successor, who will be appointed shortly. And you start here tomorrow morning.” She stood up and offered her hand.
Holly stood and took the hand.
“Grace will issue you new credentials before the day is out. Your new title will be—well, I’m a little torn about that. Greg was assistant to the director, but that might make you sound like a secretary, and that’s Grace’s job. I think assistant director is better. You’ll be the only person in the Agency with that title. Oh, and you’ll get a better parking space, too, right next to mine.” She made a shooing motion with her hand.
—
Holly went back to her office in a daze. She stopped at Lance’s open door and looked in.
“I heard everything,” Lance said. “This is the best possible thing that could have happened. We’re in a new ball game now.”
Holly took that to mean that Lance felt his chances of succeeding Kate Lee had improved. “In that case, congratulations, Lance,” she said.
“Yeah, yeah. Now get out of here. I’m reviewing candidates for your job.”
Holly turned to go.
Lance called after her, “And, Ho
lly?”
She looked back. “Yes?”
“Congratulations to you, too.” Lance actually smiled.
14