Walker obviously knew when he was not going to win, because there was a pause and next moment there was a different voice on the line. However, Bear noted that Walker clearly did not like coming second; his failure to tell him who he was going to speak to next was another clear breach of protocol and designed to wrong-foot him.

“Prime Minister here,” a slightly high-pitched, nasal voice speaking in what Bear recognized as the Queen’s English came on the line.

“Hold on, Sir. I’ll put you through to the President.” Bear waited for Dillon to pick up and greet the Prime Minister and then flicked to “monitor call.”

“My dear Lynn.” It was the PM speaking. “How wonderful to hear you. How are you?”

“Good thanks, William.” Dillon was big enough not to be rattled at being stood up by the sky-diving machismo of the President, but she still had to talk to the French and small talk had never been her strongest suite. Quickly she ran through her thinking and then announced her decision to deter the Russians from further aggression against Latvia with a rapid deployment by sea, land and air.

“But to be effective, William, the United States needs allies in this. I’ve worked on the Chancellor in Berlin and I’m reasonably confident we’ll get Germany to sign up to Article Five, but it will take time. And we haven’t got time. I don’t anticipate a problem with the French, but I really need the UK to join us and quickly. When all’s said and done, no other armed forces are as close to us as yours . . . And we trust you. Our two nations have been through a lot together and I’m told your airborne troops have been working closely with ours, practicing just this sort of operation. Can I count you in?”

The Prime Minister hesitated and then blustered. “Ah well, Lynn. Of course I understand where you’re coming from and I do agree that the Russians are playing a seriously dodgy game. But as for sending troops to Latvia . . . I’m really not sure. We’d be awfully concerned at winding up the Russians even more and there’s really not a lot we can do. After all, it’s very much their backyard . . . Don’t you think?”

“Prime Minister.” Dillon dropped the “William” and her voice turned cold. “Are you seriously telling me that the UK is not prepared to stand up and defend the freedom of a NATO ally, facing the most egregious aggression from a resurgent Russia, determined to defend Russian speakers, wherever they are, and by invasion if necessary?”