Читать книгу An Affair of State онлайн

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At the corner of Fourteenth and H Streets he detoured into a cigar store. "I want a box--no, twelve will be enough--twelve of your best cigars," he told the man behind the counter. "Coronas or Havanas or whatever is the best." He never smoked cigars himself so he wasn't sure of the brands.

"Fifty centers?"

"Well, I don't know. You've got good quarter ones, haven't you?"

"Sure."

"Well, quarter ones will do." It wasn't so much saving three dollars, Nicholas thought. It was simply that it would appear ostentatious for a man in his position to pass out fifty centers. Fifty centers were for Assistant Secretaries, and Chiefs of Division, and Consul Generals, and FSOs in Classes One and Two.

He ran up the steps of the State, War, and Navy Building at five to nine and when he reached his office on the third floor, West Executive Avenue side, he was gratified to find that as usual he was first. He went to the closet to change his coat and was astonished to see his blue serge on the hanger. If his blue serge was on the hanger then he must be wearing his alpaca office jacket. He looked down and saw that this was true. He had been wearing the black alpaca all along, since noon the day before. This was very disconcerting. He was glad he was alone in the office.