Assurred Response

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Located twenty-five miles west of Washington, D. C., the sprawling airport and the inhabitants of the busy aerodrome were gearing up for the usual morning rush hour. Airliners and corporate jets were beginning to form long conga lines on the taxiways, while throngs of business passengers and vacationers were being packed into airplanes. Hardly an airline seat was to be had and, having exhausted their patience while clearing security, passengers' tempers were growing shorter by the minute.

In the concourse used by British Airways, senior members of the Dulles management team were playing host to Brett Shannon, the U. S. secretary of state. His large entourage of State Department functionaries, Washington dignitaries, and a few close friends were receiving VIP treatment from the airport staff.

Enjoying his late fifties, Brettford Earl Shannon had huge jowls that dominated his wide face. A large man, he was partial to tailor-made oversized business suits, brightly colored suspenders, and black wingtip shoes. Wire-framed glasses highlighted his long aristocratic nose. Shannons sonorous voice boomed above the others as he held court prior to boarding a new British Airways Boeing 777.

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