Chapter 12: Dublin Summer

Dublin had no Kobekistani Embassy, so a number of rooms were reserved at the Shelbourne Hotel on St. Stephen's Green. There was a suite of sitting room, bathroom and double bedroom with views over the Park for the Emir. Three other double bedrooms were booked for female members of the party, since it was unthinkable that the Emir would be without female company; on this occasion the stewardesses of the Royal aircraft were to provide this service. Other rooms were reserved for his security staff, headed by Maktum who would double as a chauffeur. A conference room was also booked for discussions with the Garda Siochana when necessary, and for any dinners the Emir might wish to give. All these were booked in the name of David Ransome, and the hotel was given to understand that he was an oil magnate who was in Dublin for business reasons, though of course the higher echelons of the Gardai knew exactly who he was.

This led to the first little difficulties; when the party arrived, the Assistant Manager on duty first insisted on seeing David Ransome's passport, which turned out to be British, and then insisted on going into detail as to how the bills would be paid. David Ransome produced a Royal Bank of Kobekistan Visa card and it was duly debited with two weeks advance rental for the rooms. An hour later the hotel's own bank manager was on the telephone saying that a letter of unlimited credit had been deposited with them, and that he had solid assurances that money could be obtained in minutes if necessary. What had made the bank nervous was that this had come direct from the Irish Foreign Ministry; it seemed the Irish Government was guaranteeing the financial status of this visitor.