Chapter 4, Players Summary

Jack Ryan's hopes of remaining obscure are totally dashed with the press conference held in his hospital room. The conference is televised in addition to being covered by newspapers and magazines. Ryan fields questions regarding the rumor that he is a member of the CIA. He protests that someone has their facts wrong; that he is a history professor who once gave a lecture at the CIA once, but that he is employed by the Naval Academy. When asked if he enjoys being a public figure, Ryan is relieved at the change of topic, for he really has done work for the CIA, but in a very secret capacity, and he is not paid by the CIA. His responses to questions regarding the solution to the "Irish Problem" are light, saying that the US has enough of their own problems and...