King of the Mountain: Part 19
Lynn Jepsen
"How're you holding up?" CJ's voice yanks me out of the state education
report and back into reality. I'm holding up alright. The last two weeks
have been hectic, but it's not exactly the first time I've been inside a
campaign. "Toby wants you to approve tomorrow's speech." Yeah, give me a
minute. Margaret finishes with my schedule then, and picks up the pile of
letters I finished signing last night. CJ lingers just inside the door,
and I can't help but wonder what I'm missing. "Sam, have you thought
about what happens if you win?" Is this a trick question or something?
"Sam! Was Lisa serious when she said we're talking about the Heibert
Amendment?" Toby barrels through my door, and not for the first time, I
wonder if maybe it would be simpler to hide under my desk than argue with
him. She was completely serious. I don't want to hide from the issues.
"Sam, you can't win Texas by talking about gun control." Aren't you the
same guy who wanted to throw out the first amendment? Work with me here.
"Sam." The warning tone reverberates through the cubicle, and I wonder if
now would be the time to hide under my desk. "Thank you, Governor. Toby?"
Diana's voice cuts off any further argument as she squeezes around him
and brings me the final drafts for today's speeches.
*
"Is anyone left in California?" John Hoynes glances around at the
familiar faces running through the weeks campaign headquarters. He's got
a point though. We even brought the accountant on the road with us, so I
hesitate to think about the lack of seniority back at the state house. He
nods at the volunteers as they recognize the former Vice President and
straggle to attention as we walk by. "I suppose they've told you it won't
be pretty if you discuss the Heibert Amendment tomorrow." Yeah, but what
else is new? "They're right, you know." I know. Doesn't mean I'm changing
the speech. "Sam." We stop walking then, and I turn to face him. "You
won't win the primary. Mark Reynolds is extremely popular. To unseat him
in his home state.... It won't happen." We know. That doesn't mean we
won't campaign here. If for no other reason that to set up the campaign
in the fall.
Hoynes wears a thoughtful look on his face then. "I was going to talk to
Josh, but Josh is a busy man, and I knew you'd make the time." Talk to
Josh about what? "Back in 1989, when Reynolds was in the Lege, Bo
Pilgrim..." The chicken guy? "...walked onto the floor of the senate
during a special session and started handing out checks for ten thousand
dollars." How is that legal? There's no way that.... "He left the payee
line blank. Technically it was legal." Okay, but why do I... Oh! "Seven
people took them, including Reynolds. Five gave them back when it hit the
papers." And Reynolds didn't. JOSH!
An hour later, Josh is doing his dance of glee on the sidewalk in front
of our Texas headquarters. If I ever figure out what turned Reynolds into
Josh's version of Satan, I'm going to be a very happy man. It's sort of
annoying to feel like I'm in the dark. Not that a couple decades with
Josh and Toby didn't prepare me to be left in the dark, but it would be
nice to be informed once in a while.
"Governor!" Margaret and Rachel are darting through the crowd, and
Margaret's face looks almost frantic. "Governor!" Josh's excitement stops
cold, and I can feel everyone's attention shift abruptly. Margaret has my
arm now, and I'm being dragged inside with the staff trailing along
behind us. Walking through the door, I can't help but notice the
volunteers clustered around the TVs. I'm being dragged towards the TVs in
Josh's office and when I see Leo standing in front of it with his arms
crossed over his chest, I get the feeling that whatever the breaking news
is, I'm not going to like it. "They're rioting." Dammit! I can hear CJ
and Toby yelling about our statement, and Josh shouting at Rachel to get
the DA's office on the phone, but all I can think about is what I'm going
to do, and how soon I can get back to California.
"You know, it not your fault or anything." Glancing at Lisa, I mutter
that I know very well it's not my fault. "I'm just checking, 'cause you
do that guilt thing.... Leo's going to stay here and keep law and order
on the election staff." That's fine. Just, you know, so long as some of
the staff is actually coming back with us. She slips her arms around my
waist then, and we watch the coverage on CNN. I can hear the noise out
there, but in here, there's just the sound of Josh's phone ringing, and
the pundits on television. "I'm going to go back to the hotel and pack."
Sure. I'll, uh, meet you at the plane.
*
"The President's on the phone." Margaret was standing at the near the
communications table at the front of the plane when she jumped up and
headed back towards our staff meeting. I knew who it was. Honestly, I
wasn't sure who else would want to talk to me enough to track me down on
the plane. Standing up, I walked away from the group, and told Margaret
to tell whoever was on the line that I didn't have any information yet,
and that I could be reached at the mansion later tonight. She nodded, but
I don't think she looked forward to sending a thanks, but no thanks
message to the President.
"Governor?" Turning around, I nod at Ramon. Keep talking, I'm listening.
"If we use this to point out the failures of Federal Civil Rights
legislation, nothing will happen, because they'll bill it as you using
the situation for political gain." Tell me something I don't know. Josh
paces past me, and I know he wants nothing more than to use this to rip
Congress and the White House to pieces. The Supreme Court ruling hadn't
been expected to be uncontroversial, but I hadn't expected rioting. I
thought we'd gotten over this after the initial lawsuit last August. I
was also very wrong.
King of the Mountain: Part 20
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