God of War:
Part 4


Lynn Jepsen


"WHAT DO YOU MEAN CHANGE THE TOPIC?" Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I try
to sink deeper into Toby's couch. At least Diana didn't bellow when I
gave the speech back. True, she did tell me I'd be sleeping on the couch
for the rest of my natural life, but she'll get over it. It might be a
few days, but she'll get over it. Toby, on the other hand, looks ready to
pull my spleen out through my throat. "We were invited to talk about
Religious Freedom. You want to change the topic?" Look, Toby, I'm pretty
sure people will live if the President takes a few liberties with the
purpose of the conference.

He drops into his chair, and stares at me. "You know, some days you
remind me of Leo, and some days, I think you should be picking out
stamps. This is a stamp day." I'd say something to defend myself, but by
the time I chase away the voice telling me that philately's fun, Ginger
is knocking on the door, telling me Rachel called over to remind me about
my ten fifteen. I know it's a bad day when I have a ten fifteen, a ten
seventeen, and a ten twenty-three. When I'm booked to the hilt with guys
in uniform, it's a rotten day.

*

"Josh, have you been raiding the coffee again?" Rachel taps her foot
impatiently from the doorway. I think I've been busted. Putting on my
most innocent face, I ask her why she'd think that. "Because Margaret
locked the coffee, mugs, and pot into a cabinet. Coffee must be checked
out through her desk." Rachel crosses the room, and snatches the coffee
mug from my desk, replacing it with a glass of orange juice. "Drink it,
it's good for you." Okay, this really sort of sucks.

Sit down. Tell me about Jake Benson's office. "Ramon has the details." I
know, give me a run down. "There's the thing with thirty-four in the
forty-fifth, and the deal with Denning and Richards on 412, oh, and we
need to push through the fifty-eighth for eighty-seven. Torrance thinks
423 would go over stronger in California's twenty-third with line
sixty-seven." Okay. That's the twenty-third in the forty-fifth? "No.
Thirty four in the forty-fifth and the twenty-third with line
sixty-seven." Ah, that makes more sense. "Anything else?" Yeah, come with
us to the speech tonight. I'll need someone to fend off Lisa and Toby.
"And you expect me to be a human shield?" Uh, yeah. She gives a dirty
look then, and disappears into the front office.

My ten forty-seven is with Jeff Michaels and three of his guys. Just what
I need, a conference with the Secret Service. Hey, Jeff! How's it going?
Yeah, I realize if I'm talking to you it's probably not going well. I'll
tell you right off the bat, tonight's agenda has been tweaked as much as
it's going to be. "Josh, you've got to see this from our point of view--"
I do. Believe me, I understand the purpose of the Secret Service very
well. The President thinks this is important, to meet with people trying
to protect personal and religious freedoms. "One thousand, four hundred,
and ninety-two letters in a week and a half. Not even the Secret Service
can keep on top of those kinds of threats."

By the time Jeff convinces himself that I'm a lost cause, I've got a
headache. I have such a headache. "Rachel." She runs in. I think half her
worry is because I spoke her name instead of screaming it. Honestly, my
head couldn't deal with the extra tension right now.

"Joshua." Rachel, please just-- "Do I sound like Rachel?" Oh, oops.
Diana, tell me you guys are changing the speech. "We're changing the
speech." Seriously? "Yeah." Good. "You know, the speech won't make them
mad, because they won't hear it. They're just mad we support things
like--" The Constitution? "Yeah. Mary Marsh and company will be
protesting right alongside the KKK, and you know it. "Yeah. Come here."
She does, and she must be psychic, because she walks around the desk and
stands behind me for a minute before starting to massage my shoulders.
This is nice.

"How can any normal person be rumpled by eleven in the morning? I know
you went upstairs and changed clothes, so what's the excuse?" Just a
thing. I'm rumpled. I'm cute when I'm rumpled and you know it. "No, but
you are cute when you do that thing with your hair." What thing? Now
she's got my attention. Turning the chair around, I actually notice her
for the first time in days. Not only is she not rumpled, but she's pinned
that blond bob up into a pretty twisty thing. Fine, I'm a slob. Standing
up, I kiss her quickly on the cheek, and head off to face the music. Lily
and I are supposed to be threatening the Majority Leader this morning.
Lucky me.

God of War: Part 5

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