The Fourth K

"Your saintly President" the Oracle said. "He is far too much a victim of his own hypocrisy, as all the Ke

"Maybe I'm just trying to make excuses," Christian said. "It was nothing explicit. But I know Francis so intimately, we're almost like brothers. I asked him for the order so that the medical interrogation team would be able to do a brain probe. That would have settled the whole atom bomb problem immediately. And Francis refused to sign the authorization. Sure, he gave his grounds, good civil libertarian and humanitarian grounds. That was in his character. But that was in his character before his daughter was killed. Not in his character afterwards. And this was afterwards. Remember, he had already ordered the destruction of Dak by this time. He gave the threat that he would destroy the whole Sultanate of Sherhaben if the hostages were not released. So his character had changed. His new character would have signed the medical interrogation order. And then when he refused to sign, he gave me a look, I can't describe it, but it was almost as if he were telling me to let it happen."

The Oracle was fully alive now. He spoke sharply. "All that doesn't matter. What matters is that you save your ass. If Ke

"Ke

"You know the old Ke

Christian laughed. "I do. Don't worry. After the election you'll have a birthday party in the White House Rose Garden. A birthday party for a king."

The Oracle smiled with pleasure, then said slyly, "And your Francis

Ke

"That's highly unlikely," Christian Klee said. "There has never been a dictator in this country. We have safeguards too many safeguards, I think sometimes."

"Ah," the Oracle said, "this is a young country yet. We have time. And the Devil takes many seductive forms."

They were silent for a long time, and then Christian rose to take his leave. They always touched hands when they parted; the Oracle was too fragile for a real handshake.

"Be careful," the Oracle said. "When a man rises to absolute power, he usually gets rid of those closest to him, those who know his secrets."

CHAPTER

22

A FEDERAL JUDGE set Henry Tibbot and Adam Gresse free.

The government did not contest that the arrest had been illegal. The government did not contest that there had been no warrants. Gresse and Tibbot's defense team had exploited every legal loophole.

The people of America were enraged. They blamed the Ke

Vigilante groups formed to carry out the justice of the people.

Gresse and Tibbot fled to a hiding place in South America and disappeared into a sanctuary financed by their wealthy parents.

Two months before the presidential election, polls showed that Francis Ke

There were more problems: a scandal involving Eugene Dazzy's mistress; the lingering charges that Attorney General Christian Klee had deliberately permitted the explosion of the atom bomb; the scandal of Canoo and Klee using the funds of the office of the military adviser to beef up the Secret Service.

And perhaps Francis Ke

The power of the congressmen and senators already in office was also overwhelming. They had their staffs paid for by the government. They had the vast sums of money contributed by the corporate structure, which they used to dominate TV with brilliantly executed ads. By holding government office they could appear on special political programs on TV and in the newspapers, increasing their name recognition factor.

With the delicate precision of a Renaissance poisoner, Lawrence Salentine had organized the overall campaign against Ke

President Ke

He noted that Christian had cha

There would be a sacrifice of moral principle involved, Ke

On the third day of September, Christian Klee went to the office of the Vice President una

The Vice President was astonished to see him; it was against all protocol that he should visit her without advance warning or even permission. For a moment he was afraid she might take offense, but she was too intelligent to do so. She knew immediately that Christian Klee would breach protocol only for the most serious problem. In fact, what she felt was apprehension. What new terrible thing could have happened now after the past months?

Klee sensed this uneasiness immediately. "There's nothing to be worried about," he said. "It's just that we have a security problem involving the President. As part of our coverage, we have sealed off your office. It would be best that you not answer the phone but deal with your immediate staff. I will remain with you the entire day, personally."

Du Pray understood immediately that no matter what happened, she was not to take command of the country and that was why Klee was there. "If the President has a security problem, why are you with me?" she said. But without waiting for an answer from Klee, she said, "I will have to check this with the President, personally."

"He is appearing at a political luncheon in New York," Klee said.

"I know that," she said.

Klee looked at his watch. "The President will be calling you in about one half hour," he said.

When the call came, Klee watched Helen Du Pray's face. She seemed to show no astonishment; only twice she asked questions. Good, Klee thought, she would be OK, he didn't have to worry about her. Then she did something that aroused Christian's admiration; he didn't think she had it in her-vice presidents were noted for their timidity. She asked Ke