The Pelican Brief

There were five other people in the theater. Four rows up and to his right were two lovebirds, kissing and playing. Oh, for a baseball bat and he could put them out of their misery. Or a nice little piece of yellow ski rope.

He suffered for twenty minutes, and was about to reach in his pocket when a hand touched his shoulder. A gentle hand. He played it cool.

“Could I sit by you?” came the rather deep and manly voice from just over his shoulder.

“No, and you can remove your hand.”

The hand moved. Seconds passed, and it was obvious there would be no more requests. Then he was gone.

This was torture for a man violently opposed to pornography. He wanted to vomit. He glanced behind him, then reached carefully into the leather jacket and removed a black box, six inches by five and three inches thick. He laid it on the floor between his legs. With a scalpel, he made a careful incision in the cushion of the seat next to him, then, while glancing around, inserted the black box into the cushion. There were springs in this one, a real antique, and he delicately twisted the box from one side to the other until it was in place with the switch and the tube barely visible through the incision.

He took a deep breath. Although the device had been built by a true professional, a legendary genius at miniature explosives, it was not pleasant carrying the damned thing around in a coat pocket, just centimeters from his heart and most other vital organs. And he wasn’t particularly comfortable sitting next to it now.

This was his third plant of the night, and he had one more, at another movie house where they showed old-fashioned heterosexual pornography. He was almost looking forward to it, and this irritated him.

He looked at the two lovers, who were oblivious to the movie and growing more excited by the minute, and wished they could be sitting right there when the little black box began silently spewing forth its gas, and then thirty seconds later when the fireball would flash-fry every object between the screen and the popcorn machine. He would like that.

But his was a nonviolent group, opposed to the indiscriminate killing of i

It was twelve-forty, time to leave and hurry four blocks to his car for another black box, then six blocks over to the Pussycat Cinema, which closed at one-thirty. The Pussycat was either eighteen or nineteen on the list, he couldn’t remember which, but he was certain that in exactly three hours and twenty minutes the dirty movie business in D.C. would take a helluva blow. Twenty-two of these little joints were supposed to receive black boxes tonight, and at 4 A.M. they were all supposed to be closed and deserted, and demolished. Three all-nighters were scratched from the list, because his was a nonviolent group.

He adjusted his sunglasses and took one last look at the cushion next to him. Judging from the cups and popcorn on the floor, the place got swept once a week. No one would notice the switch and tube barely visible between the ragged threads. He cautiously flipped the switch, and left the Montrose.

Eric East had never met the President, nor been in the White House. And he’d never met Fletcher Coal, but he knew he wouldn’t like him.

He followed Director Voyles and K. O. Lewis into the Oval Office at seven Saturday morning. There were no smiles or handshakes. East was introduced by Voyles. The President nodded from behind the desk but did not stand. Coal was reading something.

Twenty porno houses had been torched in the D.C. area, and many were still smoldering. They had seen the smoke above the city from the back of the limo. At a dump called Angels a janitor had been badly burned and was not expected to live.

An hour ago they had received word that an anonymous caller to a radio station had claimed responsibility for the Underground Army, and he promised more of the same in celebration of the death of Rosenberg.

The President spoke first. He looked tired, East thought. It was such an early hour for him. “How many places got bombed?”

“Twenty here,” Voyles answered. “Seventeen in Baltimore and around fifteen in Atlanta. It appears as though the assault was carefully coordinated because all the explosions happened at precisely 4 A.M.”

Coal looked up from his memo. “Director, do you believe it’s the Underground Army?”

“As of now they’re the only ones claiming responsibility. It looks like some of their work. Could be.” Voyles did not look at Coal when he spoke to him.

“So when do you start making arrests?” the President asked.

“At the precise moment we obtain probable cause, Mr. President. That’s the law, you understand.”

“I understand this outfit is your top suspect in the killings of Rosenberg and Jensen, and that you’re certain it killed a federal trial judge in Texas, and it most likely bombed at least fifty-two smut houses last night. I don’t understand why they’re bombing and killing with immunity. Hell, Director, we’re under siege.”

Voyles’ neck turned red, but he said nothing. He just looked away while the President glared at him.

K. O. Lewis cleared his throat. “Mr. President, if I may, we are not convinced the Underground Army was involved with the deaths of Rosenberg and Jensen. In fact, we have no evidence linking them. They are only one of a dozen suspects. As I’ve said before, the killings were remarkably clean, well organized, and very professional. Extremely professional.”

Coal stepped forward. “What you’re trying to say, Mr. Lewis, is that you have no idea who killed them, and you may never know.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. We’ll find them, but it will take time.”

“How much time?” asked the President. It was an obvious, sophomoric question with no good answer. East immediately disliked the President for asking it.

“Months,” Lewis said.

“How many months?”

“Many months.”

The President rolled his eyes and shook his head, then with great disgust stood and walked to the window. He spoke to the window. “I can’t believe there’s no relation between what happened last night and the dead judges. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just paranoid.”

Voyles shot a quick smirk at Lewis. Paranoid, insecure, clueless, dumb, out of touch. Voyles could think of many others.

The President continued, still pondering the window. “I just get nervous when assassins are loose around here and bombs are going off. Who can blame me? We haven’t killed a President in over thirty years.”

“Oh, I think you’re safe, Mr. President,” Voyles said with a trace of amusement. “The Secret Service has things under control.”

“Great. Then why do I feel as though I’m in Beirut?” He was almost mumbling into the window.

Coal sensed the awkwardness and picked up a thick memo from the desk. He held it and spoke to Voyles, much like a professor lecturing to his class.

This is the short list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court. There are eight names, each with a biography. It was prepared by Justice. We started with twenty names, then the President, Attorney General Horton, and myself cut it to eight, none of whom have any idea they are being considered.”

Voyles still looked away. The President slowly returned to his desk, and picked up his copy of the memo. Coal continued.

Some of these people are controversial, and if they are ultimately nominated we’ll have a small war getting them approved by the Senate. We’d prefer not to start fighting now. This must be kept confidential.”