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Jack tossed his half-eaten pizza slice back into the box. He crossed the room and met Amy Sorenson coming out of her meeting. There was despair in her dark eyes. Hartma
Alone in the corner, the television rattled on. Cronkite and Rather were analyzing Hartma
Jack realized he was staring at his briefcase.
He opened the case, picked up the phone, told the little computer memory to get him Hiram Worchester. "Worchester?" he said. "This is Jack Braun. I'm speaking for Da
"Has Logan come up with any numbers yet? From what I can see, we're in real trouble."
Jack reached to the bedside table and swallowed the remains of his drink. "I know," he said. "That's why, when the fight over 9(c) comes up, I want you to give half your votes to Barnett."
"You better not be selling us out, Braun."
"I'm not."
"That would be your classic Judas ace style, wouldn't it? A quick stab in the back, then a new job in the media courtesy of Leo Barnett."
Jack closed his fist. The glass in his hand exploded in a flash of gold light.
"Are you going to do this or not?" Jack demanded. He watched as crushed glass drained like sand from his fist.
"I want to discuss this with Gregg."
"Call him if you like, but he's busy. Just get ready to cut your delegate count in half."
"Would you mind explaining to me what's going on?"
"We're canceling the showdown. If Barnett wins by too large a margin, it's not going to prove anything. All it'll mean is that we didn't fight. In the pictures, you can't have a gunfight with just one man in the street. The audience'll walk out." There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then: "Let me talk to Logan."
"He's on another line."
"Why do you expect me to trust you?" The fat man's furious anger beat at Jack's ear.
"I don't have time to argue this. Do it or not, I don't care. Just be ready to answer for your decision later."
"If you cost Gregg the election…"
Jack gave a laugh. "Have you seen ABC? They've already got our man conceding."
Jack cut the co
He began to call every other delegation head, in order of number of votes. By the time he made his last call, to the man who controlled Hartma
Da
A knot of fear began to tighten in Jack's stomach.
Jim Wright, speaker of the House and the chairman the convention had elected that afternoon, gaveled the convention to order. A senator from Wyoming stood up to move the repeal of 9(c). All the troops were already in line and there was no debate.
Jack took a long, long drink; and the roll call began. For the next ten minutes, Peter Je
Then David Brinkley, his sardonic grin firmly in place, began to wonder aloud if he smelled a rat. He and Koppel and Je
There was more pounding on the hotel door. "Logan?" Devaughn's voice. "Are you in there?"
Jack said nothing.
After the reporters' analysis leaked back to the convention, bedlam broke out on the floor. Mobs of delegates lurched back and forth like wood chips caught in a flood. Jack reached for his phone and called Emil Rodriguez. "Move the California question. Now."
Hartma
Hartma
"Jack!" Amy Sorenson, her chestnut hair flying, ran toward him through a crowd dizzy with celebration. "Were you in there? Did you and Logan come up with this?"
Jack kissed her, not caring in the least if her husband was present. "Got any pizza left?" he asked. "I'm getting hungry."
8:00 P.M.
A knot of people at the main entrance to the Marriott reared back in alarm as the Turtle settled onto the sidewalk. Blaise drummed on the side of the shell with his heels as he slid off: Tachyon gave the shell a fond pat before he climbed down. "Thank you, Turtle, for a lovely afternoon. It's an elegant city when seen from above."
"Any time, Tachy." The shell floated away. "Dr. Tachyon."
The alien turned at that smooth, well-modulated voice with its strong Southern accent. "Reverend Barnett."
They had never met, yet recognition was instantaneous. They stood on the steps of the Marriott, devouring one another's faces, searching for the key to the character of the other man. Leo Barnett was a young man of medium height, blond hair, blue eyes, a dimpled chin. It was a nice face, and for an instant the Takisian struggled to reconcile the hated image of his dreams with this soft-spoken man. Then he recalled the exquisite faces of his kith and kin-all of them murdering thugs-and the moment of dislocation passed.
"Doctor, didn't anyone ever tell you that there are some things we don't do in the streets because it alarms the children and frightens the horses?"
Humor laced the words and Tachyon, who had tensed for an attack, relaxed. "Reverend, I've been on Earth longer than you've been alive, and I don't believe I've ever heard that expression."
A woman stepped out of the crowd surrounding Barnett. "It generally refers to sex, and you know all about that." Shoulder-length sable hair, cascading onto her breast, long sooty lashes fluttering on alabaster cheeks, lashes lifting to reveal eyes of a profound midnight blue…
No, brown!
Reality shifted like a cable car being wrenched off its track. Tach's breath seemed to be clogged somewhere between diaphragm and throat. He tottered, groping for Blaise's shoulder, and Leo Barnett leaped forward to support him on the other side.
"Doctor, are you all right?"
"I've seen a ghost," Tach murmured thickly. The faintness was passing, and he lifted his eyes to hers.
"My campaign manager, Fleur van Renssaeler," said Barnett with a nervous glance to the woman.
"I know," said Tachyon.
"You're very quick, Doctor." Her opening words had been aggressive, now bitter sarcasm laced each syllable.