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to protect an army.
The President will be safe enough-"
"Si, Dona Laura." The elderly man's eyes never left the long-haired younger
man at the other end of the room. "I am willing to believe he is safe enough."
"For heaven's sake, I'm meeting the President of the United States!"
"Si, Dona Laura. Don Aeneas has told me of this man who has become President
here. I do not care for this."
"Jesus." The Secret Service man curled his lip in contempt. "How did you do
it?" he demanded.
"How did I do what, Mr. Coleman?" she asked.
"Turn MacKenzie against the President! Fifteen years he was with the Chief.
Fifteen years with the
People's Alliance. Now you've got him telling tales about the Chief to your
peasant friend there-"
"Miguel is not a peasant."
"Ah, Dona Laura, but I am. Go on, senor. Tell us of this strange thing you do
not understand."
There was amusement in the old vaquero's eyes.
"Skip it. It just doesn't make sense, that's all."
"Perhaps my patrona bribed Don Aeneas," Miguel said.
"That will do," Laurie Jo said. Miguel nodded and was silent.
"Bullshit," Coleman said. "Nobody ever got to MacKenzie. Nobody has his price.
Not in money, anyway." He looked at Laurie Jo in disbelief. He didn't think
her unattractive, but he couldn't believe she was enough woman to drive a man
insane.
"You re rather young to know Aeneas that well," Laurie Jo said.
"I joined the People's Alliance before the campaign." There was pride in the
agent's voice. "Stood guard watches over the Chief. Helped in the office.
MacKenzie was with us every day. He's not hard to know, not like some party
types."
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"INFORMATION," Laurie Jo thought. "COLEMAN FIRST NAME UNKNOWN, SECRET SERVICE
AGENT. RECENTLY
APPOINTED. SUMMARY."
"COLEMAN, THEODORE RAYMOND. AGE 25. PAID STAFF, PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE UNTIL
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT
GREGORY TOLLAND. APPOINTED TO SECRET SERVICE BY ORDERS OF PRESIDENT TO TAKE
EFFECT INAUGURAL DAY.
EDUCATION-"
"SUFFICIENT." Laurie Jo nodded to herself. Coleman hadn't been like the career
Secret Service men.
There were a lot of young people like Coleman in the undercover services
lately, party loyalists who had known Greg before the election.
Personally loyal bodyguards have been the mark of tyrants for three thousand
years, she thought.
But some of the really great leaders have had them as well. Can any President
do without them? Can
I?
Not here. But I won't need guards on the Moon. I won't-
"DING."
"WHAT NOW?"
"THERE IS A GENERAL STRIKE PLANNED IN BOLIVIA. TWO HANSEN AGENTS HAVE
INFILTRATED THE UNION. THEY
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HAVE FOUND OUT THE DATE OF THE STRIKE, AND WERE DISCOVERED WHEN TRANSMITTING
THEIR INFORMATION.
SUPERINTENDENT HARLOW WISHES TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO RESCUE THEM. WILL YOU
APPROVE?"
"GIVE HARLOW FULL AUTHORIZATION TO TAKE WHATEVER ACTION HE THINKS REQUIRED.
REPORT WHEN HIS PLANS
ARE COMPLETE BUT BEFORE EXECUTION."
"ACKNOWLEDGED."
Another damned problem, she thought. Harlow was a good man, but he thought in
pretty drastic terms. What will that do to our other holdings in Bolivia? One
thing, it will hurt my partner worse than it will hurt me. I'll have to think
about this. Later, now I've got something more important.
The door opened to admit another Secret Service man, "Chiefs on the way," he
said.
"DO NOT CALL ME FOR ANY PURPOSE," she thought.
"ACKNOWLEDGED."
It was almost comical. The Secret Service men wouldn't leave until Miguel had
gone, and Miguel wouldn't leave his patrona alone with the Secret Service men.
Finally they all backed out together, and Laurie Jo was alone for a moment.
Then President Greg Tolland came in.
He's still President, she thought. No matter that I've known him twenty years
and fought him for half that time. There's an aura that goes with the office,
and Greg wears it well. "Good afternoon, Mr. President."
"Senator Hayden says I should talk to you," Tolland said.
"Aren't you even going to say hello?" She thought he looked very old; yet she
knew he was only a few years older than herself, one of the youngest men ever
to be elected to the office.
"What should I say, Laurie Jo? That I wish you well? I do, but you wouldn't
believe that. That I'd like to be friends? Would you believe me if I said
that? I do wish we could be friends, but I hate everything you stand for."
"Well said, sir!" She applauded. "But there's no audience here." And you only
hate that the fortune I inherited wasn't used to help your political
ambitions, not that I have it. You always were more comfortable with wealthy
people than Aeneas was.
He grinned wryly. It was a famous grin, and Laurie Jo could remember when
Congressman Tolland had practiced it with Aeneas and herself as his only
audience. It seemed so very long ago, back in the days when her life was
simple and she hadn't known who her father was, or that one day she would
inherit his wealth.
"Mind if I sit down?"
She shrugged. "Why ask? But please do."
He took one of the expensively covered lounge chairs and waited until she'd
done the same. "I ask because this is your place."
True enough. I own the airline. But it's hardly my home and this is hardly a
social visit. "Can I
get you anything? Your agents have sampled everything at the bar-"
"I'll have a bourbon, then. They shouldn't have done that. Here, I'll get-"
"It's all right. I know where everything is." She poured drinks for both of
them. "Your young men don't trust me. One of them even accused me of seducing
Aeneas away from you."
"Didn't you."
She handed him the drink. "Oh good God, Greg. You don't have to be careful
what you say to me.
Nothing I could tape could make things worse than I can make them right now.
And I give you my word, nobody's listening." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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