Latham stood and walked slowly to what passed for a window in this ghastly cell-like room, thick chunky squares of opaque glass which reminded him of a prison. It was an image he preferred to suppress. He loosened his tie and tried to breathe normally. The air seemed hot and suffocating. After several minutes, the Chiefs decided they had read enough and he returned to his seat.
‘These are just a few articles out of many in a long career,’ Gutierrez said. ‘If you look at the list of her writings, most of it is about politics and government, the relationship between the states and the federal government, that kind of stuff, nothing to do with the military at all. I notice your staff didn’t summarize any of that. But that’s the stuff she was known for.’
‘There was limited time,’ Latham insisted. ‘My staff summarized what seemed important. Some of these papers were prepared for and delivered at conferences behind the Iron Curtain, two or three in Belgrade, for which she seems to have developed a special fondness, one in Prague, one in Warsaw.’
Gutierrez shook his head. ‘Next, you’ll be telling me she speaks French.’
‘And finally, tab six. Position papers written by Ellen Trevathan for several so-called think tanks, detailing grounds for opposing military involvement in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and advocating the closure of Guantanamo Bay and the end of what she calls torture and extraordinary rendition. She believes that the United States should not act alone militarily, but that we should cooperate fully with the United Nations in taking military action as a member of the, quote, international community, end quote. She also advocates strict compliance with the Geneva Conventions, regardless of the amount of information about terrorism we would have to forego by doing so. You have summaries of these also. Please take some time to review them.’
The process took more than twenty minutes. Latham’s staff had gone to town on these papers, which they obviously regarded as the pride of the collection, and in some cases the summaries were not a great deal shorter than the papers themselves.
‘Any questions?’ Latham asked.
Gutierrez pushed his folder away across the table. ‘Obama voted against the Iraq war when he was in the Senate. A lot of people agreed with Trevathan about all those things.’
‘A lot of people were ready to sell America out.’ Hessler said. ‘That’s the way I’d put it. I don’t want to make one of them President.’
‘Bullshit,’ Gutierrez said. ‘And this is all because of some Cold War fantasy game they played in 1965 to persuade themselves they were keeping the world safe for democracy? The best thing we can do with tab two, and any other copies of this crap, is to make a bonfire of it all outside.’
‘Let’s not get carried away, General,’ Latham said. ‘I understand that this has probably come as something of a shock to you. I assure you that you would have been initiated into the Williamsburg Doctrine in due course. Because you were appointed so recently, there wasn’t time for that. I’m sorry it’s had to be put to you in this way. But there isn’t much time, and we have to make a decision.’
‘A decision?’
‘Yes. We have to decide whether, in the event the President is impeached, the Military will let the succession proceed, or whether certain corrective steps will be taken. It’s entirely up to all of you. It’s your policy. All the President is doing here is asking for your input. He needs to know where he stands if he’s impeached.’
Gutierrez rose from his chair.
‘I’ll tell you where he stands, Mr. Attorney-General. He stands on the front lawn of the White House waving goodbye before he boards his helicopter out of there.’
‘That’s not your decision, General,’ McGarry said.
‘That’s exactly right, Admiral. It’s not. That decision was made by the framers of the Constitution.’
‘The framers of the Constitution didn’t have to address this issue,’ McGarry said. ‘Women weren’t allowed to vote, let alone be Vice President.’
‘Neither were black slaves. So what?’
‘So, we have to interpret the Constitution for our own times, in the light of our own circumstances.’
‘It’s not a question of interpretation,’ Gutierrez shouted. He was now leaning against the back wall of the conference room. ‘It’s a question of reading what it says. The Constitution provides that the President shall be removed from office.’
‘Yes, it does,’ Latham said. ‘But that presupposes that it is possible to remove him, or perhaps it raises the question of who would remove him.’
‘He removes himself,’ Gutierrez said. ‘How could he not? What else could he do?’
Latham looked at the ceiling.
‘Well, he could stay put, and await the judgment of the people. Ultimately, all power derives from the people. If the President’s judgment were to be wrong, the people would remove him very quickly, wouldn’t they? But if the people agreed with the Joint Chiefs… well, that would be a different question. In this case, President Wade is a very popular man. Most polls seem to say the people don’t want him to be impeached.’
‘That is totally beside the point,’ Gutierrez replied. ‘The decision is in the hands of the Senate. If the people don’t like it, they can voice their displeasure the next time they get to vote for their senators.’
‘Yes. But by that time, the Vice President would be President. The President is not sure that would be in the national interest. That’s why he is asking the Joint Chiefs to consider the matter.’
‘He apparently had no problem with campaigning with her through two elections,’ Gutierrez pointed out. ‘I don’t see anything in these papers to cause alarm.’
‘That’s not the same as the question facing us now,’ Latham replied. ‘Campaigns are designed to give the people an attractive package to vote for. They don’t always reflect reality.’
‘The point,’ Hessler said, ‘is that we could not rely on her if the United States were to be attacked, or if we had to take action abroad to protect our national interests. She’s a pacifist who advocates the abolition of the military. She is too dangerous.’
There was a frustrated silence around the table.
‘The Williamsburg guidelines call for a vote to be taken,’ Hessler continued sourly. ‘I don’t see any point in wasting the whole day talking about it. The President has asked us to consider it. Let’s consider it. Let’s take a vote.’
‘You don’t see any point in talking about it?’ Gutierrez laughed out loud. ‘It’s such a simple matter for you to commit treason?’
Hessler threw back his chair and stood bolt upright. He began to walk towards Gutierrez.
‘What did you say?’ he asked. ‘What the fuck did you just say?’
Gutierrez did not flinch.
‘You heard what I said, General. This talk is treasonable.’
‘You little…’
Gutierrez did not flinch as Hessler sprang at him. He raised both arms and pushed Hessler violently away. Before the Marine Commandant could renew his assault, Terrell and McGarry leapt to their feet to restrain him. Hessler reluctantly allowed himself to be escorted back to his chair.
‘I’m not through with you,’ he muttered venomously.
‘Any time you want a piece of me, you know where I am,’ Gutierrez replied quietly.
Latham banged his water glass down on the table. He shook his head in the direction of the stenographer, who was asking with her raised eyebrows whether the details of the last exchange should be recorded.
‘Order,’ Latham said firmly. ‘I must ask you all to behave in a manner appropriate to this meeting.’
Gutierrez resumed his seat.
‘What manner would that be exactly, Mr. Attorney-General?’
Latham ignored the question.
‘The matter we have to resolve is this. The President has raised the issue of whether the Vice President, having regard to her long history of support for left-wing and radical causes, falls within the terms of the Williamsburg Doctrine. He expects t
he individual opinion of each of you. Please understand that the President has made no decision. It would be premature for him to do so before the outcome in the Senate is known. At this point, he seeks only your opinions. Depending on events, and on what those opinions might be, he may later request further action.’
Latham surveyed those around the table again. ‘General Hessler is correct in saying that a vote is appropriate under the guidelines. If there is to be no further discussion, I suggest we proceed.’
A furious silence hung over the room.
‘Very well. I will proceed in reverse order of seniority. General Gutierrez?’
Gutierrez exhaled heavily and shook his head. ‘It’s very simple. There’s no problem with Ellen Trevathan in my mind. But that’s not even the point. We all took an oath to uphold the Constitution. If the President is impeached, he is to be removed. If he doesn’t remove himself voluntarily, our duty is to do it for him.’
‘General Hessler?’
‘Trevathan is a left-winger, a radical, and a pacifist. She’s right within the guidelines. We keep the President in office or protect him until suitable arrangements can be made.’
‘Admiral McGarry?’
‘I’m with General Hessler.’
‘General Terrell?’
Terrell shook his head.
‘I don’t know what exactly was in the minds of those people back in 1965, but I don’t believe it has any place today. There’s no Cold War any more. I don’t care for Trevathan that much, but neither do I have any real problem with her. Even if I did, I don’t see any legal basis for what’s being suggested. I’m with General Gutierrez.’
Latham breathed deeply and looked down at the table.
‘So, we have a hung jury. Is that what I’m to report to the President?’
‘You report to the President whatever you want to report,’ Gutierrez replied. He seized his hat from the chair next to him, rose, and began to walk to the door. ‘I’m having nothing to do with this. I’m out of here.’
‘One moment, General Gutierrez,’ Latham said. ‘Please remember that you signed the confidentiality agreement. We are entitled to expect that the proceedings of this meeting will remain secret.’
Gutierrez wheeled around.
‘The President is entitled to that,’ Terrell agreed.
‘That depends,’ Gutierrez said. ‘There are some things which take precedence over a confidentiality agreement. The Constitution, for example.’
‘I must advise you, General Gutierrez,’ Latham said heavily, ‘that the President places the utmost trust in your discretion. It would be very unfortunate if that discretion were lacking. Very unfortunate indeed.’
Gutierrez looked briefly into the implacable faces around the room and left without another word.
39
ELLEN TREVATHAN LOOKED at her watch again, and rose angrily to her feet. She had been waiting for over an hour for the meeting she had scheduled with the President. She had made several calls to Steffie Walinsky, only to receive the reply that the President was still in a meeting with the Attorney-General. It was not the first time she had been treated like this recently. The message was becoming clear. She was being excluded from the President’s inner circle. He had not asked her for advice, and he had not asked her to make any calls to senators to solicit votes. Used to being one of the President’s most trusted advisers, Ellen was chafing at the bit. That was far from being the worst problem. The impeachment proceedings were not going well. There was every chance that Steve Wade was about to be removed from the Presidency. Ellen might be on the point of taking over from him, and yet she could not even see him to talk about the transition. She was being put on hold because the President was engaged in ‘important business’. What could be more important than the business she had to discuss with him? Didn’t the President read the papers any more? Didn’t he know what was going on in the Senate? Ellen walked hurriedly from her office in the West Wing back to Steffie’s office. Steffie was nervous. Ellen Trevathan was not the person she wanted to see.
‘I’m sorry, Madam Vice President, the President is still…’
‘I don’t care what the President is still doing, Steffie,’ Ellen interrupted. ‘Call him, and tell him I’m here in your office, and I want to see him now. Either he’s going to go ahead with our meeting, or he’s going to explain to me personally why he’s not available.’
Steffie looked into the Vice President’s eyes, hoping that she might change her mind. She did not.
‘Yes, Ma’am.’
Steffie picked up her phone and punched the intercom button. She turned away from Ellen and spoke in a half-whisper. She replaced the receiver.
‘Someone will be right out,’ she said.
‘Someone…?’
Steffie threw up her hands.
‘That’s what they told me. Look, I’m sorry, I really am. But it’s not up to me…’
Ellen began to recover her composure.
‘I know, Steffie. I’m sorry.’
The door to the President’s office opened, and Martha Graylor came out. She walked up to Ellen and took her by the arm.
‘Come with me,’ she said quietly.
‘Come with you where, Martha? I’m here to see the President.’
‘My office. Please, Ellen. I’ll explain everything, I swear. But not here.’
Ellen studied Martha’s face carefully. She looked pale and tense. And her face was covered in lines that Ellen felt sure had not been there when she had last looked. Martha and Steffie both looked as if they were on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Something told Ellen to do as Martha had suggested.
They walked in silence and entered Martha’s office. Martha slowly seated herself behind her desk. Ellen took an armchair in front of the desk and waited patiently.
‘The President can’t see you today, Ellen. He has to meet with the Attorney-General and some other people, and…’
Martha’s voice trailed away.
Ellen placed her hands on the desk and leaned towards her.
‘Isn’t he following what’s going on in the Senate?’
‘He is following it, Ellen. Believe me.’
‘Well, what are you telling me? He’s not going to deal with it? He’s setting up some Hitler-style bunker in there, except Eva Braun got out while there was still time? What’s going on, for God’s sake?’
Martha looked away.
‘I can’t talk about it. I…’
Ellen took a deep breath.
‘Martha, look, I understand that the President has some important decisions to make about his defense. But he has to understand that we need to have some kind of plan in case things go against him. I intend to keep his team in place, those members of it who are willing to serve under me, anyway. But it’s still going to be a nightmare. I need to be able to reassure the country and our allies abroad that the administration will continue as smoothly as possible. I know Steve doesn’t want to face that prospect, but he owes it to the country, Martha. I need his attention, and I need it now. When is he going to see me?’
‘I’m not sure.’
Martha was avoiding her eyes. Suddenly, Ellen’s stomach seemed to tie itself in knots. For a second or two, she had difficulty drawing breath. When her mind focused again, she realized that Martha knew much more than she was saying. Martha was trying to stall her. There would be no meeting with Steve Wade, at least not any time soon. But why? She had to find out. Ellen became conscious of the silence. Nothing was to be gained by arguing with Martha in this frame of mind. She had to try a different tack. She managed a tentative smile.
‘Forgive me for saying this, Martha, but you look like shit. Is all this getting to you?’
Tears formed in Martha’s eyes.
‘I feel like I’m falling to pieces.’
‘You look like you’re falling to pieces. You want to tell me why?’
Martha shook her head.
‘Look, I know it’s tough for you. You’ve bee
n with Steve a long time. I understand that. But there’s nothing you can do about this, Martha. There’s no point in making yourself sick over it. Whatever happens in the Senate happens. There’s nothing either you or I can do to stop it.’
Ellen paused.
‘I assume you’re still trying to pull some votes among our friends up there. How is it going?’
‘It’s not going,’ Martha replied bitterly. ‘Rats leaving a sinking ship.’
‘So, it’s going to turn out the way the press is predicting? He’s going down?’
‘Barring a miracle,’ Martha replied. ‘I can’t believe it. The President has denied any relationship with Marfrela or anyone else until he’s blue in the face. There’s been no evidence of damage to national security. It’s just speculation. You’d think at least some of them would give him the benefit of the doubt.’
Ellen shrugged her shoulders.
‘After his record of lying about Lucia Benoni? It’s hardly surprising. I admit I didn’t expect such a negative reaction from our party, but it’s not as though they don’t have their reasons. And if you’re blaming yourself for not being able to make them leap to his defense, forget about it. There was never a way to save him.’
‘It got a lot worse after it finally came out that Julia had left him,’ Martha added. ‘Not that it had much to do with the impeachment really. But Steve insisted we stall for so long, with that crap that she was just visiting friends to explore resuming her career, that by the time we told the truth, even that was held against us.’
Martha suddenly looked directly into Ellen’s eyes.
‘You want to know why I look like shit, Ellen? I’m tired of telling lies, telling lies to the press, telling lies to myself. Ellen, there are times when I come out of a press conference and go straight into the john and puke my guts up. I’m not sure how long I can go on.’
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