President. He did so because he knew he could deliver the states to guarantee the election, which for him was a national priority. Beyond this, he was genuinely fond of the President, admiring his courage as well as his brains, although the latter had a hell of a lot more to absorb about Washington than was evidenced so far.
At the moment, however, such considerations were far distant concerns as he sat behind his large, cluttered desk and gazed at Consular Operations' Wesley Sorenson.
"I've heard of gorilla shit before, but this makes King Kong look like an organ grinder's pet," he said calmly.
"I realize that, Mr. Vice President-"
"Cut the crap, Wcs, we go back too long for that," Keller interrupted.
"I'm the one who tried to promote your name for the DCI spot, remember? The only person who shot me down was you;
the whole damn Senate would have been behind me."
"I never wanted the job, Howard."
"So you took on a tougher one. A small bastard operation that's supposed to coordinate between State, the CIA, and the administration, say nothing of the gung-ho uniforms at the Pentagon. You're a lunatic, Wcs. You of all people know that's an impossible job."
"Granted, I thought it would be more in the area of advise and consent-no, don't say it, that's the Congress's [email protected]
"Thank you for saving my breath.. .. Now, to add to the antics of the asylum you're in, two Nazis tell you I'm with them, part of their new Fascist uprising. It'd be hysterically funny except for the quicksand. It was Hitler who said if you told a large enough lie long enough, it would be believed.. .. This is large enough, outrageous enough, Wcs."
"For Christ's sake, Howard, I'd never let it circulate!"
"Maybe you won't be able to stop it. Sooner or later your two skinheads will have to be interrogated by others, among them administration haters who'll grab a brass ring even if it's lead."
"I won't let it go that far. I'll shoot the bastards first."
"That's not the American way, is it?" asked Keller, chuckling.
"If it isn't, I'm pretty un-American. I've done it before."
"That was in the field, and you were much younger."
"Well, if it's any consolation, they also implicated the Speaker of the House, and he's in the other party."
"My God, how convenient. A direct line of succession to the presidency. The man himself, then the VP, followed by the Speaker.
Your Nazis know our Constitution."
"One of them is pretty well educated, I'll say that."
"The Speaker .. . ? That sweet, kindly old Baptist whose only real sin is praying while he makes deals he doesn't like because it's the only way to get legislation through? How the hell did they arrive at him?"
"They said he was of German ancestry and claimed conscientious objector status during World War Two."
"He also volunteered as a noncombatant medic and was severely wounded while saving soldiers' lives. Now your Nazis aren't too bright. If they did their research properly, they'd have learned he's been wearing a brace for his back ever since they brought him out of Omaha Beach, praying for kids he left behind while damn near dying himself. It's part of his Silver Star citation.
Some Hitler goon!"
"Listen to me, Howard," said Sorenson, leaning forward in his chair.
"I came to you because I thought you should know, not because I thought there was an iota of credence to the accusation. Surely, you realize that."
"I would hope so, and considering what's happening all over this country, 'forewarned is forearmed' takes on new significance."
"Not just here. In London and Paris they're crawling through cellars and peeking under beds, looking for Nazis."
"Unfortunately they've found a few-unfortunate in the sense that even a very few inflame the nostrils of the hunters." Keller reached for a newspaper on his desk; it was folded so a front-page article on the lower right could be read.
"Look at this," the Vice President added.
"It's today's Houston paper."
"Goddammit!" muttered Sorenson, taking the newspaper and reading, the short headline striking him instantly.
Nazis on Hospital Staff?
Patients' Complaints Cite Abusive Language
HouSTON, July 14 Based on statements, written and oral, the specific names withheld by the Board of Trustees, the Meridian
Hospital has begun an investigation of its staff. The complaints center around numerous remarks by doctors and nurses which were reported to be blatantly antiSemitic, as well as insulting to African Americans and Catholics. Meridian is a nonsectarian institution, but it is common knowledge that its clientele are predominately Protestant, a large percentage