Patterson turned to the figure lurking in the wings of the stage.
“Thank God that we have in our government today the kind of men who would have made Moses himself proud. I’d like you all to give a warm welcome to a man with whom I’m sure you’re all very familiar, United States senator Isaiah James Black!”
A rush of surprise swept through the congregation as two thousand heads turned to look at the stage wings. Senator Black walked out into the brilliant sunlight, waving and smiling at the crowd, perfect white teeth and wavy salt-and-pepper hair. The pastor extended his hand to the senator. Black took it and leaned in close to be heard above the tumult of the crowd.
“No peace? What the hell are you talking about?”
Patterson kept a smile fixed as he vigorously shook the senator’s hand.
“Keeping up appearances, Isaiah, as should you.”
The senator managed to keep a smile slapped awkwardly on his face and turned to face the expectant flock of the American Evangelical Alliance, some two thousand souls from a total of thirty million faithful Americans.
Tread carefully, Isaiah, Patterson thought as he watched the senator speak.
“I can scarcely begin to say how proud I am to be a part of this initiative by the New Covenant Church to refill the empty transfusion reserves of this great city, our capital. There can surely be no greater, yet simpler, sacrifice than the offering of our blood for the hospitals that save American lives every day. It takes only a little time, only a little effort, but a really big heart, and that makes us special in our own way, knowing that this one act of selflessness could tomorrow save the life of our fellow Americans, perhaps even one of us here today.”
The senator cultivated a smile for the crowd, who applauded him vigorously as he spoke through a carefully choreographed flash of brilliant white teeth for the cameras. “I know without a doubt that I’ll be seeing each and every one of you down at the donor stations, and if it’s okay with all of you, I’d like to take a moment out of my campaign here to donate blood myself right now.”
A further burst of applause thundered across the gardens, followed by a chorus of “Amen, Amen,” chanted as though God Himself were listening. The senator strode off the stage, waving as he went, followed by Patterson. As Black reached the shelter of the wings he turned to glare at the pastor.
“What the hell was that?”
The pastor smiled calmly.
“It was on a whim, Isaiah. You were here, the people were excited. You’re a member of this congregation, after all, and so rarely do we get to hear the great and good of our leadership say a few words to the humble masses.”
Erratic spasms twitched across Black’s eyelid.
“I’m also a member of the Senate of the United States of America,” he snapped, and then appeared to quell his rage. “We need to talk.”
The pastor led him into the modern megachurch, a maze of carpeted corridors and offices far removed from the archaic European monuments of austerity hewn from ancient stone. A suitably imperious oak door bore Patterson’s name on a polished brass plate. The pastor led Senator Black through, closing the door after them and noticing the senator’s visible relief at a brief sanctuary from the endless cameras and questions of the press.
The office was vast, dominated by a heavy desk and broad bay windows that looked out across Memorial Park and the distant silvery strip of the Potomac. A fifteen-foot-high chrome crucifix dominated one wall, a small altar and candles arranged before it.
“So Isaiah, what can I do for you? Your call sounded urgent.”
Black turned from examining the glorious vista outside.
“Do you have any idea how long the Senate and the president have been working on a peace initiative for the Middle East?”
“As long as Israel has existed as a state,” Patterson replied. “I’m not unaware of the efforts made to secure a deal with the Palestinians.”
“This is the first time in over a decade we’ve had any real chance of a deal and you’re here preaching fire and brimstone. Peace in the Middle East a heresy? How the hell do you think that will look on tonight’s news?”
Patterson sighed heavily.
“That is what we stand for, Isaiah, the kingdom of our Lord as the destination for the Second Coming. The administration must return the faith of its people toward God, put God back into the