A state of disobedience

pointing out an option.'

To State, Rottemeyer said, 'Look at the options. See if there is, in fact, some place in the world we need to become engaged in anyway. Look for a place where there is likely to be resistance.'

Appalled by the thought of a foreign war, Treasury spoke up again, carefully clipped words still coming out with hesitation. 'Madam President'—oh, what the hell, they were old friends—'Willi . . . I know the whole idea is . . . oh . . . say . . . a little 'distasteful' to you. To any of us here, really. But there is something to be said for just letting Texas go. If they'll actually go.'

Carroll, whose ancestors had once been forced—most unwillingly—back into the Union, make a spitting sound. 'That's the most asinine thing I've ever heard . . . no offense.'

'None taken,' answered Treasury in a tone that clearly conveyed the message 'asshole.' 'But, again, consider the benefits. Right now we might not survive the next election with Texas. But without? Without all those Democrat votes in the House and Senate that may as well be Republican? Without all those individual 'Democrats' voting for a Republican President. Madame President . . .Willi . . . at least consider letting them go; kicking them out of the Union if they won't toe the line. It would shift the balance of power so far towards our way of thinking that the conservatives would never, never return.'

Carroll's voice, in imitation of Treasury's 'asshole' tone, countered, 'Did you even take history in high school? It is precisely because of what it would do to the balance of power in the country that we can't, can't, CAN'T let Texas go.'

Clasping hands together and rubbing palms, he turned his gaze back to Rottemeyer. 'Willi, you don't want to hear this anymore than I want to say it. But the only thing keeping thirty-six other states in the Union is the mere chance that, come next election, they can get rid of us. If Texas goes out, there will go their last chance of getting us out. And so they will leave too. And it won't be like the last time.'

Of McCreavy he asked, uncharacteristically using her rank, 'General, is there a chance in hell that you can force thirty-six states in the lower forty-eight back into the union with the remaining twelve? Didn't think so. Is there a chance you could keep them from overrunning us?'

McCreavy sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. 'I could defend Hawaii . . . provided we were willing to become part of the Empire of Japan. But you exaggerate the dangers. Surely not more than thirty states would actually join Texas,' she added, somewhat sarcastically.

'Okay, thirty,' Carroll conceded. 'Does that change anything?'

'No.'

'Jesus, why did this have to happen to me?' asked Rottemeyer of the room.

The question was rhetorical. Nonetheless, Carroll answered. 'Because we moved too fast, Willi.'

'Maybe . . . just maybe. But you've already said we have to move fast now . . . and that we don't have any choice about Texas. So we're going to bring it back under control. On my command. Soon.

'In the interim,' Rottemeyer continued, 'here's what we're going to do. General McCreavy, I want you to pull . . . what was that group? Third Corps?' Seeing McCreavy's nod, she went on, 'Pull Third Corps out of Texas and into the surrounding states. Reinforce them with everything we have. You can pull one division out of Germany and any troops we have here in the States. They are to prepare for an invasion . . . no, call it the 'liberation' of Texas. They are not to commence hostilities without my say so. I also am going to at least prepare to take State's advice. I want you to prepare a contingency force for some contingency overseas. Don't argue with me about that, Caroline.'

Rottemeyer noted with satisfaction that McCreavy jotted every word down into her notebook and did not argue the point.

Jesse Vega looked up expectantly as Rottemeyer turned her attention towards her. 'Yes, Willi?'

'Jesse, I want you to take control of and assemble all federal law enforcement personnel and assets in the states around Texas and any that escaped from Texas before they began rounding up our people. I mean all of them: BATF, FBI, EPA and the Presidential Guard, Secret Service.' Rottemeyer did not much care for using her Guard's common name, PGSS.

'How long will that take?'

McCreavy thought furiously. In theory we could move fifteen or twenty thousand troops in three days. Theory's shit. In practice double that? Nah, never happen. Double it again and round up to an even two weeks. Then . . . maybe.

Vega, likewise, contemplated the difficulty of overcoming sheer bureaucratic inertia, cope with interagency rivalry and jealousy, and came up, similarly, with about two weeks . . . maybe.

Exchanging glances, McCreavy and Vega seemed to come to an agreement. They said, almost simultaneously, 'About two weeks.'

McCreavy then added, 'That's just to get the troops—and I mean just the troops and their individual arms— somewhere useful. Getting their heavy equipment out of war stocks, bringing it up to speed, issuing it? Madame President, that's going to be another thirty days. Minimum.'

Rottemeyer seemed to ignore her. 'Can you drum up a propaganda campaign in two weeks? A good one?' she asked Carroll.

'Child's play, Willi.' He snorted, disdaining the very notion that he might have trouble with something so simple as twisting and distorting the truth.

'Good. Make it child's play. Make it suitable for the 'children' who make up the bulk of our support. I want them clamoring for me to 'do something' . . . to 'save the children.' ' The sheer innocence and naivete of many of her supporters brought a smile to her face.

'Now at the end of those two weeks I am going to order you,' she said to Vega, 'to round up 'dissident, criminal elements' in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and—especially—Arkansas. I will not be averse if you grab my ex-husband if he happens to be in Arkansas with one of his bimbos. Most particularly do I want you to shut down the irresponsible press that might be against us in those areas. Toss them into prison with the general population. We'll see how they like being made non-anal-retentive.