Balance of Power

than the President of the United States?'

'President Kilcannon didn't object,' Nolan answered. 'We do.'

'On what grounds?'

    'That his sworn testimony in transcribed form is more than sufficient for plaintiff 's purposes.'

    'Not true,' Sarah asserted. 'Mr. Nolan's obvious purpose in videotaping President Kilcannon was the hope of creating an embarrassing video moment, or some dramatic piece of tape which showed the President dissembling. That it never happened doesn't detract from the prospect that, in the case of Mr. Callister, it might.

    'Mr. Nolan's aversion to a deposition of the only person at Lexington who dealt with Kerry Kilcannon makes me wonder what Lexington has to hide. To videotape both principals seems only fair.'

    Bond steepled his hands in front of him, the edge of his forefingers touching his lips. Sarah sensed that he was reluctant to concur but, weighing the public perception, felt stuck. 'Very well,' he said at last. 'You may videotape Mr. Callister.'

    'Your Honor,' Nolan said through tightened lips, 'given today's leak of documents, and the importance plaintiff's counsel assign to this additional discovery—as well as their insistence on videotaping Mr. Callister—it may be necessary to remind them of their obligations under this Court's order.'

    Reminded of his own displeasure, Bond faced Lenihan and Sarah. 'Need I remind you?' he inquired softly.

    If Bond's purpose was to frighten her, Sarah thought, he had succeeded yet again. 'No, Your Honor,' she said promptly. As did Lenihan, a second later.

TWENTY-EIGHT

In theory, the vote on gun immunity should have been conducted by roll call of senators stationed at their desks, declaring their votes in alphabetical order. But this vote was deemed too dicey, especially for the holdouts—Coletti, Slezak, and Rollins—each of whom wanted the others to make the first move. And so the vote was accomplished through a far less formal procedure. When the clerk conducted the initial roll call, most senators would not respond. Then, for a fifteenminute period, while the senators milled about the floor in a disorderly scrum, each senator could cast his or her vote at the desk of the Senate clerk. The clerk would then repeat the vote, allowing those who kept a tally to know where the voting stood.

    But for the stakes, this process would have held a certain edgy comedy: Rollins, Slezak and Coletti each eyeing the other as their colleagues eyed them, all waiting for one of the three to approach the clerk. A single vote would give Fasano the fifty-one he needed. If any of the three voted in favor of gun immunity, it freed the others to avoid casting the deciding vote, instead acting as their political interests dictated. As Cassie waited at the rear of the chamber, one senator after another ventured forward.

    'Fourteen minutes to go,' Chad murmured in her ear. 'Do me a favor, and hold out. I just bet Hampton a steak dinner at the Palm that Coletti cracks first.'

    'Who did Chuck get?'

    'The field. You and Slezak.' Chad lowered his voice. 'So here's the deal, Cassie. Hold out until Vic votes, and I'll come to Maine and campaign for you. Whether in the primary, or in the general.'

    She studied him, surprised. Chad was no longer smiling. He knew how difficult this was for her: out of friendship and generosity, and despite his support of Fasano, Chad was telling her to vote as she liked, even if it meant helping her buck the SSA in a primary fight.

    She touched his sleeve. 'Thank you, Chad.'

    He shook his head in demurral, as though his offer was nothing of note. 'Life's too short,' he told her. 'And this is way too serious.'

* * *

    In the Oval Office, Kerry watched on CNN. Superimposed on its image of the milling senators was a vote tally—eleven to ten in favor of gun immunity—and a second-by-second count of the remaining time: 12:43. When Clayton entered, the President asked, 'Does Hampton have the transcript?'

    'His Chief of Staff does. It's only a matter of minutes.'

    Peering at the screen, Kerry tried to pick out Vic Coletti.

* * *

    On the floor of the Senate, Palmer and Cassie Rollins watched the minority leader take Vic Coletti by the elbow, gently but firmly pulling him aside, and hand him what appeared to be a one-page document.

    'What's that about?' Cassie wondered aloud.

    Chad, too, felt curious. 'Can it be?' he murmured. 'The White House finally found that compromising photograph of Vic with a sheep?'

    'A sheep,' Cassie inquired dryly. 'Only one?'

    'Yeah. But he was underage.'

    Whatever it was, the document had Coletti's close attention.

* * *

    'You've been worried about Lexington,' Hampton told Vic Coletti. 'This is a transcript from Wolf Blitzer's newscast. CNN's got documents which Lexington concealed in the Costello lawsuit, showing that Lexington knew that the P-2 was being widely used by criminals in California. They also include the ballistics tests on the Eagle's Claw.'

    Coletti finished reading, then looked slowly up at Hampton. 'Not pretty,' he said in grudging tones. 'But it doesn't say they knew the P-2 was being sold by white supremacists.'

    At the corner of his vision, Hampton noticed Jack Slezak observing them. 'Or by Adolf Hitler,' Hampton answered tersely. 'You told the President you needed cover. Obstruction of justice should be cover enough. Do you really want to reward that with immunity?'

    Coletti mustered a flinty smile which tightened the corner of his eyes. 'The President doesn't mean to lose, does he.'

    'Surprise,' Hampton said with a laugh as soft as it was brief. Then he put one hand on Coletti's shoulder. 'The President would appreciate your help, Vic. So would I.'

    To both sides, senators kept stepping forward toward the clerk. With a curt nod, Coletti folded the paper and tucked it into the inside pocket of his suit coat. 'Does Slezak know?' he asked.

    Hampton smiled. 'He will.'

* * *

    With four minutes left, Cassie saw Vic Coletti approach the clerk of the Senate with all the animation of a death row prisoner taking his final walk.

    'Congratulations,' Cassie said to Chad. 'Looks like Hampton's buying.'

    Chad shrugged. 'Just another scene from Profiles in Courage. I think I'll wander down there for you, find out how Vic voted.'

    This was another kindness, sparing Cassie the discomfort of looking. 'Please don't wander,' she said. 'Sprint.'

* * *

But Fasano found her before Chad returned. 'Coletti?' she asked.