above the woes of his fellowman. He had never before grasped the hatred that the underclass must feel. But he felt it now. Now the rich, the powerful, would bring him down, now he must win for his own sake.
But he refused to be distracted by hatred. His mind must be clear in the coming crisis. Even if he should be impeached, he must make sure he would return to power. And then his plans would be far-reaching. The Congress and the rich might win this battle, but he saw clearly that they must lose the war. The people of the United States would not suffer humiliation gladly, there would be another election in November. This whole crisis could result in his favor even if he lost; his personal tragedy would be one of his weapons. But he had to be careful to hide his long-range plans even from his staff.
Kennedy understood he was preparing himself for ultimate power. There was no other course except to submit to defeat and all its anguish, and that he could never survive.
On Thursday afternoon, nine hours before the special session of Congress that would impeach the President of the United States, Francis Kennedy met with his advisers, his staff and Vice President Helen Du Pray.
It was to be their last strategy session before the congressional vote, and they all knew the enemy had the necessary two thirds. Kennedy saw immediately that the mood in the room was one of depression and defeat.
He gave them all a cheerful smile and opened the meeting by thanking the CIA chief, Theodore Tappey, for not having signed the impeachment proposal.
Then he turned to Vice President Du Pray and laughed, a genuine good-humored laugh.
'Helen,' he said, 'I wouldn't be in your shoes for anything in the world.
Do you realize how many enemies you made when you refused to sign the impeachment papers? You could have been the first woman President of the United States. Congress hates you because without your signature they can't get away with it. Men will hate you for being so magnanimous. Feminists will consider you a traitor. God, how did an old pro like you get in such a fix? By the way, I want to thank you for your loyalty.'
'They are wrong, Mr. President,' Du Pray said. 'And they are wrong now to pursue it. Is there a chance for any negotiation with Congress?'
'I can't negotiate,' Kennedy said. 'And they won't.' Then he said to Dazzy,
'Have my orders been followed-is the naval air fleet on its way to Dak?'
'Yes, sir,' Dazzy said, then shifted uncomfortably in his chair. 'But the chiefs of staff have not given the final 'go.' They will hold back until Congress votes tonight. If the impeachment succeeds, they will send the planes home.' He paused for a moment. 'They haven't disobeyed you. They have followed your orders. They just figure they can countermand everything if you lose tonight.'
Kennedy turned to Du Pray. His face was grave. 'If the impeachment succeeds, you will be the President,' he said.
'You can order the chiefs of staff to proceed with the destruction of the city of Dak. Will you give that order?'
'No,' she said. There was a long, uncomfortable silence in the room. She kept her face composed and spoke directly to Kennedy. 'I have proved my loyalty to you,' she said. 'As your Vice President, I supported your decision on Dak, as it was my duty to do. I resisted the demand to sign the impeachment papers. But if I become President, and I hope with all my heart
I will not, then I must follow my own conscience and make my own decision.'
Kennedy nodded. He smiled at her and it was a gentle smile that broke her heart. 'You are perfectly right,' he said. 'I asked the question merely as a point of information, not to persuade.' He addressed the others in the room. 'Now the most important thing is to get a bare-bones script ready for my television speech. Eugene, have you cleared networks? Have they broadcast bulletins that I will speak tonight?'
Eugene Dazzy said cautiously, 'Lawrence Salentine is here to see you about that. It looks fishy. Shall I have him sent here? He's in my office.'
Kennedy said softly, 'They wouldn't dare. They wouldn't dare to show their muscle so out in the open.' He was thoughtful for a long moment. 'Send him in.'
While they waited they discussed how long the speech would be. 'Not more than a half hour,' Kennedy said. 'I should get the job done by then.'
And they all knew what he meant. Francis Kennedy on television could overpower any audience. It was the magical speaking voice with the music of the great Irish poets. It didn't hurt that his thinking, the progress of his logic, was always absolutely clear.
When Lawrence Salentine was ushered in, Kennedy spoke to him directly and without a greeting. 'I hope you're not going to say what I think you're going to say.'
Salentine said coolly, 'I have no way of knowing what you're thinking. I've been chosen by the other networks to give you our decision not to give you airtime tonight. For us to do so would be to interfere in the impeachment process.'
Kennedy smiled and said to him, 'Mr. Salentine, the impeachment, even if it's successful, will last for only thirty days. And then what?'
It was not Francis Kennedy's style to be threatening. It occurred to
Salentine that he and the heads of the other networks had embarked on a very dangerous game. The legal justification of the federal government to issue and review licenses for TV stations had become archaic in practical terms, but a strong President could put new teeth in it. Salentine knew he had to go very carefully.
'Mr. President,' he said, 'it is because we feel our responsibility is so important that we must refuse you the airtime. You are in the process of impeachment, much to my regret, and to the sorrow of all Americans. It is a very great tragedy, and you have all my sympathy. But the networks agree that letting you speak will not be in the best interests of the nation or our democratic process.' He paused for a moment. 'But after the Congress votes, win or lose, we will give you airtime.'
Francis Kennedy laughed angrily and said, 'You can go.'
Lawrence Salentine was escorted out by one of the Secret Service guards.
Then Kennedy said to his staff, 'Gentlemen, believe me when I tell you this.' Kennedy's face was unsmiling, the blue of his eyes seemed to have gone from a light to heavier slate-blue, 'They have overplayed their hand.
They have violated the spirit of the Constitution.'
For miles around the White House, traffic had become congested with only thin corridors to pass through official vehicles. TV cameras and their backup trucks commanded the whole area. Congressmen on their way to Capitol Hill were unceremoniously grabbed by TV journalists and questioned on this special meeting of the Congress. Finally, an official bulletin appeared on TV networks that the Congress was convening at 11:00 P.m. to vote on a motion to remove President Kennedy from office.
In the White House itself, Kennedy and his staff had already done everything they could to ward off the attack. Oddblood Gray had called senators and congressmen, pleading with them. Eugene Dazzy had made countless calls to different members of the Socrates Club, trying to enlist the support of some segments of big business. Christian Klee had sent legal briefs to the leaders of the Congress stressing that without the signature of the Vice President the removal was illegal.
Just before eleven, Kennedy and his staff met in the Yellow Room to watch the big television screen that was wheeled in. Although the session of Congress would not be broadcast over commercial networks, it was being photographed for later use, and a special cable brought it to the White House.
Congressman Jintz and Senator Lambertino had done their work well.
Everything had been synchronized perfectly. Sal Troyca and Elizabeth Stone had worked closely together to iron out administrative details. All the necessary documents had been prepared for the turnover of government.
In the Yellow Room, Francis Kennedy and his personal staff watched the proceedings on their television. It would take Congress time to go through all the formalities of speeches and roll calls to vote. But they knew what the outcome would be. The Congress and the Socrates Club had built a steamroller for this occasion. Kennedy said to Oddblood Gray, 'Otto, you did your best.'
At that moment, one of the White House duty officers came in and handed
Dazzy a memo sheet. Dazzy looked at it, then studied it. The shock on his face was evident. He handed
