"He won't have any reason to mention it, since he hasn't figured it out."

"And you're going to use Barrington to get at Eagle?"

"Ideally, yes. Don't worry, I won't get caught. I'll get away with it, I always have."

"You have that gift," Charles said. "And what will you do if you can't get at Eagle?"

Barbara smiled a little smile. "Then I'll destroy someone close to him."

"Barrington?"

"Perhaps. It would cut Ed to the bone, and that's been my pleasure for a long time."

"Whatever you want, my sweet."

"I want you to come over here and fuck me," she said, stretching out on the bed.

"It's what I do best, isn't it?" he asked, joining her.

"It certainly is, my darling."

Governor Richard Collins was joined for breakfast by Vice President Martin Stanton in the governor's bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel. A table had been elegantly laid on the private patio. The governor was sitting in a chaise longue, reading a stack of morning papers. A political writer's daily column had caught his eye, and he read it quickly.

"Good morning, Dick," the vice president said from the patio door. A Secret Service agent stood behind him. The agent looked quickly around the patio, then stepped back into the bungalow's living room and closed the door between him and his charge.

"Good morning, Marty," Collins said, rising to greet his guest. "Shall we sit down?" He motioned his guest to a chair. "Orange juice?" the governor asked, picking up a pitcher.

"Thank you, yes."

"Would you like some champagne or vodka in it?"

"Thanks, I'll wait until lunchtime."

Collins poured the orange juice, and a waiter came and delivered eggs Benedict. "So, Marty, how do you think the convention is going for you?"

"As well as can be expected," Stanton replied.

"Do you think you have enough votes to win on the first ballot?"

Stanton hesitated before replying. "I believe that may depend on you, Dick."

Collins took a bite of his eggs and shrugged. "I think our delegation is holding. At least, nobody has told me he's doing otherwise."

"I hear rumors that there's some crumbling in Pete Otero's delegation."

"You mean, some of his delegates are switching to you?"

"I mean, I hear they're switching-I can't be sure to whom."

"I hear there may be half a dozen," Collins said.

"Do you hear where they're going?"

"I can only guess."

"All right then, guess."

"I think more likely to Kate than to you."

"That won't hurt me on the first ballot," Stanton said.

"No, that won't, not until the second ballot."

"Then we'll have to wait and see, won't we?"

The governor chewed thoughtfully. "How did your sit-down with Kate go last evening?"

Stanton flinched visibly. "How could you know about that?"

"I try to stay on top of things. What did you two have to say to each other?"

"She offered me State if I'd drop out and nominate her."

"If you don't get the nomination, Marty, which would you prefer, State or the Senate?" Collins already knew the answer. State was too much work, too much globe-hopping for Stanton, who had always been a little lazy.

"I guess that's my choice, isn't it? If I don't win the nomination."

"What did you say to Kate?"

"After I turned it down, I offered her State."

"And?"

"She wouldn't commit-said she'd let me know by noon."

"Marty, it's time for you and I to be entirely honest with each other. Realistic, too."

"How do you mean?"

"Kate isn't going to take State."

"I've got until noon before we know."

"It's not going to happen. Put it out of your mind."

"I don't see how you can know that, Dick."

"You'll know at noon, but by then you will have wasted four hours."

"Wasted how?"

"You have no time to waste, Marty. Right now, you can accept my offer of an appointment to the Senate. That offer will expire when we rise from this table. Then, when Kate calls you at noon-or, more likely, doesn't call at all-you will be out of options."

"But you said-"

"No, I didn't," Collins said. "I didn't say my offer was open-ended. And Kate didn't offer you State."

Stanton's shoulders slumped. "I don't see how you can say that, Dick, you weren't there."

"I didn't need to be."

"Why not?"

"Because I know you, Marty, and I know Kate. The fact is, your personal conduct has made it impossible for you to be nominated."

"I know it hasn't helped," Stanton admitted.

"In the Senate, Marty, no one will care who you take to bed, you'll be a bachelor again. You're rich enough to buy a nice house in Georgetown-the women will be all over you. Think about it."

"I'll have no seniority in the Senate."

"Your stature in the party will get you good committee assignments, and the press will always want to know what you have to say, especially the TV reporters. You'll be a regular on the Sunday-morning shows."

"Do you know something I don't, Dick? About who's slipping in the delegation?"

"Nobody has told me anything, I just know what I know. It's time for you to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life. You can spend it doing good work in the Senate, or you can spend it serving on corporate boards and playing golf."

"Come on, Dick, I've done a lot for you. You wouldn't be governor-"

"And I'm very grateful to you, Marty, that's why I've offered you the Senate seat. Most politicians would kill for that."

The governor finished his eggs. Stanton hadn't touched his. Collins looked at his watch. "Well, I've got a nine-o'clock across town." He pushed his chair back.

"Time to decide, huh?" Stanton said.

"Yes, it is, Marty."

Stanton pushed his chair back and stood up. "All right, Dick, I'll take the Senate seat."

Collins stood up and shook his hand. "Wonderful, Marty, and I'll be there when you run for reelection in four years."

"Thank you, Dick."

"Now," said the governor, taking Stanton's arm and propelling him toward the door, "let me tell you how this is going to go."

The two men walked slowly through the bungalow's living room and outside to where their cars waited. The governor did all the talking; Stanton nodded. At one point, Stanton seemed to object, but Collins kept him moving, talking earnestly in a low voice.

They reached their cars, and a Secret Service agent was holding the door open for Stanton.

"Then we're agreed, Marty." It wasn't a question.

Stanton nodded, got into the car, and was driven away. Collins did the same, but he was smiling.

Ann Keaton sat at her desk in her small office in the presidential cottage and began working delegates, one by one. Molly, Kate's secretary, sat at an adjacent desk. Her phone rang, she listened and then tapped Ann on the shoulder.

Ann covered the phone. "Yes, Molly?"

"Hang up."

"I'll call you back," Ann said into her phone, then hung up.

"Evan Chandler, from Senator Mark Willingham's campaign, wants to speak to you," Molly said. "This could be important."

Ann pressed the button. "Good morning, Evan, how are you?"

"Very well, Ann. Senator Willingham would like to meet with Director Lee-this morning, if possible."

"She has meetings all morning and a lunch at twelve thirty," Ann said. "I could make some time between the meetings and lunch-say, twelve?"

"That's fine. The senator would like to meet in his suite at the Bel-Air."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, given her schedule," Ann said. "It will have to be at the presidential cottage at The Arrington."

"Hold on."

Ann found herself listening to piano music.

"What's going on?" Molly asked.

"I'm on hold. Willingham wants a meet, but I won't let the first lady go to him."

"Ann?" Chandler was back on the line.

"Yes, Evan."

"The senator will be there at noon."

"I'll leave word at the gate," Ann said. "Security is very tight here."

"He'll be on time." Chandler hung up.

Ann put down the phone and ran down the hall to the presidential office. She rapped on the door and opened it. Kate and Will Lee were sitting on the sofa, their laps full of papers.

"Director, you have a meeting with Mark Willingham at noon, here."

"I do?" Kate asked, surprised.

"Unless you want me to cancel."