Advise and Consent (16 page)

“I won’t!” the Secretary said, so vehemently that the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Secretary of Agriculture and two members of the Dutch Embassy turned around to stare. “I’ll be damned if I will!” he said in an abruptly lowered voice, with a half-hearted attempt to make his expression noncommittal.

“Think it over, Howie,” Senator Munson said pleasantly, and Grace said, “Oh, dear.”

“Why should the Administration treat me like this?” Howard Sheppard asked with muffled bitterness, turning toward the bay window as Bob Munson placed a brotherly hand on his shoulder. “Why is politics like this? I’ve done my best to serve my country, I’ve done everything I could to help him and please him. I’ve thought I was a friend of yours—”

“You are, Howie!” Bob Munson said in a shocked tone, “you are!”

“—and now I get this sort of treatment. Why does it have to be so brutal?”

“You were never brutal to anybody when you were Governor of Ohio and wanted something done, Howie?” Senator Munson asked softly. “You never laid it on the line to anybody as Secretary of State and told him he was up against something he couldn’t defy and he’d better go along? You never did, Howie?”

“I don’t see why it has to be like this,” the Secretary insisted stubbornly, not answering. “I just don’t see.”

“It’s a rough game, underneath the backslaps and the handshakes and the big noble speeches, Howie,” Bob Munson said thoughtfully, “and we all discover it sooner or later. It’s a cruel business, sometimes, when you’re in the big time the way we are, because up here the country is involved and men play for keeps. Now you think it over and see if you can’t get a good statement together for us tomorrow, okay?”

“I don’t see,” Howard Sheppard said bitterly. “I just don’t see.”

“Well,” Bob Munson said bluntly, “you’re still part of this Admini-stration until we confirm him, so you’d just better have your cry and blow your nose and turn a bright face to the world and get back into this party and make it look good, Howie. And you needn’t worry about the NATO job. It’ll be there waiting for you, I give you my word on that.”

“How can you be a party to it,” Secretary Sheppard asked, without irony, “when you’re such a kind person at heart?”

“Now you’re getting maudlin,” Senator Munson said. “Here comes
Henrik Kroll, just bubbling to see you, so you just bubble back, Howie, and I’ll see you later.”

And as the Danish Ambassador came forward, hand outstretched, a rosy smile on his rosy face, with his rosy little wife coming along as rosily at his side, the Majority Leader clapped Howard Sheppard heartily on the back, squeezed Grace’s hand, and went on his way, observing as he did so that the Secretary of State after a moment’s hesitation straightened his shoulders, smiled graciously if a little wobbily, and returned the ambassadorial greeting with a cordiality which, while not overwhelming, was adequate to the occasion. Bob Munson dismissed that particular matter from his mind and, noting that his hostess was looking a little tired, went forward to her side through the press of tuxedoes, dress uniforms, gowns, gossip and highball glasses.

“Hi,” he said. “How are you bearing up?”

“All right,” Dolly said. “What were you and Howie Sheppard talking about?”

“The price of wheat in China,” he said lightly. “Nationalist China, that is. He’s going to be our opening witness for Bob Leffingwell at the hearing tomorrow.”

“Oh?” Dolly said. “That’s nice.”

“I thought so,” Senator Munson said. “He didn’t, at first, but I think he does now.”

“Are you proud of it?” Dolly asked, and Bob Munson leaned close to her ear. “Sometimes I wonder,” he said, “whether I was wise to give you the right to ask me questions like that.”

“You’d be in a bad way if there wasn’t anybody who could,” Dolly said swiftly, and turned back to offer a cordial, “So nice to see you,” to the Attorney General and his wife, looking as always small, neat and secretive. Just behind them there was a slight commotion and on a burst of cold air, a wave of perfume, and the little extra excitement that always accompanied their entrance no matter what the troubles of their ancient and indomitable land, the British Ambassador and his lady swept into view, accompanied by their colleagues from across the Channel.

“Dear Kitty!” Dolly said as they kissed, “Dear Celestine, dear Raoul, dear Claude. It is
so
nice to see you.”

“It’s starting to snow,” Kitty announced excitedly. “Do you suppose we will all be able to get back home all right? Washington gets so
confused
when it snows.”

“If you leave right now,” Dolly said with a smile, “I’m sure you can make it.”

“Not for hours,” Lady Maudulayne said gaily. “Not for hours. Claude has too many people to see and I enjoy your parties too much. Isn’t that right, Claude?”

“I think the latter reason is the more diplomatic,” Lord Maudulayne said. “Don’t let people know I’m here on business, Kitty. It destroys all my effectiveness.”

“These British!” Raoul said dryly, while Celestine smiled and said nothing in her characteristic way. “Do they take nothing seriously?”

“Lord, I hope not!” Claude Maudulayne said with his abrupt laugh. “We’d all have shot ourselves long before this if we had. But here is Bob, too, how nice.”

“Claude,” Senator Munson said cordially, “Raoul, ladies, it’s good to see you.” Then he said to the men with calculated abruptness, “Why don’t we let them gossip while we go talk about Bob Leffingwell?”

“Senator Munson,” Raoul Barre observed, “manages to be subtle in the most unsubtle way.”

“It usually works, too,” Bob Munson said, and Lord Maudulayne chuckled.

“So it does,” he said. “Well, lead us to the drinks first, and then we’ll talk, eh, Raoul?”

“Indeed, he overwhelms us so we have no choice,” the French Ambassador said amicably. “Farewell, ladies. Watch out for Dolly. She and the Senator have an
entente cordiale
that I believe extends to matters of state as well. She will be working on you as hard as he works on us.”

“Anyone who can make Kitty and Celestine tell something they don’t want to tell is pretty good,” Dolly said with a laugh, “and I’m not. You needn’t worry, Raoul.”

“How nice we are all old friends,” Raoul said, patting her cheek. “All these little lies serve only to draw us closer together.”

“Run along with Bob,” Dolly told him, “and have a good time.”

“In your house,” Raoul said with a bow, “always. Always.”

There were now, Bob Munson noted as he linked one arm with Lord Maudulayne and the other with his colleague and steered them toward the nearest bar, approximately two hundred of Dolly’s expected three in the house, and Vagaries was beginning to resound with their babble. Three orchestras were playing, one in the enormous living room, one in the great glassed-in sun porch and one in the ballroom upstairs, and there was a sort of loud, reverberating roar flooding the mansion, compounded of three different popular tunes going loudly at the same time, the thump of feet dancing, chandeliers tinkling, ice clinking, and everywhere amiable voices, getting increasingly loud and fuzzy, talking, talking, talking. He could sense already from the relaxed and easy tone of things that the party was very likely going to last until three, if not later, and as the two ambassadors got their drinks and he switched quietly to plain ginger ale he decided that much could be done about the nomination before it was over. At the door he saw Orrin and Beth Knox arriving with Brigham and Mabel Anderson, to be followed immediately by Lafe Smith, traveling alone, and Seab Cooley, arriving with Arly and Helen Richardson. Crystal Danta came in with Hal Knox, George and Helen Keating followed and in a moment Tom and Anna August entered just ahead of the Ryans, the Welches, and the Andrews, who, their official differences on the Federal Reserve bill forgotten, arrived together in a merry group. Elsewhere in the room he could see Alexander and Mary Chabot of Louisiana talking animatedly to Allen and Evelyn Whiteside, and in the crush on the great winding staircase toward which he was leading his two companions he saw Winthrop of Massachusetts and his horsey, charming wife talking to Victor and Hazel Ennis, who looked hearty and a little tight, while behind them Fred Cahill of Missouri was struggling upwards with four drinks clutched desperately in his hands toward his wife and Luis and Concepci6n Valdez of New Mexico, who were hemmed in at the top of the stairs. The Senate was well represented already, and would be more so before long. He waved heartily to them all across the surging crowd and was about to take his captive diplomats up the stairs to Dolly’s private study when he felt a nudge and looked around to find the Majority whip and their ebullient colleague from West Virginia beaming at his side.

“Where are you taking Claude and Raoul?” Hal Fry demanded, while Stanley Danta smiled pleasantly upon them. “And why can’t we be invited?”

“I think it’s a case of high-level rape, old boy,” Lord Maudulayne said cheerfully. “We no sooner got in than we were told to come talk about Bob Leffingwell. Who wants to talk about Bob Leffingwell? Must we face these international crises day after day? Is there never a letup? Of course you’re invited.”

“The President was trying to reach you, Bob,” Senator Danta said. “He said Howie Sheppard just phoned and said he was going to make the opening statement for Bob tomorrow morning.”

“What a nice idea,” Senator Munson said in a pleased tone. “That’s very generous of Howie.”

“Very,” Stanley Danta said with just enough dryness in his voice so that Raoul Barre immediately looked as alert as a terrier. Senator Munson smiled expansively.

“If you see Howie around,” he said, “you tell him how pleased I am, will you? He’s a real member of the team and we won’t forget it.”

“Indeed I will,” Stanley said impassively. “Are we interrupting something?”

“Not a bit of it,” Bob Munson said. “Just a chat about things. Why don’t you round up Orrin and Brig and maybe Tom August and drop up to the study pretty soon? Don’t make it obvious, but when you can.”

“No, no,” Raoul Barre said quickly, “by all means don’t make it obvious, Stanley. Only one hundred and seventy-seven people by conservative count are watching us at this very moment. Don’t make it obvious.”

“Nonsense,” Senator Munson said firmly. “You French always exaggerate. As for you, Hal, why don’t you see if you can find your UN pal from the Mysterious East and bring him along too? I’ve talked to him once already, but more won’t hurt.”

I’m glad Kitty isn’t in on this,” Claude Maudulayne murmured. “She despises K.K.”

“A great statesman,” Senator Fry said gravely. “A beacon light of Asia. At least I think that’s what you called him in that Press Club speech, Claude.”

Lord Maudulayne smiled blandly.

“You tend to your Republic,” he advised, “and we’ll tend to our Commonwealth. But do go get him, Hal. Nothing spices up a discussion like K.K.’s syntax.”

“Brother, do I know it,” Senator Fry said dryly. “I’ll get him.”

“I’ll get the others,” Senator Danta added.

“Good,” Senator Munson said. “We’ll see you up there in fifteen minutes.”

“Right,” Stanley said.

Looking back as he and the Ambassadors proceeded slowly through the crush up the great winding stairway, Bob Munson could see that there were indeed quite a few who watched them go, and upon them all he turned a cordial and noncommittal smile. Across the room he could see the Secretary of Defense talking earnestly to Charlie Dale, the missile boss, and just beyond he caught a glimpse of Justice Davis arguing vigorously with the editor of the
Star
, Nearby the director of the FBI was chatting genially with the Secretary of Commerce and his wife, and in a bay window to their left, surrounded by the Ambassador of Lebanon and several miscellaneous princes from Saudi Arabia the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and two of the primmer male members of his far-flung crew of motley misfits were passing the time of day. Dolly was looking refreshed and as though she had gotten a second wind from somewhere, and just before they turned the curve in the stairs and lost the room from view he saw Vasily Tashikov and his frumpy consort come in, causing a little stir among the guests. He would have to talk to Tashikov, too, but that was a sparring match that would have to wait until later; he could see from the Soviet Ambassador’s quick start of recognition and little ironic smile as their eyes met and he observed the three of them that it would be a ticklish and probably unprofitable proceeding. So he shrugged and waved and, chatting pleasantly with his companions, led them down the second floor hallway past the ballroom and the library to Dolly’s study, where he closed the door firmly on the roar of the party, made sure the bar was well stocked, and then turned abruptly to his guests.

“Fellows,” he said candidly, “what should I do?”

The Ambassadors looked startled, looked at one another, and laughed.

“You Americans,” Raoul Barre said pleasantly, “what a race. Such a combination of indirection and candor. Sometimes you tell us nothing and next thing we know you have thrown yourselves upon our mercy. What are we ever to make of you?”

“It is puzzling, isn’t it?” Bob Munson admitted with a grin. “Let’s say our mutual aim should be enough understanding to get along and not enough to get in each others’ hair.”

“We haven’t always been sure of that with Howie Sheppard, old boy,” Claude Maudulayne observed. “Sometimes his aim has seemed to go much beyond that. Moralisms in one hand and missiles in the other, what? It has been a little disturbing at times.”

“That’s exactly it,” Senator Munson said, seizing the opening. “I think that’s probably why the President has wanted to make a change there for some time. I think he was beginning to get a little disturbed, too.”

“Oh, it was not health, then,” Raoul said. “I did not think so, right along.”

“No,” Senator Munson said, “it was not health. It was a concession to our good friends in Europe, believe it or not. Sometimes we do take your opinions into account, Raoul.”

“When we unite and make it impossible for you to ignore them, yes,” the French Ambassador remarked. Senator Munson gave a little bow.