Gordon Ryan - State of Rebellion

The next morning, Dan arose early, dressed, and left his condo, headed for his still unorganized legislative office-a dusty, bare dungeon in the basement of the capitol building, reserved for freshman legislators. Arriving at his office before his secretary, Dan listened to the messages on the phone recorder, rewinding when he heard the voice of Speaker Huntington’s secretary advising him of a change of location for the morning meeting to be held in the governor’s office. He listened to the message a second, and then a third time before he accepted that he was actually going to the governor’s office.

By the time Dan arrived in the governor’s suite at nine-thirty, he had considered and rejected a dozen possible scenarios as to why the Speaker of the House had changed the meeting to the governor’s office.

“Good morning, Mr. Rawlings,” the governor’s secretary said.

“And good morning to you, Mrs. Hansen. How do you keep track of all the new people?”

“Spies, Mr. Rawlings, spies. And the picture on your book,” she grinned, tapping the copy on her desk. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes, thank you. Creme and sugar.”

She poured his coffee and laid a Danish on the tray before placing it next to him on the sideboard. “Mr. Rawlings, would you be so kind as to autograph my copy of your book?”

Dan smiled. “It would be an honor, Mrs. Hansen. To whom should I. .?”

“To Victoria, please. I’m about halfway through,” she said. “Perhaps I shouldn’t ask, Mr. Rawlings, but is it true that Jedediah Rumsey had a fistfight with one of our early governors?”

Handing back the autographed book, Dan laughed. “Fiction, Mrs. Hansen. But then again,” he teased, “quite often, fiction is only a mild embellishment of the truth, isn’t it?”

James Huntington, Speaker of the Assembly, entered the foyer as Mrs. Hansen was accepting the book from Dan. She immediately assumed a more formal demeanor.

“Good morning, Mr. Speaker,” she addressed him. “May I offer you some coffee?”

“That would be fine, Mrs. Hansen, thank you.” Turning toward Dan, Speaker Huntington offered his hand. “Welcome to the legislature, Mr. Rawlings. I hear your book sales are going well.” He nodded toward Mrs. Hansen’s copy.

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, quite well, I’m told. Thanks, of course, to people like Mrs. Hansen,” Dan said, smiling at her.

Huntington accepted his coffee and remained standing. “Governor in yet, Mrs. Hansen?”

“I believe he was in before six this morning, Mr. Speaker. I’ll just see if he’s ready for you.”

Mrs. Hansen entered the office, returning momentarily with Governor Walter Dewhirst.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” he greeted. “Shall we commence?”

Dan hesitated, allowing Huntington to enter first and then following him into the suite, his first time to enter the governor’s office.

“Seems General Del Valle was correct,” Huntington said to the governor.

“Oh, you mean last night’s newscast. Yes, he had it right. And now it’s. . well, there’s no way around it, James-they’ve openly declared war on the federal government,” the governor said, shaking his head. “We’re not going to get through this easily. These criminally minded militia groups are growing bolder, day by day.”

“I believe you’re right, Governor,” Huntington said, taking one of the big, leather chairs and motioning for Dan to be seated also.

Governor Dewhirst leaned against the front of his desk, sliding one hip up to take a partial seat on the edge. “If we don’t take the lead on this, we’ll find ourselves scurrying about like rats on a sinking ship.”

“That’s probably not a bad comparison, Walt. But after twenty-eight years in this House, I’ll be hog-tied if I’ll stand idly by and watch it go down without a fight. If we have to proceed with this national ‘divorce,’ we need to get control of it before it controls us. Seriously, Walt, if we spend all our energy opposing it and it happens, we could find ourselves up the creek. We need to be ready to govern.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Dewhirst leaned forward and looked straight at Huntington. “James,” he said, “can I count on cooperation, absent all partisan tap-dancing? Can we join hands and get this job done?”

Huntington looked at the governor, then jerked his thumb toward Rawlings.

“That’s why I’m here, Governor. I suggested Rawlings, didn’t I-notwithstanding his Republican affiliation,” the speaker said, smiling, “with no dancing or tit-for-tat party nonsense?”

Governor Dewhirst smiled, leaning back to sit upright against his desk. “That you did, James.” He shifted his gaze toward Dan. “And, Mr. Rawlings, have you fathomed all of this so far?”

Dan maintained a stoic face, glancing first at Huntington and then back at the governor. “It’s way over my head, Governor, but it seems I’m part of a compromise.”

“No, not a compromise, son.” Dewhirst rose and returned to his chair behind the desk. “Not a compromise. What shall we call it, James, an ‘accommodation,’ or perhaps more accurately, part of our opening strategy? Son, most new legislators entering these hallowed halls are allowed to park in the garage, use the private corridors and the private toilets, take the reserved elevators, and, of course, eat in the ‘members only’ dining area. But beyond that, they are courteously advised to keep their mouths shut and learn. You, my young friend, are going to be thrust into the breech immediately.”

The governor studied Dan’s face for his reaction, then glanced to see the small smile playing across Huntington’s face.

“I can almost read your thoughts, Mr. Rawlings.” the governor continued. “‘It sounds like I have no choice,’ you’re thinking. Well, you’re absolutely right. The Speaker and I have decided that we need your services at this particular time, and we’ve determined your legislative assignments. The people of Yolo County, in their infinite wisdom, have seen fit to send you here, and we intend to see they get their money’s worth. No ifs, ands, or buts-just get in the boat and make waves,” he said with a broad smile, leaning back in his chair and waiting for a reaction. Huntington remained silent, but his smile had broadened at the brusque method used by the governor to deliver their decision, arrived at the previous afternoon. “So, what say ye, Mr. Rawlings, freshman republican from Yolo County?”

Dan looked slowly back and forth between the governor and Speaker Huntington, gauging their intent, slowing coming to a smile himself. “I’ll need two things, Governor,” he responded.

The governor waited, raising an eyebrow quizically.

“A refill of coffee. .” Dan said, raising his cup, “and a paddle.”

Walter Dewhirst allowed a quizzical look to cross his face, but James Huntington immediately began to laugh. The three men sat there for several seconds, Huntington laughing, Dan smiling, and Governor Dewhirst confused.

“The coffee I can arrange, Rawlings, but-”

Huntington began to laugh all the louder, interrupting Dewhirst in the middle of his sentence. “How’s a man going to make waves without a paddle, Governor? Sometimes you Republicans are so thick.”

Dewhirst grinned and settled back in the deep comfort of his leather executive chair, reaching toward his intercom. “Mrs. Hansen, a fresh pot of coffee if you please,” he voiced.

Dan broke the levity of the moment. “In all seriousness, Governor, as an ignorant freshman legislator, how can I be of any help?”

“Dan,” the governor said, “. . may I call you Dan?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Dan, this political Neanderthal sitting next to you,” he said, gesturing toward Huntington, “has caused me more agony, more disruption, and more reason for consternation than any single politician with whom it has been my misfortune to deal. I’ve fought him on nearly every major issue that has come before this government over the last twenty years that we’ve served together in the legislature. “But,” he exclaimed, rising and coming around again to the front of his desk, “he is without a doubt the most dedicated and the most patriotic American I have ever had the privilege to work with.”