Orson Card - Empire

Cessy wished she could have heard the discussions when LaMonte told them he wasn’t going to Camp David or any of the known locations. “Since we don’t know whom we can trust,” LaMonte would have said, “we can’t vouch for our security anywhere.”

“Some political adviser was bound to say, “It’ll look like you’re in hiding. It’ll cause confusion and make you look bad.”

“I’m not running for anything right now,” LaMonte would have said. “And the country doesn’t need another dead President right now.”

But… why Gettysburg?

“Gettysburg?” she said out loud.

“It’s an appropriate place,” said Reuben. “He’s not moving the whole government there, just himself and enough aides to keep communications going. Lots of parkland. A good buffer. Relatively easy to maintain reasonable security.”

“Plenty of places for people to sneak past checkpoints,” said Captain Coleman from the back.

“Symbolically,” said Reuben, “it’s the place where the last Civil War we had broke its back. And it’s close to Washington. He can come back whenever he wants.”

“Also lots of motels for his staff,” said Captain Coleman.

“And since the visitors information office is closed most of the time, it won’t really interfere with park operations,” said Reuben.

Cessy explained to Captain Coleman. “He’s still irritated that we got there after six on a summer day and they were already closed. Three more hours of daylight. This was two years ago, remember.”

“I just don’t understand why government has to be run without reference to what people actually want and need,” said Reuben.

“People want so many different things,” said Cessy. “Some people want visitors’ centers open late. Other people want lower taxes.”

“Other people want to take over a city here, a city there.”

“Oh look,” said Cessy. “Aunt Margaret has XM. We can listen to the news.”

Reuben turned on the system and went straight to Fox News. They listened for a while. No mention of attacks on any city other than New York. Lots of speculation about the death ray that brought down the F-16s. Speculation about what city would be next. Speculation about casualties in New York. Experts talking about how long New York could last without trucks bringing in food and fuel. Other experts talking about how many businesses would be shut down because their workers couldn’t get into the city tomorrow.

Speculation on foreign powers that might take advantage of the present situation. Speculation about foreign powers that might be behind all of this. Was this a terrorist takeover? What would the United States do if Manhattan was being held hostage? What were the diplomats at the United Nations going to do?

Eventually, though, some answers started coming through, in an endless succession of news bulletins. It came from the United Nations, where a group of diplomats from Germany, France, and Canada were allowed to take off in a helicopter and go to Kennedy, where they held a press conference. The Canadian ambassador did most of the talking, and most of what he said came from documents provided him by the invaders.

“The military force that took over Manhattan affirms that not one civilian has been harmed.”

“What a lie,” said Coleman. “We saw one dead doorman with our own eyes.”

“They call themselves the Progressive Restoration. They declare that Progressives won the popular vote and the electoral vote for President in 2000, and only flagrant vote-stealing by the radical Right kept the duly elected President from taking office.”

“Please say they’re not bringing back Al Gore,” said Reuben.

“Shut up, please, boys,” said Cessy.

“Since stealing office, the usurpers trampled on the Bill of Rights, involved the United States in illegal and immoral foreign wars, destroyed the environment, oppressed minorities of every kind, imposed their brand of Christianity on the whole country, stifled scientific research, ran up huge deficits, and flaunted—I’m sure they mean flouted—”

“He’s correcting their grammar now,” said Reuben.

“Flouted world opinion and international law, and brought the world to the brink of disaster.”

“They didn’t mention Zionism,” said Coleman. “What are they thinking?”

“Now the radical right wing, which dominates the U.S. Army, has planned and carried out the assassination of their own President and Vice President as the first step toward imposing full-fledged dictatorship on the United States. Only this national emergency prompted the Progressives to take action in defense of freedom against the totalitarian Christian and Zionist agenda.”

“They were saving it up for last,” said Reuben.

“The Progressives have liberated New York City, they say, as the first step to restoring Constitutional government to the United States.”

“All they have is Manhattan,” said Coleman.

“They are not interested in war with the illegal government, but they are prepared to defend New York City against any attempt to impose hegemony over the city. They encourage the U.N. to remain in New York City and affirm that it will be protected and all diplomatic rights respected. They have petitioned the city of New York to recognize the Progressive Restoration as the acting government-in-exile of the United States of America and they invite all other cities and states in the United States to recognize the Progressive government and no other as the legitimate government of the United States.”

The official announcement was over. Reuben reached over and turned down the press questions. “So it was the Left,” he said.

“But it could have been the Right,” said Cessy.

“And it could very easily turn into a war between the wackos of one side and the wackos of the other,” said Reuben. “We saw it in Yugoslavia. People were getting along fine, Serbs and Croats, Christians and Muslims. But when the wackos started shooting, you either had to shoot back or die. Not wanting to fight didn’t protect you. You had to choose up sides.”

“There weren’t any sides today,” said Coleman. “Just uniforms and non-uniforms.”

“The whole leftist philosophy is about rejecting authority,” said Reuben bitterly. “And replacing it with an even more rigid list of forbidden ideas. The only difference is that the Progressive thought police won’t wear uniforms.”

“Stop it,” said Cessy. “Like I said, it could have been the right wing, and then the thought police would carry Bibles.”

“Let’s not do this now,” said Reuben.

“But you were doing it,” she said. “You’re married to a liberal, Reuben.”

“Not an insane one.”

“Most of us are not insane. Just like most conservatives are like you, reasonable people. You warn us how it could turn into a war just like Yugoslavia, and then you start condemning the other guys like their ideas don’t matter.”

“I was, wasn’t I,” said Reuben. “I’m just so angry. They killed the President.”

“Really? All the Progressives of America, all the liberals, they got together and plotted to kill the President?”

“But they’re glad .”

“No. You’re wrong. The sick ones, yes. The sad, miserable, mind-numbingly self-righteous ones, sure. But most of them are in shock. They didn’t do it and they didn’t want it done. They didn’t ask for anyone to invade New York, either.”

“But they’ll let it stand, won’t they?”

“They might. Or they might enthusiastically join this Progressive Restoration. That’s what they’re counting on, aren’t they? That people will flock to their banner. And if we start talking and thinking the way you were talking and thinking just now, Reuben, then we’ll end up driving them to the Progressive banner. So stop it!”