Anthony DeCosmo - Schism

Jon burst into a short, sardonic chuckle and replied, "Experience? Yeah, I've got experience. I screwed things up."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Lori abandoned her search for a moment, stepped to her husband and threw her arms around his shoulders in her classic pep-talk maneuver. "Hey, you know I'm the first one to tell you you're an asshole when, well, when you're an asshole." "Gee, thanks." "That was a hard situation before. This is hard, too, but who else on the council is fit to be in charge?" Jon shrugged and answered, "Gordon. Maybe even Evan." Lori spat, "No one is going to vote for Evan, you can count on that." "Oh yeah? Why is that?" "It'd be a slap on the face to Trevor, after those two went head to head all the time."

"Remember, Trevor was on his way to patch things up with Evan when it, you know, happened. Evan has been President of the Senate for a while now. He knows how to get things done. He's got friends in the labor unions and that could help get the economy moving again."

"Oh, I get it, you just want to make sure you don't have the responsibility, is that it?"

He pulled her arms from his shoulders.

"I never wanted this kind of responsibility. It's not who I am. Besides, I can't handle all the crap that's going on out there: inflation, strikes, political bull shit. That's not me."

"Trevor never wanted the responsibility either, but he did it because he was right for it."

"It doesn't matter. Like I said, no one is going to vote for me. And if they were to ask me, I'd tell them not to."

He turned away from her to work on the other cuff. Lori considered for a moment, then walked up behind him and put her arms around her husband in a soft hug.

"You're a good man, Jon Brewer. I love you."

Jon, a fan of Clint Eastwood in the old world cinema, repeated one of his favorite Dirty Harry lines: "A good man always knows his limitations."

– The full council gathered in the basement of the estate: Evan Godfrey, Anita and Omar Nehru; Dr. Maple; Gordon Knox; and Eva Rheimmer all sitting around the table as Jon and Lori Brewer descended the basement stairs. After a few minutes, Dante Jones and Brett Stanton came down together, thus opening the meeting.

All ten sat in their usual positions, leaving the chair at the head empty although each of them knew that in a few minutes someone would earn the right to sit there.

Jon got things started, "We all know the procedure. I've placed paper ballots at each of your chairs. Those ballots hold the names of all council members. Circle the person of your choice, only one vote per ballot. Please do not abstain, this is too important. Also, this is a confidential vote, so there shouldn't be anything to say at this point. When everyone is finished, I'll pass around a box for you to put them in. Then I will pull the votes from the container and hold them up for everyone to see. The results of this vote are final, barring a tie in which case we will vote again. The person who wins this vote will immediately assume the responsibilities of the Emperor from this moment forward."

Jon glanced toward Evan, expecting some kind of outburst. To the contrary, Evan sat quiet with his arm in a sling.

"Okay then, mark your ballots."

Each of the council members examined the small paper at their place. Most marked that paper fast and folded it. A few, such as Eva Rheimmer, Brett Stanton, and Anita Nehru took considerably more time.

Jon circled the name of Gordon Knox, folded the paper and waited. When he saw everyone had finished, he placed his ballot inside a small square box and passed it around the table. A minute later the box returned to him.

His hand trembled as he pulled the first paper ballot, glanced at it, then unfolded it completely and showed the table, "Gordon Knox." Gordon folded his hands over his chest and leaned back slightly in his chair. Jon opened the next ballot and, to his surprise, read, "Jon Brewer." The process continued with, "Gordon Knox"

Knox struggled to suppress a smile. Evan, on the other hand, grew a shade pale. The following ballot, however, caused Knox's smile to fade.

"Jon Brewer."

Then, to the surprise of most and the delight of Evan, Jon read, "Dante Jones."

A moment later, Jon pulled the next ballot. His face twisted as he read it silently at first but he caught himself in time to read the vote aloud with a straight face: "Omar Nehru."

Omar burst a big grin, nearly dropped the smoke hanging from his mouth, and shouted to his wife, "Oh! Thank you honey!"

Anita flashed a half-hearted smile then returned her eyes to the table in front of her place.

Lori Brewer placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a chuckle. Gordon's chair made a thump as he leaned forward and stared intensely at the ballot box.

Jon pulled out the next paper and read, "Gordon Knox."

Evan glanced at Dante. The two fidgeted. Gordon eased slightly in his chair as he had taken a three to two lead over Jon Brewer with Dante and Omar each receiving one vote.

The next ballot, however, evened things up. The temporary leader swallowed hard before reading his name, "Jon Brewer."

Gordon bit his lower lip.

Jon grasped the next ballot with sweat building on his fingers. He prayed the name circled on the next paper would not be his. Those prayers were answered: "Dante Jones."

Gordon's eyes darted across the table to Dante who sat there trying very hard to remain stoic. Gordon's stare next found Evan Godfrey. The President of the Senate appeared rather calm with one vote remaining. Knox and Brewer remained tied at three votes a piece and Jones with two; the possibility existed for a three-way tie.

However, that was not to be the case. The final ballot was pulled from the box. Gordon peered as if trying to see through the paper with X-ray vision.

Jon did not have the composure to read the name on the paper. He held the ballot aloft for all to see. Evan Godfrey spoke the name of the new Emperor.

"Jon Brewer."

– The office on the second floor of the mansion truly belonged to Trevor Stone, so Jon did not want to go there after the council meeting dissolved. He did not want to loiter in the basement, either, not when he felt sick to his stomach and certainly not with Gordon staring at him. He hit upon the idea of hiding in his wife's office.

Before he could escape, he accepted the obligatory handshakes from Dr. Maple, Dante, and most of the others. He had expected some kind of speech or something from Evan, but instead received a hardy slap on the back and encouraging words.

"Good luck, Jon. When you get settled, we have to sit down and see how the Senate can be of assistance. As you know, I'm not in favor of this whole 'Emperor' thing, but I think the important matter right now is stability. Let's stay in touch. I know I can help you."

Jon then retreated in search of calm before the scheduled press conference on the front lawn. He made it to his wife's office, the old dining room on the first floor. Lori followed him in but before she could shut the door Ashley and JB entered. "Congratulations, Jon," Ashley offered. "Be strong now, for the sake of the people." Jon, still in a state of shock, merely nodded. Jorgie ran over and gave him a big hug. "I know you can do it, Mr. Brewer. Just keep things going until my father comes back."

Even if Jon had not been shell-shocked into silence by the result of the vote, he still would not have known how to answer the boy.

JB pulled away. Before the two well-wishers left, Ashley told Jon again, "It's all in your hands now. Trevor trusted you. Jon, be strong."

As the two left, Lori close the door. Jon broke out of his daze.

"You voted for me, didn't you?"

The tone of his voice suggested Jon planned to take out his fear and disappointment on his wife's one vote. Lori, of course, would not accept such blame.