“Perhaps.” They talked for a few minutes as they sat on the couches and chairs.
“Ellen, we’re happier than we could ever express about you being back with us safely but shouldn’t you be in the cabinet room?” Don suggested.
“I should and I guess I’ll go now but we’re having supper together and that’s an executive order.” They smiled and she returned one before leaving.
“Madam President,” Marty Ingersoll said as Ellen walked in the situation room and there were sounds of delight and relief all around the table. Valerie let out a long sigh.
“May I kiss your ring your eminence?” Valerie said as she got up and shook Ellen’s hand.
“When we heard you’d landed the cabinet took an official vote and demoted me to lackey.”
“Hardly necessary, I think.”
“Oh, it was and I was never so relieved. The cabinet can fill you in about the situation in Virginia. It’s bad as you might guess but I think our emergency people have done a good job. And now I’ll depart,” Valerie said.
“But we need you here, Valerie,” Ellen said almost pleading.
“No, the last thing you need is for Judas to sit at the table. Remember what happened the last time.” Valerie waved and left.
“What’s wrong?” Ellen asked as she looked around the room.”
“She was uneasy at the outset, Madam President. She felt and we agreed that we needed someone to act as President but from the outside she was a usurper or at least she thought of herself that way,” Marty said.
“But she’ll return as speaker,” Ellen said.
“No, she resigned her seat as soon as we heard you’d arrived in Washington. She knew she’d never be elected to anything. Here’s a poll from her district. This is the district that returned her to the House with a seventy-one per cent majority,” the Attorney General Haakon Meisner said. Ellen read from the poll.
“Eighty-six per cent of those polled thinks she should resign her seat immediately.”
“You can see that ten per cent want her to leave the country,” Marty added.
“But she was doing what needed to be done.”
“The amendment is a political death sentence for anyone who exercises it and takes over,” Susan Rojas offered.
“It’s not fair.”
“Who said fair has anything to do with it, Madam President,” Perry said. “She and I talked about it in private before she came in here and asked the cabinet to place her in charge. She knew the risks and she knew her career was over. We all know how badly she wanted to be President but she threw all that away because she felt there needed to be someone in charge if the worst happened. Then when the country heard about your exploits she was finished and she knew it. I can tell you that Valerie is a vain woman but I think everyone in here would agree that she took it pretty well. She read the poll also. Am I right?”
“I think so,” Louise Chen said. Ellen was thinking and then a grin came over her face.
“Madam President?” Marty asked as her expression suggested that she was mulling over an idea.
“I have an idea but I’ll keep it to myself for now. Kent, find Valerie and tell her to meet me in the oval office in one hour.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Ellen discussed a few things with the cabinet then left for her office.
“Ma’am, Valerie Jensen is here to see you,” Bonnie said.
“Glad to see you’re back at work, Bonnie,” Valerie said.
“I’m glad to be back, Ma’am.”
“Hello, Valerie,” Ellen said. “Let’s talk over here on the couches.”
“I hope you’re not trying to get me to stay as Speaker.”
“No, sadly, that ship has sailed as they say.”
“My political career has sailed away also, as they say.”
“Maybe not entirely.”
“You mean Xavier Corners needs a dog catcher or someone to run for the library board?”
“They probably do but no, I have something else in mind.”
“What may I ask?”
“Have you ever thought about the diplomatic corps?”
“Ambassador?”
“Yes.”
“Let me guess, Bangladesh or Paraguay?”
“No, I was thinking more England.” Valerie was stunned. The most prestigious post for any ambassador is England. You are close to royalty in your treatment and the residence is palatial as well.
“Me as the ambassador to the Court of St. James?”
“Yes.”
“You know this is Valerie Jensen sitting here, your long time enemy,”
“No, I’d say long-time rival and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“They’d crucify you. It could hurt your chances for re-election.”
“I know so that’s why we’ll wait until and if I’m elected on my own.”
“So, I remain out of sight in Michigan for a year then emerge as ambassador to England.”
“That’s the plan.”
“But wait, then you’ll suffer when you run again.”
“No, if I win this time I won’t run again. I’ll have five and half years and that’s enough punishment for anyone.”
“You’d walk away?”
“Believe me, Valerie, it’s a weight on your shoulders that you can’t imagine unless it’s happened to you.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I felt a small portion of what it must be like for you every day and it’s no picnic.”
“So, we meet again after I’m inaugurated.”
“Thanks, Ellen, I mean Madam President.” They shook hands and it was sincere.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The horror that was unleashed on the Blue Ridge Mountains shocked the nation, the world really. It took weeks to dig through the rubble and find all the bodies. It was a grizzly job and some who did it ended up in therapy for what they saw. In the end, thirty-eight thousand people died or were missing and presumed dead. Eighty thousand were injured many seriously. As time passed more and more of the wounded died of radiation poison, internal injuries, blood loss, extended shock and other complications. A huge area of ninety miles in diameter was cordoned off and no admittance was permitted. A memorial was being planned for those who died that day. But the loss still haunted the entire nation because of what it foreshadowed. Nuclear war was not an option and nations needed to find a way to prevent it indefinitely.
A week after the crisis was over President Lexington scheduled a cabinet meeting. “Please, be seated ladies and gentlemen,” Ellen said as she took her place at the head of the table in the cabinet meeting room.
“I hope you’re feeling better, Madam President,” Haakon Meisner said.
“I feel fine and I’m glad to be back in the saddle again… I think,” she said then chuckled. They exchanged glances. “That was a joke. Hey have you all lost your sense of humor?”
“Ma’am…” Louise Chen started but was cut off by Ellen who slammed her hand on the table. Not hard but enough to gather everyone’s attention.”
“Ma’am,” Louise said.
“No, I will not accept these,” Ellen said as she held up six letters.
“I take it you’re holding letters of resignation,” Marty posed.
“I am, from Louise, Haakon, Rita, Marcus, Susan and Marty. I don’t know what you’ve heard or what you think but everyone in this room and Valerie Jensen did exactly the right thing by invoking the 25th Amendment. You had no choice and I can say that if one of you had been in my position and I was in the cabinet I wouldn’t have hesitated to vote to appoint an acting President.”
“Ma’am, there’s considerable sentiment from the public for a complete new cabinet,” Marty said.
“Well, the public is not President, I am.”
“Since Valerie resigned and took the blame on herself, we thought it was only fair that we all leave as well.”