The waiter returned with the drinks and both men fell silent. He left, and Webster answered.
«The conditions are that whoever the commission selects receives the President’s approval and is subject to a closed hearing with a bipartisan committee in the Senate.»
«All right, all right.» Allen raised his glass and swallowed a large portion of his drink. «Let’s work from there; we can do something there. We’ll disqualify him at the hearing.»
The younger man looked puzzled. «Why? What’s the point? Someone’s going to chair that subcommittee. I gather this Trevayne’s at least a reasonable man.»
«You gather!» Allen finished his drink rapidly. «Just what have you gathered? What do you know about Trevayne?»
«What I’ve read. I did my research. He and his brother-in-law—the brother’s an electronics engineer—started a small company dealing in aerospace research and manufacturing in New Haven in the middle fifties. They hit the motherlode seven or eight years later; they were both millionaires by the time they were thirty-five. The brother-in-law designed, while Trevayne sold the hell out of the products. He cornered half the early NASA contracts and set up subsidiaries all over the Atlantic seaboard. Trevayne pulled out when he was thirty-seven and took on a job with the State Department. Incidentally, he did a whale of a job for State.» Webster raised his glass, looking over the rim at Allen. The young man expected to be complimented on his knowledge.
Instead, Allen dismissed his companion’s words. «Shit. Time-magazine material. What’s important is that Trevayne’s an original… He doesn’t cooperate. We know; we tried reaching him years ago.»
«Oh?» Webster put his glass down. «I didn’t realize … Oh, Christ. Then he knows?»
«Not a great deal; perhaps enough. We’re not sure. But you still miss the point, Mr. Webster. It seems to me that you’ve missed the point from the beginning… We don’t want him chairing that goddamned subcommittee. We don’t want him or anyone like him! That kind of choice is unthinkable.»
«What can you do about that?»
«Force him out … if he’s actually accepted. The backup will be the Senate hearing. We’ll make damn sure he’s rejected.»
«Say you succeed, then what?»
«We’ll nominate our own man. What should have been done in the first place.» Allen signaled the waiter, gesturing at both glasses.
«Mr. Allen, why didn’t you stop him? If you were in a position to do that, why didn’t you? You said you heard the rumors about Trevayne; that was the time to step in.»
Allen avoided Webster’s look. He drained the ice water in his glass, and when he spoke, his voice had the sound of a man trying very hard to maintain his authority; with lessening success. «Frank Baldwin, that’s why. Frank Baldwin and that senile son-of-a-bitch Hill.»
«The Ambassador?»
«The goddamned Ambassador-at-large with his goddamned embassy in the White House… Big Billy Hill! Baldwin and Hill; they’re the relics behind this bullshit. Hill has been circling like a hawk for the last two or three years. He talked Baldwin into the Defense Commission. Between them they picked Trevayne… Baldwin put up his name; who the hell could argue?… But you should have told us it was final. If we’d been certain, we could have prevented it.»
Webster watched Allen closely. When he replied, there was a hardness he hadn’t displayed before. «And I think you’re lying. Somebody else blew it; you or one of the other so-called specialists. First, you thought this investigation would burn itself out in the forming, be killed in committee… You were wrong. And then it was too late. Trevayne surfaced, and you couldn’t stop it. You’re not even sure you can stop him now. That’s why you wanted to see me… So let’s dispense with this crap about my being late and missing the point, shall we?»
«You watch your tongue, young man. Just remember who I represent.» The statement was made without commensurate strength.
«And you remember that you’re talking to a man personally appointed by the President of the United States. You may not like it, but that’s why you came to me. Now, what is it? What do you want?»
Allen exhaled slowly, as if to rid himself of anger. «Some of us are more alarmed than others …»
«You’re one of them,» interjected Webster quietly.
«Yes… Trevayne’s a complicated man. One-part boy genius of industry—which means he knows his way around the board rooms; one-part skeptic—he doesn’t subscribe to certain realities.»
«Seems to me those assets go together.»
«Only when a man’s dealing from strength.»
«Get to the point. What’s Trevayne’s strength?»
«Let’s say he never needed assistance.»
«Let’s say he refused it.»
«All right, all right. That’s valid.»
«You said you tried reaching him.»
«Yes. When I was with … Never mind. It was the early sixties; we were consolidating then and thought he might be a valuable addition to our … community. We even offered to guarantee the NASA contracts.»
«Sweet Jesus! And he turned you down.» Webster made a pronouncement, not an inquiry.
«He strung us along for a while, then realized he could get the contracts without us. As soon as he knew that, he told us to go to hell. Actually, he went a lot further. He told me to tell my people to get out of the space program, get out of the government money. He threatened to go to the Attorney General.»
Bobby Webster absently picked up his fork and slowly made indentations on the tablecloth. «Suppose it had been the other way around? Suppose he had needed you? Would he have joined your ‘community’?»
«That’s what we don’t know. Some of the others think so. But they didn’t talk to him; I did. I was the intermediary. I was the only one he really had… I never used names, never said who my people were.»
«But you believe the fact that they were was enough? For him.»
«The unanswerable question. He threatened us after he got his; he was sure he didn’t need anyone but himself, his brother-in-law, and his goddamned company in New Haven. We simply can’t afford to take the chance now. We can’t allow him to chair that subcommittee… He’s unpredictable.»
«What am I supposed to do?»
«Take every reasonable risk to get close to Trevayne. The optimum would be for you to be his White House connection. Is that possible?»
Bobby Webster paused, then answered firmly. «Yes. The President brought me into the session on the subcommittee. It was a classified meeting; no notes, no transcripts. There was only one other aide; no competition. I’ll work it out.»
«You understand, it may not be necessary. Certain preventive measures will be taken. If they’re effective, Trevayne will be out of the picture.»
«I can help you there.»
«How?»
«Mario de Spadante.»
«No! Absolutely no! We’ve told you before, we don’t want any part of him.»
«He’s been helpful to you people. In more ways than you realize. Or want to acknowledge.»
«He’s out.»
«It wouldn’t hurt to establish a minor friendship. If you’re offended, think of the Senate.»
Allen’s wrinkled frown dissolved. He looked almost appreciatively at the presidential aide. «I see what you mean.»
«Of course, it will raise my price considerably.»
«I thought you believed in what you’re doing.»