By: Heidi L. Lane
2:23 PM
Ben
glanced over his notes and sighed, thinking about all the positions he had to
fill. “We know what you’re gonna do, Lee,” he said.
“We
do?” Lee asked, grinning at his oldest friend.
“Chief
of Staff!” Ben said with a wave of his hand.
“Of
course.” Lee said his grin widening, “What about my deputies?”
“Well,
what about ‘em?”
“I’m
thinking Jesse and… someone else.”
“Obviously,
there’re usually at least two Deputy Chiefs of Staff. Who?”
“I
don’t know. We’ll come back to it. But definitely Jesse. He’s smart, experienced and…”
Ben
looked skeptical, “Yeah, but he’s also a little…”
“Off
the wall?”
“Excitable. We’ll need someone on the staff to steady
him.”
Lee
looked down, considering, “Beth,” he said decisively.
Ben
looked perplexed, “Beth?”
“The
little bard.” Lee prompted, remembering Ben’s difficulty connecting faces and
names. Ben shook his head, still not
recalling the young woman. “With the dark hair… The one who never dresses… um,
right.”
“Oh,
the speechwriter.” Ben said finally connecting the name to the person that it
belonged to. “Well, we know what position we can give her. She doesn’t have enough experience to be Communications
Director but she can certainly be his deputy.”
“Who’s
she gonna work with?” Lee asked, thinking aloud.
“Mmm,
She’s rather naïve. Whoever it is will have to be either very patient or used
to her.”
“Jody’s
used to her and she seems to take direction from him well.” Lee suggested.
“But
Jody’s so…”
“Grouchy?”
Lee supplied.
“Cantankerous?”
Ben said, shrugging, “He’s qualified and then some; but he’s not much of a team
player, is he?”
“He
played well with the campaign team.” Lee answered.
“Yeah…
I guess we can give him a try. What
else?”
“Press
Secretary.”
“C.J.”
Ben said without a moment’s hesitation.
“He
is very adept at dealing with the press bards, isn’t he?”
“Yep.
What else?”
O O O O
Washington, Dee Cee
6:53 AM
“Hi,
Jody,” Beth said cheerfully as she scampered up to stand beside the older man,
“Did you get called here too?”
“Yes,
Beth. Did they tell you what they wanted in the telegram?”
“No.
What do you think it is?” Beth looked a little worried and glanced at Jody for
support as the two Bards went through the door. Miranda noticed them and left to inform Lee that they’d arrived.
“It’s
okay, Kid,” Jody said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think they’d
call us in to tell us to seek employment elsewhere.”
Turning
towards him and placing her hands on his arm, Beth grinned and nearly jumped
for joy. “You think he’s gonna offer us positions? Which ones?”
Jody
shrugged, and looked pointedly at the young woman, “No idea; but don’t settle
for anything less than speechwriter.”
Beth
looked baffled and shook her head, “What else would I be?”
Jody
cocked his head and said gently, “Beth, you’re a young lady – and I stress
young – it’s possible, with you’re typing skills and ability to take
direction…“
“Oh,
an assistant. But I’d hate that.” She
scowled in thought.
Jody
smirked, “You’re a fully-trained Bard.
You’d be vastly over-qualified.”
“Then
why would they do something like that?”
Jody
shrugged and held his hands out, “It’s been known to happen.” Just then Miranda returned and indicated
that they should follow her. She led
them through Lee’s office into the Executive Office.
“Good
Morning, Sir. Lee.” Jody said softly, nodding towards each of them.
“Good
Morning, Mr. President.” Beth said almost shyly.
“Hello,
Jody, Beth. I have a question for each of you.” Ben greeted them. He stood and walked over to Jody. “How would you like to be my Communications
Director?”
“I’d
be honored, Mr. President.”
“Good.” He turned to the young lady standing beside
Jody, “Beth?” She glanced at him
through her eyelashes, “Would you like to be his deputy?”
“Oh,
sir, really?” she asked excitedly.
“Really,”
Ben replied, smiling.
“Oh,
thank you,” Beth said taking his hand.
“You’re
welcome,” he turned toward Lee and tugged at the hand she still held. “May I
have this back now?” He asked Beth, pointing at his hand.
“Oh,
of course, sorry,” she answered, blushing slightly.
“That’s
alright.”
As
the two bards started towards the door, Beth stopped and turned back. “Can-can
I ask a question, sir?”
Ben
nodded, “Ask away, Beth.”
“Did,
um… Did you, um… Are C.J. and Jesse…?”
“Press
Secretary and Deputy Chief of Staff,” Ben said smiling broadly.
“Thank
you, Mr. President.” Jody said, obliquely motioning Beth on her way.
“Thank
you, Mr. President,” she said softly, moving towards the door again.
“Thank
you. Annie will show you where your
offices are.” He said, gesturing to the blonde woman who waited by the
entrance.
O O O O
Washington, Dee Cee
7:31 AM
“Nice
office, Beth.” Jesse said from the doorway.
Beth
looked up at her oldest friend from where she was unpacking, “Thanks… boss,”
she said, giggling.
Jesse
snorted, “Boss?”
“You’re
Deputy Chief of Staff. That makes you
above me.”
“Technically. But we’re friends, too. That won’t change, not really.”
Beth
grinned and pulled a Newton’s Cradle from the box she was sitting next to.
“Yeah,” she said softly as she placed it on her desk.
“Whatcha
doin’?” Jesse asked, changing the subject.
“Decorating,”
she said simply. She picked up a framed
Equisetian flag and held it against one of the walls. “Like this?”
“Yeah,”
Jesse said, he turned to rummage through one of the other boxes. “What else you
got in here?”
“Books,
certificates, collectables…”
“Collectable
what?” Jesse asked, poking into another box. “Dolls? I don’t know, Beth. Dolls are a little…”
“Feminine? Jesse, I am a woman. I have feminine things.”
“Okay,”
Jesse said, sounding a little skeptical.
He found a picture of Beth’s ex-fiancé.
“What happened with you?” He asked holding it up.
“Oh,
with Robert, you mean?” Beth shrugged, “It didn’t work out.”
“Why
not?” Jesse asked, placing a picture of the new Senior Staff on a shelf, only
to have Beth move it to her desk.
“He
was… Jess, do you know about Gladiolans?
Who they are, I mean.”
“Those
people who hate bards?” Jesse asked starting to hang up her certificate from
the Equisetian Bardic Academy.
“Mmm,
magic too,” she said, taking it from him and hanging it on a different wall.
“Beth,
I hate to break it to ya-“ Jesse started, as he placed a picture of himself and
her on her desk.
“Magic
exists, Jess,” she said as she moved the picture to a shelf on her wall. “I’m a
Bard, a Bardic Mage.”
“Beth,
there’s no such thing-“ Jesse began, pulling out one of the dolls from another
box.
“Oh,
but there is,” she answered, taking the doll and setting it gently on a
bookshelf. Flouncing the skirt a bit
she added, “and Robert was a Gladiolan sympathizer. When he found out I was a mage, he flipped out,” she
shrugged. “His loss.”
O O O O
Washington, Dee Cee
“Mr.
President?” a voice called from the doorway.
Ben looked up to see his young executive assistant standing waiting for
him.
“Yes,
Annie,” he responded, putting aside his work.
“Mr.
MacKenzie is here to see you. Shall I show him in?”
If
the Senior Watch Warden wanted to see him so early in the day the matter was
either very routine or very serious, Ben nodded. “By all means.”
She
turned and left and in moments his security chief was standing before him.
“Thank you for seeing me, Mr. President.
The matter was rather urgent.”
“I
thought it might be, Eric. What’s
wrong?”
Eric
consulted a file and looked up, “There have been some threats made in the last
several months against members of your senior staff, sir. Miss Sebohn and Mr. Darkforest to be exact.”
“Do
we know who are making the threats, or why?”
Ben asked, rather concerned.
“The
letters are signed: “Equisetians Against Bardic Influence. It’s a group of Gladiolan sympathizers.”
“Gladiolans?
And this is just because they’re bards.” Ben shook his head, “What are you
planning as far as defending them goes?”
“Gladiolans,
and their sympathizers hate bards, any form of mass communication really; but
they detest anything that might be considered magic. Do you believe in magic, sir?”
“Whether
I believe in magic isn’t the issue,” Ben said, with a small grin. “It’s what
these people believe. They believe that
magic and mass communication are both dangerous. That makes them dangerous when they attempt to force those
beliefs onto other people. So what’s the plan?”
“I
planned on assigning security details on both the apparent targets and we’ll
also increase our vigilance around the property. With your permission. And theirs naturally.”
“By
all means,” Ben agreed. He glanced out
the partly open door into the outer office and noticed two men standing,
waiting for Eric. “Are those the Wardens you’ll be assigning to Jody and Beth?”
Eric
turned and looked out, “Yes, Mr. President they are. Would you like to meet them?”
“If
I may.” At his nod, Ben summoned Annie and had her send the men in.
“Mr.
President, two of our best Wardens: Bertram Silverwebb and Michael Sweeney.”
Eric introduced.
“Which
one’s whose?” Ben asked. Both men
seemed quite alert and competent, but Silverwebb was terribly small for a
Warden.
“I
planned on assigning Mr. Silverwebb to Miss Sebohn and Mr. Sweeney to Mr.
Darkforest.” Eric said looking from one to another.
“That
sounds alright.” After considering a moment, Ben asked, “You don’t have any
female Watch Wardens?”
Eric
shook his head, “Unfortunately, none that we can spare. However,” he added turning to the younger
man, “I think we can trust Mr. Silverwebb to be discrete.”
Standing
nearly at attention, he nodded and said, “Yes sir, I can assure you that I will
use the utmost discretion.”
Ben
nodded, “That’s good to hear. They’re a
good pair of speechwriters. I’d hate
for anything to happen to them.”
Bertram’s
eyes narrowed, “Mr. President, I’d throw myself in front of a bullet for Miss
Sebohn.”
“Let’s
hope it doesn’t come to that,” Eric said softly.
Ben
nodded and smiled, “Yes, indeed. Have
you met her, Mr. Silverwebb?”
“Not
yet, sir, but that doesn’t matter.”
Ben
looked up at Eric and said softly, “He’s certainly dedicated.”
“Yes
sir. They both are. He’s also very
intense. Shall I bring them to the Communications Offices so they can meet the
bards now?”
“By
all means. Pleasure meeting you both,
gentlemen.”
“Thank
you, Mr. President,” the men chorused as they left the room.
O O O O
Washington, Dee Cee
12:20 PM
“Miss
Sebohn,” Eric called stepping into the young woman’s office. He glanced around but didn’t see her.
“Just
a minute,” he heard a feminine voice respond; but he still couldn’t see where
the occupant of the office was.
“Miss
Sebohn?”
“Hello,”
she said, popping up from behind the desk.
“Dropped my pen,” she said as she held up the article. “Can’t write a
speech without a pen. Can I help you?”
“Yes. Miss Sebohn, about the letters you received,
which you brought to us-“
“Yeah.
The Gladiolans. I am safe here, aren’t
I? I mean, if you aren’t safe in the
White House-“
“You
are safe here; but we worry that something may happen to you at your home or in
between your home and here.”
Beth
nodded and seated herself at her desk, shuffling papers around in preparation
to begin writing the speech she was assigned. “Okay. What do you propose?”
“We’d
like to assign a Watch Warden to protect you.
We’ve already spoken to the President about it. In order to assign a Warden to you we need
you to sign this form, please.”
Beth
nodded. If this was what they felt was needed, who was she to argue.
“Okay. Is this him?” she asked nodding towards Bertram as she signed her name
where Eric indicated.
“Yes
ma’am,” he replied, stepping forward.
“Hi,”
she exclaimed, after returning the form to Eric, extending her hand.
“Hello,
Miss Sebohn,” Bertram said, almost shyly.
“Call
me Beth, please. And I can call you?”
she cocked her head in question.
“I’m
Bertram Silverwebb, ma’am.”
“Beth,
please. So I can call you Bertram?”
“If
you wish to ma’- Mistress Beth.”
“Thanks,
are you gonna be with me all the time?”
“Most
of the time, m- Mistress Beth. Of
course I wouldn’t follow you into…well,” he blushed suddenly.
“Okay.
But it’s gonna be pretty boring when I’m just sitting here writing.”
“That’s
alright.”
Eric
smiled. The two of them seem to be getting along all right. Though Bertram
seems almost shy. How very odd. “Well, I’ll just leave you to get to know
each other.”
“Thanks,”
Beth called to his retreating back. After he left she looked at Bertram and
said, “So…hi.”
“Hello,”
he replied, almost shyly.
“Um…are
you hungry?”
“I
guess.”
“Okay,
alright. So…I guess we can go to the-the cafeteria and get something.”
“Alright.”
O O O O
Washington, Dee Cee
12:50 PM
“Hey
Beth,” Jesse called, coming over to sit next to her. Noticing Bertram he added,
“Who’s this?”
“Bertram.
He’s gonna protect me, from the Gladiolans.”
“Oh,
right. You and Jody were getting threats,” at her nod he continued, “How long’s
this gonna be for?”
“We
don’t know, sir,” Bertram answered in a brisk, business-like tone. He added
after a moment, “As long as it takes.”
“Good,
‘cause we really care about Beth and we wouldn’t want anything to happen to
her,” Jesse said, smiling at his oldest friend.
“We
care about Jody, too.” Beth reminded him.
“Yeah,
but you’re prettier,” Jesse said, grinning.
Beth rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Ignoring
this exchange, Bertram said reassuringly, “Michael is very competent, just
rather…earthy,” noticing that Beth was looking at him he blushed slightly.
“And
Jody’s a nice guy, once you get past his grumpy exterior,” Jesse said.
“Boy,
that’ll be an…interesting match,” Beth said, chuckling.
Jesse
nodded, “I’ll say. They’ll either hate each other or get along famously.”
Beth glanced at her pocket watch, “We’d better get back to work,” she said rising, “See you at evening staff, Jess.”
O O O O
Washington, Dee Cee
10:50 PM
Beth closed her notebook, straightened her files and other materials and stood. She glanced at the man who’d been her companion all day. “So I’m ready to go. What now?”
“Now we go, Mistress Beth.” Bertram said, also standing.
“I usually walk. Would you rather I took a carriage?”
“No, that’s fine. I just have to be on the street side of the walk,” he paused and glanced at Beth before continuing. “I also have to walk a bit ahead of you.”
“Who’s gonna watch me at home? You?” Beth asked, picking up her cloak from the rack near her office door.
“Yes, I’ll be in the room adjacent to yours. You’ll still have privacy. There’s already an alarm system set up between the two suites.” Suddenly, he held up a hand to forestall Beth going through a door.
She stopped and remembered an earlier lecture, “Right,” she said, grinning, “You first.”
“Yes, not to be ungentlemanly.” He said continuing down the hall after looking around. “Anyway, there are alarm triggers on the windows and door leading into your suite. There are also manual triggers in each room.”
Soon
they were out on the street and walking toward the hotel that Beth called
home. As they walked she thought of all
that had happened in the past year. She
was in a position to advise the most powerful man on Equisetia and because of
this, and the fact that she was a bard, her life was in danger. She glanced at the man whose job it was to
protect her from this threat and smiled.
She’d only known him about half a day and already she trusted him. She felt confident that nothing would happen
to her in his company. She was glad
that his presence gave her the assurance that meant that she could do her job
without fear.