Fall of Knight by Peter David Read Free Book Online

juggling about six situations, Mr. President. Is there any one in particular that you wish to focus on—?”
    “Here’s a wild thought, Ronald. How about we focus on”—and his voice suddenly dropped to a lower register as he leaned forward with fearsome intensity—“the one that CNN is focusing on. And MSNBC. And the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , and—oh, this just in—the covers of Newsweek , Time , and People. I’m speaking of Penn…”
    Ron, his voice measured but willed with warning, said “Former. President. Penn. Sir.” He added as an afterthought, “With all respect.”
    Stockwell looked as if he was about to make an issue of it, but obviously decided that his energies would best be spent elsewhere. He tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment, and said, “I’m speaking of former President Penn…and the international sensation that the former first lady has caused.”
    “Might I point out, sir—”
    “What is he?”
    “Sir?” Ron raised an eyebrow. “I don’t…”
    “What is he? Who is he?”
    “Sir, I don’t understand the question.”
    The president considered the response, then leaned back and drummed his fingers on the chair’s armrest. “Ron,” he said slowly, “when you said you needed to take a brief leave of absence in order to aid former President Penn on some sort of initiative, I didn’t ask you a lot of questions. And I would certainly have been entitled to, what with my being commander-in-chief and all…”
    “Yes, sir, you did not, and I appreciate that.”
    “And do you know why I didn’t, Ron?”
    “Well, I—”
    “I’m going to provide the answer for you, Ronald. You don’t have to strain yourself.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    “I did it because I trust you. The fact that you asked was good enough for me. The fact that you came back not too long after was also good enough for me. And when you told me that the first lady was ‘doing better,’ and were vague about the details, I didn’t ask for specifics because I assumed that if there was a seriously significant change in her condition—something that I really needed to know about—you would tell me. You wouldn’t leave me with my ass hanging out in the wind. Well, guess what, Ron. I’ve suddenly come down with a severe case of drafty ass.”
    “I didn’t think—”
    “No! You didn’t!” thundered Stockwell, dropping any attempt to rein in his temper. “You didn’t think! The last anyone knew of Gwendolyne Penn, she was in an irreversible coma! And now that appears not to be the case, and everyone wants to know why, including me! Except I should have been the first person to know, not the one who’s playing catch-up to twenty-four-hour news channels and celebrity magazines! Or do you think I’m wrong?”
    “You’re not wrong, sir, no,” said Cordoba. “But it’s…complicated. You see, I made promises to former President Penn, and—”
    “You also made promises to me, Ronald. You serve at the pleasure of the president. Not the former president. Me. This president. And you don’t get to have divided loyalties in that capacity. Not at this level. Not at any level, really, but certainly not at yours. You tell me right now what the hell is going on, or—”
    “The Holy Grail.”
    Stockwell stared at him.
    “I’m sorry I interrupted,” said Ron. “You go ahead, sir. Finish your—”
    “The Holy Grail,” Stockwell repeated slowly. “The cup of Christ. The one that he drank from at the Last Supper…”
    “Or that caught his blood when he was crucified, yes, depending upon which version you believe in. Although I suppose it could have been both.”
    “All right, but…I’m asking you about the former first lady…and you’re talking to me about objects out of myth and legend? You understand that I’m not seeing the connection…”
    Ron took a deep breath and plunged into it. “Gwen is alive and well and hearty because we—Arthur, I, and some others—went to a