Shiva and Other Stories by Catska Ench, Barry N. Malzberg, Cory Ench Read Free Book Online Page B

getting cudgeled about in the provinces and Franklin, no quitter, was rallying the Democrats and talking about a people’s coalition in 1940. The basic question, Franklin was saying, had to do with what Huey had done since the Inauguration and aside from going to Berlin to have his picture taken and making some good speeches against the Wall Street capitalists, Huey hadn’t done much at all. These were powerful points and gave the Kingfish pause, or at least kept him preoccupied. So there were some lively times here and about when the food riots started to occur on a regular basis. Business was reviving a little and Hollywood was telling us that things were great but down on the Great White Way or the places where the Commies dwelt, there was a different cast to the situation. And the Commies were getting stronger; anyone, even the Vice President, could see how much real appeal they were finding in the cities.
    But by that time it just didn’t matter that much. There comes a time when your destiny confronts you and if you don’t accept it, you don’t begin to work in accord with that destiny, well then you’re just a fool. I wasn’t going to be president in 1940. I wasn’t even going to be vice president by the end of that year; I had been sucked in and served my little purposes and now I was going to be frozen out. The Kingfish had gobbled me up, just a medium-sized fish in the tank. I would be dumped and Huey would run again, maybe win, maybe lose to Franklin this time, but that was going to be the end of it. And by 1940, it was going to be a changed situation anyway. I just didn’t give a damn; I wanted to get back on the ranch, I wanted to see the old times out with as much dignity and as little whiskey as I could manage and the hell with the rest of it. So my accommodation was to simply hang on and go on my way. Huey was going to stay out of local statehouses and he had some pretty good protection. Even Capone or Legs Diamond would have had a hell of a time nailing the Kingfish by that time. No fortunate accidents were going to catapult me to any place that I hadn’t already been.
    * * *
    But then, just when it seemed settled, it wasn’t settled. After Munich, after he gobbled up the rest of Czechoslovakia, Adolf had Göring pass the word direct to Harry Hopkins. He wanted to take up Huey’s invitation. He wanted to come over, explore a few things, do a little business.
    Peace in our time, Huey said. He’s looking for that now, right? Why should the son of a bitch take us up on this now? He’s cleaning out the country, he’s ready for war. What the hell does he have in mind?
    Why are you asking me? I said. I haven’t been in here twice in nine months, Huey, I got nothing to tell you.
    Don’t sulk, Big John, Huey said. I got you in mind all the time, it’s just that I’ve been preoccupied. This is a big country, you know, and there are lots of problems. Maybe we’ll get that redistribution working, maybe all of this stuff will come out in the long run, but it isn’t going to be nearly as fast as I thought when I was a young man. Got to cultivate patience, that’s all.
    I have lots of patience, I said; I had it a long time ago. You were the one who was going to turn things around, make it all different by 1940, remember? I didn’t say that it was going to happen.
    Huey said, you’re taking this too hard, John. You’re taking it personally. Sit back and help me through this. I want you to meet the guy when he comes off the boat in New York, I want you to escort him around. The Statue of Liberty, maybe Liberty Square in Philadelphia on a day trip. Then you can bring him here and I’ll meet him at the White House and we’ll talk over things. But I need your support here, I don’t want to go trotting out for him, it doesn’t suit my purposes.
    I’m not a messenger boy, I said. I’m the Vice President. You got to take the office seriously even if you got no use for me.
    Ah, nonsense, John, the