CHAPTER 44

He had been in this office for the better part of almost eight years. It was kind of surprising to Bill Devon that he had managed to accumulate the amount of junk that he did. As he walked in his office at Foggy Bottom, home of the US State Department, all he saw were boxes from where the moving crew were packing up his things. There were just way too many things, none of which he figured to be taking to the his next stop, the Oval shaped office of the same name. Alicia was running the transition team and, as they discovered, a team of interior decorators were already waiting for her to discuss how they would do the White House office in Bill’s tastes. Bill did not figure that the Oval Office ever really would be in his tastes but, he had no time to deal with it.

This was actually the first time that Bill had been back in DC since the election and he had a pile of crap sitting on his desk. His staff was trying to shovel as much of it to the various department heads, since, they knew the boss was busy but, with this elf crisis developing there was no way all of it could be pawned off. Bill might be the President Elect but, he was still the Secretary of State. Even now, as he just arrived, Bill pulled his tie off and unbuttoned his shirt so he could go clean up in his private bath. He had a meeting that could not be put off, which meant of course, that he still would not be able to get to the files he needed to read and were backlogging on him.

Unfortunately, he got another meeting before he could make the important one. His appointments secretary had obviously heard that he had made it back to the office because she was waiting for him there when he came out of the bathroom. Bill still had a towel hung around his neck as his guy told him about a certain individual that had been waiting to see him. Just the fact that the guy knew that Bill was back in town today was enough of a clue that Bill needed to give him at least five minutes. Otherwise, Bill had no want to speak to the ass hole and that was even under social circumstances, let alone, about business. The nervous secretary was of another opinion. Bill relented and the soon to be former congressman came casually strolling in the door and noticing the packing boxes as he did.

Bill was not amused by the guys attitude but, then again, what else was new, “I heard you got your hat handed to you. Can’t say I ever lost faith in the voters.”

Clancy Oldham did not take the insult as such and, in fact, he seemed pretty chipper for a guy who just got his ass handed to him on a silver platter, “it’s ok Bill. I only ever saw congress as a stepping stone to something better. Not why I’m here though. I’ve got an issue that needs resolving.”

Bill just shook his head in resignation and then told the guy, “well that’s good to hear Clancy. You’ve already lined up other employment I take it.”

“Actually,” Clancy replied in good spirits, “yes I have. Not why I’m here though. I’m still a congressman till January and, I have this thing called constituents, you know, one of my staff informed me of that this morning. Anyhow, right now, I have two in particular that are of some interest. Turns out they were over at the Pentagon for the better part of a few days, getting the run around.”

“So they came to you,” Bill acted chipper, “well it’s good to know you take your responsibilities seriously Clancy,” like he ever had before. Stuff like this, handing disgruntled tax payers, normally never even got reported to him by his staff, if the rumor mill was to be believed. Bill was not sure what his game was now but, figured it was worth a couple of minutes to figure out, “so why didn’t you call SecDef’s office. I don’t have anything to do with the military.”

As casual as he had been since he entered the office, Clancy leaned on the back of a chair and replied, “well Bill, I beg to differ. You see, you’re kind of the big cheese in town now and…”

“And,” Bill finished his statement, “you want some face time before you have to deal with a chief of staff as a private citizen, is that it?”

“Oh trust me,” Clancy waived that off, “when the time comes, you’re going to be coming to me.”

Bill took that in the spirit that it was meant and he cheerfully replied, “go ahead, take your best shot. Hope it works out for you.”

“Thank you, I will,” Clancy told him and then went on, “only not relevant right now. You see my constituents are this photogenic little lady and her cute little teenage daughter who go by the name of Thompson. Remember that name Bill?”

That was a common enough name and Bill honestly could not think of any who happened to be important enough to blow sunshine up Clancy’s ass right now, “not really but, I get this feeling you’re about to let me know.”

“Quite right,” Clancy straightened up, “you see Miss Thompson has lost complete contact with her eldest daughter. She’s a widower and her children are all she has. What a terribly, terribly, tragic and made for the media kind of story. This daughter of hers is in Feyland right now and…”

Bill interrupted, “that Sergeant that your buddy Joel wants to turn into a hero, is that who we’re talking about here?”

Clancy’s eyes sparkled, “oh yeah. You see the part your missing here Bill, is that I’m not just a US Congressman…”

“Soon to be ex, you might want to mention,” Bill replied.

“I’m also a barred attorney,” Clancy kept right on going, “and there is very little doubt that Misses Thompson is going to need some representation on this matter, of which, I have already told her, I will take pro bono.”

Did Oldham really think he had something here? Bill figured he might have a weeks worth of story in it, maybe an opportunity for some media fees but, not much else. A lot of it would depend on what happened in Feyland and, specifically, to that little girl he was talking about. If she got through this crisis in one piece then Oldham really didn’t have much of anything. That was the way Bill was seeing it.

That was why Bill just shrugged at the guy, “what do you want me to do?”

“For now,” Clancy told him, “I’ve heard you can get a letter through to Sergeant Thompson. I’m sure that, putting aside the political issues involved, you would see that as nothing more than a kind gesture to a deserving war hero, would you not?”

Bill just smiled and shook his head again, “you didn’t come here playing mailman, Clancy. You sure as hell don’t have enough traction with this shit, not to get me up in arms anyway. You know, Frank either liked you or, maybe, you have something on him. I don’t know, he never discussed it with me. What you might remember is that in January, those days are over. You don’t have that kind of leverage with me.”

Clancy suddenly became serious, “oh I think I have more than you might realize Bill, although, that’s not even what’s really important here.”

Bill still remained light, “is that so?” He was most definitely not impressed.

Clancy ignored the attitude and continued, “what is important here, something that you and everybody else over at the White House seem to be missing is, what is right and what is wrong.”

“Opportunistic politician to moral crusader in the wink if an eye,” Bill nodded and continued, “interesting job change Clancy.”

“This isn’t about any of that Bill,” Clancy’s spine stiffened, “what you people are doing is wrong. I may be out of congress soon but, I think I can actually do more from the outside.”

Bill took it in stride and just nodded, “like I said, good luck with that.”