anything,” Lai stated. “The president appointed me to this investigation. If you don’t approve of that, I suggest you take it up with him. You are familiar with the president , aren’t you? Contrary to what you might believe, he is not your subordinate.”
Crawford actually laughed.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. How could I suspect underhanded political motivations from a man who makes a comment like that? Or from a president I actively campaigned against?”
Lai’s hands emerged from his pockets again and spidered out on Lee’s desk. He leaned forward.
“I will be clear, Senator. I don’t like you, and I don’t like the MRA, I don’t like Teeptown, and I especially don’t like your telepath goon squads. I think you’ve consistently abused your position, and I think you’ve grossly misused the talents of the telepaths you keep incarcerated. Now, my feelings on these matters are one thing. They are my opinion, and that is neither here nor there. Except, Senator, that I can prove what I say.”
“Son, you can certainly try.”
Kevin Vacit heard the shouting quite clearly as he approached the door marked SENATOR LEE CRAWFORD. He paused. The secretary had said to go straight up and knock, that he was expected. But walking in on an altercation didn’t seem the best way to meet his new boss. Then again, ignoring instructions might be worse. He rapped. The shouting broke off.
“Come in!” Kevin opened the door. “Who the hell are you?”
Kevin recognized him, of course. He had grown up seeing Lee Crawford’s face on the vids and in newspapers. It was a sort of shock to see him in person. He had expected Crawford to be bigger somehow, more godlike. In an intangible way, he was. There was an almost palpable sense of power that lay behind that seamed, angular face, that did not come across on a screen or in any photograph.
“Sir-Senator-I’m Kevin Vacit.”
“My replacement,” said the other man. Kevin recognized him, too-Tom Nguyen, who had interviewed him.
“Damn it, Tom, I don’t need your replacement. I need you. You’ve been with me for almost twenty years.”
“I’m sorry, Lee. It’s what I feel I have to do.”
The senator blinked, and his face relaxed. It was as if he had just realized his anger was showing and chose not to show it any longer. He sighed.
“Very well, Tom. I guess I’m not going to talk you out of it. I’ll miss you, though.”
“I just think, under the circumstances-“
“Tom, I told you I don’t hold any grudges.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about. It’s me I can’t live with.” He seemed to remember Kevin was in the room. “Sorry, Kevin. Kevin Vacit, meet Senator Lee Crawford.”
Lee Crawford smiled, the avuncular hound’s grin from a thousand images.
“Good to see you, son. Hear good things about you. Have a seat, won’t you?” He turned back to Tom Nguyen. “You will stay long enough to fill him in?”
“Of course. Two weeks, and then as needed.”
“Good. Well, let’s see here, Mr. Vacit-may I call you Kevin?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Then you must call me Lee. In private. Outside of the office you should call me Senator for a while.”
“I understand S-Lee.”
“Good. So, Kevin. Bachelor of science in neurophysics from ASU, master’s in the same from Harvard-and a degree in law. First in your class. Worked with the Houston special attorney for metasensory evidence-ah, Ernesto Perez, a good man.” He looked up. “Son, how old are you?”
“I’ll be twenty-four next month.”
Lee smiled.
“You’ll stop countin’ that way someday, son, I promise you. But damn impressive, to be where you are at your age. Precocious, even.” He stood up. “Drink?”
“No, thank you.”
Lee snorted.
“Figures Tom would replace himself with another straight arrow.” He went to a small cabinet and withdrew an earthenware bottle, poured an amber fluid into a small crystal flute. “So you oversaw telepaths in the
Crawford actually laughed.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. How could I suspect underhanded political motivations from a man who makes a comment like that? Or from a president I actively campaigned against?”
Lai’s hands emerged from his pockets again and spidered out on Lee’s desk. He leaned forward.
“I will be clear, Senator. I don’t like you, and I don’t like the MRA, I don’t like Teeptown, and I especially don’t like your telepath goon squads. I think you’ve consistently abused your position, and I think you’ve grossly misused the talents of the telepaths you keep incarcerated. Now, my feelings on these matters are one thing. They are my opinion, and that is neither here nor there. Except, Senator, that I can prove what I say.”
“Son, you can certainly try.”
Kevin Vacit heard the shouting quite clearly as he approached the door marked SENATOR LEE CRAWFORD. He paused. The secretary had said to go straight up and knock, that he was expected. But walking in on an altercation didn’t seem the best way to meet his new boss. Then again, ignoring instructions might be worse. He rapped. The shouting broke off.
“Come in!” Kevin opened the door. “Who the hell are you?”
Kevin recognized him, of course. He had grown up seeing Lee Crawford’s face on the vids and in newspapers. It was a sort of shock to see him in person. He had expected Crawford to be bigger somehow, more godlike. In an intangible way, he was. There was an almost palpable sense of power that lay behind that seamed, angular face, that did not come across on a screen or in any photograph.
“Sir-Senator-I’m Kevin Vacit.”
“My replacement,” said the other man. Kevin recognized him, too-Tom Nguyen, who had interviewed him.
“Damn it, Tom, I don’t need your replacement. I need you. You’ve been with me for almost twenty years.”
“I’m sorry, Lee. It’s what I feel I have to do.”
The senator blinked, and his face relaxed. It was as if he had just realized his anger was showing and chose not to show it any longer. He sighed.
“Very well, Tom. I guess I’m not going to talk you out of it. I’ll miss you, though.”
“I just think, under the circumstances-“
“Tom, I told you I don’t hold any grudges.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about. It’s me I can’t live with.” He seemed to remember Kevin was in the room. “Sorry, Kevin. Kevin Vacit, meet Senator Lee Crawford.”
Lee Crawford smiled, the avuncular hound’s grin from a thousand images.
“Good to see you, son. Hear good things about you. Have a seat, won’t you?” He turned back to Tom Nguyen. “You will stay long enough to fill him in?”
“Of course. Two weeks, and then as needed.”
“Good. Well, let’s see here, Mr. Vacit-may I call you Kevin?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Then you must call me Lee. In private. Outside of the office you should call me Senator for a while.”
“I understand S-Lee.”
“Good. So, Kevin. Bachelor of science in neurophysics from ASU, master’s in the same from Harvard-and a degree in law. First in your class. Worked with the Houston special attorney for metasensory evidence-ah, Ernesto Perez, a good man.” He looked up. “Son, how old are you?”
“I’ll be twenty-four next month.”
Lee smiled.
“You’ll stop countin’ that way someday, son, I promise you. But damn impressive, to be where you are at your age. Precocious, even.” He stood up. “Drink?”
“No, thank you.”
Lee snorted.
“Figures Tom would replace himself with another straight arrow.” He went to a small cabinet and withdrew an earthenware bottle, poured an amber fluid into a small crystal flute. “So you oversaw telepaths in the
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