Words to Live By - A Countryhumans SovAme Story

Act I, Chapter VII - Words That Never Need to be Spoken

May 1940

Washington D.C., United States of America

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To say that I was distraught would be a severe understatement. Someone that I considered an extremely close friend, someone who had agreed with me when I'd been disgusted by the Third Reich...

Hell, I'd even had to hold her back at the World's Fair, when she looked like she was going to go over there and beat his face in! How could she be working with him? And that November, all stood in awe and horror as her troops marched into Finland, her own sister's land. I was appalled. I paced around my office, I paced around my house, I paced back and forth so much I thought my legs might fall off. It felt like a black cloud of despair was forming over all of us, ready to suck all the world in.

Things moved quickly, and by May of 1940, the bastard German had taken Denmark and Norway. The two women hadn't been heard from in weeks, but on the 10th it became the least of my problems. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a call of desperation came to me from all the way across the sea. Though my wording makes it seem as such, it was not in the form of a telephone call, but a small slip of yellowing paper inside a wax-sealed envelope. The coat-of-arms of my closest ally adorned the front.

It was from England.

I tore it open with my teeth, paying no bother to any manners. It was short, but meaningful.

To America, from England, it said, there is doom befalling us! The Germans have invaded France! They are going around the Maginot Line, through the low countries! I know he will come for me soon, and I know you rejected Canada's offer to join the war, but you must help!

But what was I to do? I sat back in my chair, my mind going blank. No matter how I tried to contemplate what I should do, I could not focus. My brain jumped around, thinking about everything except what I needed to be thinking about. I thought of Canada, rushing around to join a war she didn't need to be in. I thought of the Japanese Empire, becoming a ruthless evil that wanted to work its way into all of Asia. I thought of Soviet, working with the bastard I refused to name. I thought of the bitch himself, who I was sure planned to backstab my friend the first chance he could get. And I thought of Britain and France, desperate for any help they could get on the other side of the ocean. I knew deep down that I should rise to the call of duty and save them, just like Canada, but I couldn't make a decision. I paced about my office, never reaching a conclusion. At last, something happened to break me from my rhythm. A fist pounded on my door, startling me back to reality.

"Enter!" I called, hurrying to sit back down at my desk.

In walked a member of the Capitol Building staff, though he was neither Senator nor Representative.

"The President would like to speak with you, sir."

And there is a point that confuses many people. While higher-ranking government officials know of my true identity, as far as this young assistant was concerned I was just another man who happened to work in the same building as him, though out of the two of us only I was important enough to be called to a private audience with the president. I nodded curtly, picking up my dark leather briefcase as he saw himself out. I checked myself in my mirror before leaving, ensuring every part of my uniform was straight. Even after my inspection, I still felt messy, though I supposed it was just the stress.

My trek led me out of the Capitol's main doors, into a hailed taxi, and finally out onto the West Executive Avenue, adjacent to the White House. I watched the streets fly by, the last of the cherry blossoms falling from their places upon the beautiful trees. Luckily, I managed to keep my mind off of the Asian man who'd gifted them to me. I turned my head back to the cab driver, who was pulling up on the White House now. Into the west wing I went, breezing through the security gates with my special status. I nodded to the agents who guarded the oval office door, before letting myself in. There the president sat, ready to receive me. I'd rather not go into much detail about our conversation, as it was relatively boring, but we came to an important conclusion. Just like in the last war, we decided that supply must be sent to Europe. I left the meeting only feeling a tiny bit better about myself, however. All the way back home, I only thought of what I would do when I got there. Even though prohibition had been repealed nearly a decade ago, all my spirits were still in the basement. I had actually been doing quite well on the alcohol front recently, but that night nothing could stop it. I tried not to. I wanted nothing more than to be strong and certain and even infallible for my allies, but in the face of adversity, none can stay completely in control.