MacArthur's Freehold

Chapter 51

Chapter 51 -- TTMIPHWAKIICXO

Dorothy Harrison looked out at the window of the limousine as it traversed Maryland Avenue. Congress was in recess and by tomorrow afternoon she would be back in California. Sitting beside her senior aide, a thirtyish young woman from Los Angeles, was a friend of the family. Not especially a friend of hers - she was over forty years younger - but as the daughter of her a longtime associate of her husband, she had was well vetted before joining the staff eight years earlier, when she became Speaker of the House.

That being Speaker would be her highest achievement had once annoyed her. At ten years younger she might have had a shot the presidency, even though members of Congress were rarely elected. Times had changed and with her party effectively in unchallenged control of the country, anything might be possible.

But she was too old and she knew it. And if she completed this term, whether there would be another was questionable. Her body was going downhill fast, and already she was wondering if it was worth it. She hated the diapers she had to wear in public, and hated the fact that by now all of her staff and therefore, most everyone in Congress, knew it. And of course it was by now public. She had seen the looks, from people who did not have to fear her, as they turned away to snicker and go gossip to their friends.

That did not matter, though. The government was as good as theirs, and she would be memorialized as one of those who brought about the new America. She shifted in her seat to accommodate the bulky undergarment, panicking for a moment as she felt an urge rise, wanting to contain it and knowing she could not. It would come, if it did, and there was nothing she could do about it except have her aide go to the restroom with her to repair the damage. And everyone present would know what was in the bag she carried.

It passed and relieved, she glanced over at Alexis. She was looking out the window and she could not tell if she had noticed her discomfort. She had seen it often enough anyway. They were leaving Maryland Avenue, onto a side street leading to the restaurant. Alexis released her seat belt and prepared to help her employer.

They would be dining with Henry Wortman, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means committee. Wortman, at sixty-eight, was much younger that Harrison but even so had been in Congress for a long time. In his eighth term he was far behind the thirty-two years Harrison had been in, but he had risen fast with the support of the powerful New York political machine. His elections were guaranteed as long as he did not fall out of favor with the party, and he had no intention of doing so. His dinner date with Harrison was little more than a casual signal to the other members of his status as her likely replacement when she retired, whether in another two years or four.

'The old bag can't last forever' he thought as he sipped his scotch and soda. He didn't especially like her. In fact, he didn't like her at all, and was fairly certain she regarded him with a certain amount of contempt. Their relationship was purely business, and whatever had to be done to achieve their goals had to be done. They were only in Washington about half the year, actually less, and the time spent there was by no means lost. Never much of a golfer, he played only when it seemed to accept an invitation, so that particular time-wasting part of a politician's life did not much affect him.

Which left more time for women and booze, and other entertainments. He wondered what was keeping her. He had left early, and as the Speaker she was likely to have been delayed by some sycophant. There were plenty of those, with each of the past three elections adding a few new faces. He was glad he didn't have to put up with them - the Speaker would have difficulty avoiding them, but as his only distinction was being a committee head, he had fewer such irritants.