Read Online (1976) The R Document by Irving Wallace - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Irving Wallace
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moderate, soft-spoken, the perfect companion for an evening like this. The talk, as usual, had been easy - some gossip about the Kennedys, the prospects for the Washington Redskins football team in the fall, yet another film on the life of Lizzie Borden that everyone was going to see.
Hilliard had finished with his broiled filet mignon, placed his fork and knife neatly on his cleaned plate, and begun to fill his new Danish pipe.
‘How’d you like the wine, Paul?’ Collins asked. ‘It’s California, you know.’
‘Just look at my glass.’ He indicated his empty glass. ‘The best testimony for our vineyards.’ ‘Want more?’
‘I’ve had enough of California wine,’ said Hilliard, lighting his pipe. ‘But not enough of California. I was waiting to discuss it with you. I guess that’s where it’s all going to be happening from now on.’
‘Going to be happening? Oh, you mean the 35th.’ ‘Ever since the Ohio vote the other night, I’ve been getting calls from California. The whole state is buzzing with it.’
‘What’s the word?’
Hilliard blew a smoke ring. ‘The odds are the bill’s going to be ratified, from what I hear. The Governor is going to be announcing his support of it later in the week.’ ‘That’ll make the President happy,’ said Collins. ‘Between us, it’s a deal,’ said Hilliard. ‘The Governor is going to run for the Senate after this term. He wants Wadsworth’s backing, and the President’s always been lukewarm about him. So they’ve made a trade. The Governor’ll come out for the 35th if the President will come out for him.’ He paused. ‘Too bad.’
Collins, who had been chewing his last morsel of duck, ceased chewing. ‘What does that mean, Paul?’ He swallowed his food. ‘What - what’s too bad?’
‘That the big guns are lining up behind the 35th in California.’ ‘I thought you were for it.’
‘I wasn’t for it or against it. I sort of played the innocent bystander. I just watched and waited to see what would happen. I suspect that’s the way you’ve felt privately. But
now that the decision is in our backyard, I’m inclined to act, to get involved.’
‘On which side? Against it?’
‘Against it.’
‘Don’t be hasty, Paul,’ Ruth Hilliard said nervously. ‘Why don’t you wait and see how people feel about it?’
‘We’ll never know what people feel until they know how we feel. They’re depending on their leaders to tell them what’s right. After all -‘
‘Are you sure what’s right, Paul?’ Collins interrupted.
‘I’m becoming sure,’ said Hilliard quietly. ‘Based on what I’m gradually learning of the situation back home, the provisions of the 35th Amendment amount to overkill. That bill is loaded with too heavy an armament aimed at too small an enemy. That’s what Tony Pierce thinks, too. He’s coming into California to fight the Amendment.’
‘Pierce isn’t to be trusted,’ said Collins, remembering Director Tynan’s tirade against the civil rights advocate in the White House the other night. ‘Pierce’s motives are suspect. He’s made the 35th a personal vendetta. He’s fighting Tynan as much as the Amendment, because Tynan fired him from the FBI.’
‘Do you know that for a fact?’ said Hilliard.
‘Well, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t checked it.’
‘Check it, because I’ve heard different. Pierce became disillusioned by the FBI when he was part of it. He threw his support to some Special Agents Tynan was manhandling. In retaliation, Tynan decided to exile him to somewhere -Montana or Ohio or some such place - and so Pierce resigned to fight for his reforms from the outside. I’m told Tynan spread the story that he was fired.’
‘No matter,’ said Collins with a trace of impatience. “What matters is that you say you’ve decided to side with those opposing the 35th.’
‘Because that bill troubles me, Chris. I know the underlying purpose of it, but it’s too strong, and
Hilliard had finished with his broiled filet mignon, placed his fork and knife neatly on his cleaned plate, and begun to fill his new Danish pipe.
‘How’d you like the wine, Paul?’ Collins asked. ‘It’s California, you know.’
‘Just look at my glass.’ He indicated his empty glass. ‘The best testimony for our vineyards.’ ‘Want more?’
‘I’ve had enough of California wine,’ said Hilliard, lighting his pipe. ‘But not enough of California. I was waiting to discuss it with you. I guess that’s where it’s all going to be happening from now on.’
‘Going to be happening? Oh, you mean the 35th.’ ‘Ever since the Ohio vote the other night, I’ve been getting calls from California. The whole state is buzzing with it.’
‘What’s the word?’
Hilliard blew a smoke ring. ‘The odds are the bill’s going to be ratified, from what I hear. The Governor is going to be announcing his support of it later in the week.’ ‘That’ll make the President happy,’ said Collins. ‘Between us, it’s a deal,’ said Hilliard. ‘The Governor is going to run for the Senate after this term. He wants Wadsworth’s backing, and the President’s always been lukewarm about him. So they’ve made a trade. The Governor’ll come out for the 35th if the President will come out for him.’ He paused. ‘Too bad.’
Collins, who had been chewing his last morsel of duck, ceased chewing. ‘What does that mean, Paul?’ He swallowed his food. ‘What - what’s too bad?’
‘That the big guns are lining up behind the 35th in California.’ ‘I thought you were for it.’
‘I wasn’t for it or against it. I sort of played the innocent bystander. I just watched and waited to see what would happen. I suspect that’s the way you’ve felt privately. But
now that the decision is in our backyard, I’m inclined to act, to get involved.’
‘On which side? Against it?’
‘Against it.’
‘Don’t be hasty, Paul,’ Ruth Hilliard said nervously. ‘Why don’t you wait and see how people feel about it?’
‘We’ll never know what people feel until they know how we feel. They’re depending on their leaders to tell them what’s right. After all -‘
‘Are you sure what’s right, Paul?’ Collins interrupted.
‘I’m becoming sure,’ said Hilliard quietly. ‘Based on what I’m gradually learning of the situation back home, the provisions of the 35th Amendment amount to overkill. That bill is loaded with too heavy an armament aimed at too small an enemy. That’s what Tony Pierce thinks, too. He’s coming into California to fight the Amendment.’
‘Pierce isn’t to be trusted,’ said Collins, remembering Director Tynan’s tirade against the civil rights advocate in the White House the other night. ‘Pierce’s motives are suspect. He’s made the 35th a personal vendetta. He’s fighting Tynan as much as the Amendment, because Tynan fired him from the FBI.’
‘Do you know that for a fact?’ said Hilliard.
‘Well, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t checked it.’
‘Check it, because I’ve heard different. Pierce became disillusioned by the FBI when he was part of it. He threw his support to some Special Agents Tynan was manhandling. In retaliation, Tynan decided to exile him to somewhere -Montana or Ohio or some such place - and so Pierce resigned to fight for his reforms from the outside. I’m told Tynan spread the story that he was fired.’
‘No matter,’ said Collins with a trace of impatience. “What matters is that you say you’ve decided to side with those opposing the 35th.’
‘Because that bill troubles me, Chris. I know the underlying purpose of it, but it’s too strong, and
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