Read Online ReUNION: What if the Civil War had never happened? by Harvey Ardman - Free Book Online
Authors: Harvey Ardman
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and the wheels inside his head
began spinning in high gear. "Well," he said, "that's a
complicated question. Since, um, New
Orleans, our forces have been in a defensive
posture—as you ordered. We've fortified our coastlines and built anti-aircraft
batteries around all of our major cities. Our entire army is committed to
manning these defenses."
"I am aware of this," Garcia said.
"What about the navy?" Hererra asked.
"I have strictly obeyed El Presidente's orders," Espinosa
said. "After New Orleans,
we decommissioned our ageing warships and concentrated on building up the Coast
Guard—new torpedo boats, anti-submarine vessels, fast cruisers for coastal
defense."
Hererra shot Espinosa a contemptuous look. "You fear a Confederate
submarine attack?"
"I follow orders," said Espinosa.
"We're off the subject now," Garcia said. "How soon can we be
ready to attack the CSA?"
Espinosa went into calculation mode again. "We have to build a fleet of
landing craft," he said. "We need at least 400. Right now, we have
just two."
"We will mass-produce them," Garcia said.
Espinosa thought a moment. "We will need at least 100,000 men well-trained
in assault tactics. We barely have enough instructors to train them."
"We will quadruple our recruitment program and double enlistment
bonuses," Garcia said. "We will intensify training..."
Hererra regarded El Presidente with interest. "You've already made
a decision?"
Garcia stopped in mid-sentence. Then he smiled. "I believe I have, Hector.
In fact, I know I have. Are you with me?"
"Miguel, you needn't even ask the question."
"I know, I know," Garcia said. "You have never failed me
Hector."
"And that is because you have never failed me," Hererra said.
Espinosa tried not to listen to the friendly banter.
"General Espinosa," Garcia said, turning back to him, "when can you
be ready? "Maybe a better question is, how long will Bourque live?" Hererra
said.
"Finding that out is your job," said Garcia. "And the
sooner you do, the better."
"Agreed."
Presidente Garcia once more turned to General Espinosa.
"When?" he asked, with just a trace of annoyance.
"Six months at the earliest— if we make an intense, all-out
effort."
"And if I ordered you to do it in four?"
"Then I would be two months late."
Garcia spun around again, and gazed out toward the volcano. A thin dribble of
black smoke meandered into the stratosphere. After a few moments, El
Presidente swiveled around once more. "The timing might be just
right," he told Hererra.
"That's a good possibility," Hererra agreed, "If he's seriously
ill now, he's going to be really sick in six months, should he live that
long."
"Maybe he'll be in the hospital, or in a coma," Garcia mused. Then he
had another thought. "But wait. When he dies, someone will take his place,
or try to. Who?"
Hererra contemplated the question. "Well, there's the Vice President,
Kooter Barnes. He's first in the order of succession."
Garcia grinned. "Bourque's sidekick? Isn't he mostly deaf? Anyhow,
he couldn't even govern a Boy Scout troop. And everyone knows it. I doubt he'd
even take the job."
"You're probably right," Hererra agreed. "The next guy in line
would be their House Speaker, Isaac Honaker."
"Honaker…didn't he just have a heart attack? Or was it a stroke?"
"A stroke. He's hanging on by a thread."
"I don't think we have to worry about him," Garcia said.
"Yeah, probably not. Then there's the
majority leader, Billy Belcher. But I don't think the Confederacy would accept
him."
Garcia inclined his head toward the intelligence chief, curious. "And why
is that?"
"Remember the scandal about him and the young boy?"
"Yes—but wasn't he cleared?"
"He bought his way out of trouble that time, but there's more on the way.
Worse, according to my
sources."
Garcia grinned again, then turned to his military chief. "General
Espinosa," he said, "Are you sure we'll be ready in six months?"
"I can practically guarantee it," Espinosa said.
Garcia fixed his gaze on Espinosa, and when he
began spinning in high gear. "Well," he said, "that's a
complicated question. Since, um, New
Orleans, our forces have been in a defensive
posture—as you ordered. We've fortified our coastlines and built anti-aircraft
batteries around all of our major cities. Our entire army is committed to
manning these defenses."
"I am aware of this," Garcia said.
"What about the navy?" Hererra asked.
"I have strictly obeyed El Presidente's orders," Espinosa
said. "After New Orleans,
we decommissioned our ageing warships and concentrated on building up the Coast
Guard—new torpedo boats, anti-submarine vessels, fast cruisers for coastal
defense."
Hererra shot Espinosa a contemptuous look. "You fear a Confederate
submarine attack?"
"I follow orders," said Espinosa.
"We're off the subject now," Garcia said. "How soon can we be
ready to attack the CSA?"
Espinosa went into calculation mode again. "We have to build a fleet of
landing craft," he said. "We need at least 400. Right now, we have
just two."
"We will mass-produce them," Garcia said.
Espinosa thought a moment. "We will need at least 100,000 men well-trained
in assault tactics. We barely have enough instructors to train them."
"We will quadruple our recruitment program and double enlistment
bonuses," Garcia said. "We will intensify training..."
Hererra regarded El Presidente with interest. "You've already made
a decision?"
Garcia stopped in mid-sentence. Then he smiled. "I believe I have, Hector.
In fact, I know I have. Are you with me?"
"Miguel, you needn't even ask the question."
"I know, I know," Garcia said. "You have never failed me
Hector."
"And that is because you have never failed me," Hererra said.
Espinosa tried not to listen to the friendly banter.
"General Espinosa," Garcia said, turning back to him, "when can you
be ready? "Maybe a better question is, how long will Bourque live?" Hererra
said.
"Finding that out is your job," said Garcia. "And the
sooner you do, the better."
"Agreed."
Presidente Garcia once more turned to General Espinosa.
"When?" he asked, with just a trace of annoyance.
"Six months at the earliest— if we make an intense, all-out
effort."
"And if I ordered you to do it in four?"
"Then I would be two months late."
Garcia spun around again, and gazed out toward the volcano. A thin dribble of
black smoke meandered into the stratosphere. After a few moments, El
Presidente swiveled around once more. "The timing might be just
right," he told Hererra.
"That's a good possibility," Hererra agreed, "If he's seriously
ill now, he's going to be really sick in six months, should he live that
long."
"Maybe he'll be in the hospital, or in a coma," Garcia mused. Then he
had another thought. "But wait. When he dies, someone will take his place,
or try to. Who?"
Hererra contemplated the question. "Well, there's the Vice President,
Kooter Barnes. He's first in the order of succession."
Garcia grinned. "Bourque's sidekick? Isn't he mostly deaf? Anyhow,
he couldn't even govern a Boy Scout troop. And everyone knows it. I doubt he'd
even take the job."
"You're probably right," Hererra agreed. "The next guy in line
would be their House Speaker, Isaac Honaker."
"Honaker…didn't he just have a heart attack? Or was it a stroke?"
"A stroke. He's hanging on by a thread."
"I don't think we have to worry about him," Garcia said.
"Yeah, probably not. Then there's the
majority leader, Billy Belcher. But I don't think the Confederacy would accept
him."
Garcia inclined his head toward the intelligence chief, curious. "And why
is that?"
"Remember the scandal about him and the young boy?"
"Yes—but wasn't he cleared?"
"He bought his way out of trouble that time, but there's more on the way.
Worse, according to my
sources."
Garcia grinned again, then turned to his military chief. "General
Espinosa," he said, "Are you sure we'll be ready in six months?"
"I can practically guarantee it," Espinosa said.
Garcia fixed his gaze on Espinosa, and when he
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