Survival Course by Warren Murphy

Author:Warren Murphy [Warren Murphy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Chiun (Fictitious character) --Fiction., Williams, Remo (Fictitious character) --Fiction.
ISBN: 9781035999255
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Chapter Sixteen

The White House staff called it “grips and grins.”

After four straight hours of it, the Vice-President of the United States called it agony.

He collapsed in his suite at a local hotel.

“Boy, am I glad that’s over!” he told his chief of staff. “I could use a round of golf,” he added, squeezing his right hand, “but I think if I get a club in my hand, I won’t be able to let go.”

“I got bad news for you, Dan.”

The Vice-President looked up.

The look on his chief of staff’s face was grave. He was pale. His voice had quavered toward the end.

For an instant the universe reeled under the Vice-President of the United States. For an instant he thought the thing he half-hoped and half-dreaded had come to pass. The thing that the nation talked about, joked about, and even feared, each according to his views and political opinions.

“You mean...?” The Vice-President croaked.

“Yes,” the chief of staff said. “The White House wants us to go to Detroit and do another one of these damn things.”

The Vice-President let out his breath. His heart started beating again. He was not the new President.

“What?” he said dazedly.

“More grips and grins,” the chief of staff said grimly. “The White House wants it coordinated with the Bogotá thing.”

“Oh,” said the Vice-President. He was relieved. He hadn’t wanted to become President under these circumstances. But the possibility had been on everyone’s lips ever since the President had agreed to go to Colombia.

“I don’t know if I can deal with this,” the Vice-President admitted, trying to unclench his right hand.

“It’s a two-hour flight. Take a nap and soak your hand-shaking hand on the plane. But let’s go. They’re really anxious about this.”

The Vice-President got up and straightened his tie with stiff fingers.

“Oh, by the way,” his chief of staff said, pulling out an envelope, “this is for you.”

The Vice-President reached for the proffered envelope, but his fingers refused to close around it. It dropped to the carpet.

“I’ll get it,” said his chief of staff.

“No, I will,” the Vice-President said genially.

They bumped heads attempting to retrieve the fallen envelope.

“Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” the Vice-President said, holding his head.

His chief of staff helped the Vice-President to his feet and again handed him the envelope. This time the Vice-President accepted it with his left hand. The transfer was completed without further incident, much to his chief of staffs surprise. He had known the Vice-President to forget his own wife’s name.

The Vice-President looked at the blank white front and asked, “What is it?”

“From the White House. It’s your speech.”

“My speech?”

“Yeah. They had the President’s top speechwriter draft it. I think it’s tied to the one the President is giving in Bogotá.”

“Really?” the Vice-President said, pleased that he rated a presidential speech writer. He reached for the flap.

“No, don’t open it now!”

The Vice-President’s smile turned to a frown. “Why not?”

“It’s not to be opened until you give it.”

“How am I gonna practice it?”

“You can’t. The White House gave strict orders that you not read it beforehand.

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