White House, Washington DC, March, 2078, Saturday…

"Sir, you can't go in there."

Pennestri looked angrily at Delgado's administrative assistant.

"Why, Melissa? Is he flogging himself?"

"Sir?" The older woman was motherly and friendly most of the time. Now she just looked confused. "He's with Secretary Winters."

"As far as I'm concerned, at this moment I outrank her." He headed for the door to the Oval Office. "You don't have to announce me."

He strode into the office of the President.

One man and a briefcase against a corrupt government? There was a time when Pennestri was awed by this office. After all, it was once the office of the most powerful man on the planet. Now that was certainly debatable. The most powerful nation was only a shadow of its former self and that shadow was coming apart at the seams. Hence its President could not be the most powerful man on the planet.

Delgado and Winters both looked up.

"This had better be important," she said.

"Shut up, Susan," said Pennestri. "It's important."

She glared at him. Delgado looked confused.

"I'm afraid I echo Susan's sentiments, Bill. What's going on? I thought we were going to meet on Monday about your confirmation hearings."

Pennestri sat down.

"Fuck the hearings, Tomas. I've got something to say and Susan can hear it too. It certainly affects her." He opened the briefcase and took out a massive old fashioned file from it. The file had red and white stripes on it and was marked TOP SECRET - POTUS EYES ONLY. "In spite of the label on the file, you do have clearances to see this, Susan, so just shut up and listen." He rummaged through some of the papers. "As near as I can tell, the organization chart reads something like this: Peter Rayburn leads to Father Padraig O'Neil leads to Father Juan Pablo Gomez leads to Mundo Domini cells that attacked the National Cathedral, the Mosque, and the Mormon Temple. What I want to know is: does it stop with Rayburn? Interrupt me any time you want, Tomas. Or Susan?"

"Don't piss on my shoes," said Winters. "I have no idea what Rayburn or the rest of the eunuchs are doing."

"Eunuchs?" asked Pennestri.

"A lot of people know that Tomas has a secret agenda." She turned to the President. "You always have had one. I generally considered it harmless." She was snooping around the files. "My, my, they have been busy. Besides what happened Thursday night, I see four murders, a bunch of bank robberies, and tens of other incidents. Tomas?"