The Sins of the Fathers

Chapter Twenty-Six

The White House

Washington DC

"Richard? Good to see you again, Mr Ambassador? Thank you for dropping by?" Fletcher said, rushing across the oval office to greet his guest as soon as the door opened, turning on the bonhomie. "Coffee? Thank you so much for organising the release announcements...so promptly?"

"Coffee would be nice...thank you, Mr President...but President Symonds went early and did not warn either of us?" Richard Montague said, a little surprised by the warm welcome and the congratulations for something he did not actually achieve. His President would never listen to his advice, and Fletcher knew it. And Fletcher did not like him, or at least, had never shown any sign of doing so during their previous encounters.

"I valued your help, if Symonds did not...but I know you and him have your differences at times...and I wanted to apologise about our last meeting...you had a right to be annoyed with me?" Fletcher insisted, all smiles, pouring the coffee himself and letting Montague help himself to cream and sugar. "I acted rashly and you were fighting your country's corner, my friend...being proved right doesn't excuse my behaviour towards you, Richard? I meant no disrespect?"

"Half-right, Mr President...we always knew it was an accident...and Drew Symonds did not cause it...he just failed to manage the situation properly." Montague countered, but with a smile on his face, sticking to the party line as always. Fletched grinned back, sipping at his coffee. Richard Montague was the de facto leader of the moderate members of the Christian Democratic Alliance, and if it was not for the death of Alistair Forbes, there was every chance that he might have won the Presidency for himself. He had ended up in Washington because Nick Symonds did not want him in his Cabinet, but needed to give him a decent role, to stop the moderates causing too much trouble. It was a prestigious posting but Symonds would not deal with Fletcher, so it was really more about keeping Richard out of the way than him doing anything useful. It had been a rather long four years as a consequence. "But we seem to have smoothed things over now...everyone is happy?"

"Yes...thanks to your father...his fingerprints were all over this damage limitation strategy and the United Nations jumped at the chance to sweep it all under the carpet...but I am afraid they might need to get a bigger carpet?" Fletcher grinned, already enjoying himself, feeling good about his plans and enjoying getting on with things.

"It is no secret that both the government and the church value his advice...and I am aware that you have your own people helping Bishop Osborne and my father look into what has been happening in the Order?" Montague said smoothly, sipping himself, taking his time and choosing his words with care. Both men knew that they were playing a game, and Richard Montague did not want to make a wrong move. He knew that Fletcher was up to something and he wanted to know what before he took a position. "But that proves our commitment to putting things right? No need for any bigger carpets...although I do understand that Ralph Winstanley did and ordered some terrible things. Our hope is that we can escape these dark shadows of the distant past and concentrate on a better future? He was a dinosaur...not part of what is yet to come? I believe that there is a real determination within the Cabinet to make any necessary changes to our major institutions?"

"Yes...I am beginning to believe that too...well said...but this gives me a problem..."

"A problem, Mr President?"

"Yes...because I think...I hope...that you are going to be part of that better future...but before we start down that path, there is something else. I have a serious problem on my hands here, Richard...and I need you to talk to your father for me...but I don't know if you know about this, or whether you do know and don't believe that I do...if you see what I mean? It matters...as my good friend Gideon Palmer always says...history matters?"