Chapter103 (Charlie)
Introducing Ross Noble and Senator Sep Fields (Conclusion)
"One more thing to take on board Ross. Get yourself identified with a good cause, but fer Chrissake keep yourself clear of the hot chestnuts like health care, abortion and no-win issues that folks get emotional about. You'll do yourself more long term harm than good if you get yourself wrapped up in the wrong cause." The finger waggled, pre-empting another warning. "Remember, the public memory for your good deeds is about one hour, if you are lucky. For bad deeds or things that go wrong it's forever."
"That's good advice, Sep, thank you kindly. I'll remember that."
"Be sure you do. Environment issues hold opportunities for you to make your name with the wider public. Al Gore has done himself a lot of good, talking and writing about the environment and climate change. If I were starting out again that'd be the subject I'd choose to promote and get known for. But be selective which issues you choose – stay clear of genetically modified food, depleted uranium and fracking. Take advice from your six-man power base back here in Nebraska, they'll tell you which issues to stay away from. Climate change is a good one to go with. You cain't do yourself much harm with that since the average American thinks it applies to the guy next door and not to him or his family. It's really topical right now and there's a mood in Washington for Congress to do more. I'll be talking a bit about it tomorrow. Another thing I want to stress with you. This is important Ross, so listen carefully. When you get to Washington and you start preaching about the environment, be careful not to step on the toes of our big corporations. Think everything through before you act and talk it over with your six advisers before you act or speak. You don't want to upset or harm our big businesses. It's them that makes and keeps America great, not any fancy talk coming out of the Oval Office. Jeez, this talking's given me a dry throat, where's that bottle hiding itself?"
Fields replenished their glasses and made himself comfortable on the sofa from where he held up his glass to Ross.
"Here's to our soon-to-be new senator for Nebraska, Ross Noble."
Noble blushed and sheepishly joined in the toast. "Senator Ross Noble, my oh my, it does have a bit of a ring to it."
The men laughed, sipped their brandy and smoked their cigars, each man alone with his own thoughts for a few seconds until Fields broke the silence. "Do you have any more questions Ross, it's gonna get pretty busy around here tomorrow and we might not get the chance for another private chit-chat. If you have anything else on your mind, best ask me now."
Noble exhaled noisily and uncrossed his legs. "I could ask you questions Sep from now until the next blue moon, but appreciate I need to cut it short. What I'd like to ask you about is your present junior senator and where does he fit into the scheme of me coming into the Senate. I don't know him and he don't know me. He'll be the senior senator once you've gone. How's he gonna take to me coming in as the new junior without any discussion or consultation with him beforehand. If I was in his boots, I'd be pretty sore about being disregarded."
Fields slammed his glass down onto the coffee table. "Earl Johnson, he'll damn well do as he's told. He'll be finishing up his first term in the next mid-term elections in a couple of years time. He ain't doing too good on the Hill. He's weak and we might have to change him. Technically he'll be the senior of you two, be sure to follow the party line and take the advice of your power base and Johnson'll fall in behind you. Don't you worry about Earl Johnson; he's a nobody. Anything else on your mind?"
Noble grinned. "I'm not buying this retirement nonsense, not from you Sep Fields. When you've got that Triple Crown trophy sitting up there in the display cabinet, what I want to know is, what comes next."
Fields stubbed out his cigar and erupted into throaty laughter. "You know me too damn well Ross Noble. Well, I guess I can tell you. What we need around here is a decent Pacing track, one where I can put up the Sep Fields Trophy for promising two year olds. The Triple Crown is for three year olds."
"You surely aren't thinking about putting a track in here."
"No, No, No, not here. We were talking about Pen Lockyer and Ravenna a while back, well there's an ideal stretch of land a few miles north of his golf course. It has everything, roads, rail and a modern, equipped airstrip. Big enough not only for a horse race track, but one of them Formula One motor racing circuits and maybe even a Mid West Theme Park. Forty square miles of redundant military land. The Defense Department put in the infrastructure, the Pentagon used it for a few years and closed it down two years ago. It's lying there going back to wilderness" Fields put his hand on Noble's shoulder and lowered his voice. "We could pick that land up for cents on the acre and make it a sports and leisure centre to rival anything on the east or west coasts. Now wouldn't that be something worthwhile for us to do for the State in our later years; you and me, what about it Ross, does the idea get your juices flowing?"
Noble formed his lips into an 'O shape and sucked in air, crossing his legs. "It sure does Sep. Ex-military land going back into civilian ownership is always of interest to businessmen like you and me. I'll have to look into your leisure centre plans to see where I can fit in, but I am interested in principle without committing myself to anything. How come it's not being farmed?"
Fields rapped his knuckle on the coffee table. "It's sick land. It's been used for extreme warfare training and there's all sorts of poisons and dangerous chemicals saturating the place. It's fenced like a penitentiary so the public cain't get in. Until its cleaned up it cain't be built on, used for agriculture or anything else except wilderness. It just has to lie there and go wild."
Noble shook his head with misgiving. "Ain't the government obliged to clean it up before they sell it back into public ownership."
"Yes they do, but the Pentagon is short of money to buy modern military equipment for the forces and that rightly has priority over using scarce funds to clean up fouled land."
"How's the Defense Department getting around its obligation to clean it up, surely they have to do it – ain't it the law."
Fields laughed. "Easy Peasy! They only have to clean it up prior to selling it off. They get around it by not putting it up for sale. Damn shame, I'd like to get my hands on that patch of dirt, until it's cleaned up I have no chance." Fields drained his glass and eyed Noble slyly. "Big day tomorrow Senator, best we get ourselves some shut eye." He gestured at the ashtray and glasses. "We can leave everything for the maid to clean up in the morning."
Ross drained his glass and stood up ready to leave; Fields grasped his arm.
"Before we go Ross, if you have no more questions for me I have one for you. You are a successful businessman, you own most of Cripps County and a lot of people depend on you for their livelihood. If anything at all Washington's extremely demanding on a senator's time and presence. You won't have a lot of it left over to run businesses or be somewhere else on your own account. Have you given this any thought, there's no turning back once you accept the nomination from the local party?"
Noble laughed, slapping the old senator on the back. "Don't you worry a thing about that? I don't have any problems on that score. Mrs. Noble and me have talked it all over and made our plans. All my business and social affairs are well established. My outfits pretty much run themselves now. We got no problems in Cripps County to hold me back there. I've got good teams running Bamptonville and my spreads. Everything goes off like clockwork. It's like Groundhog Day for me every day when I'm home. I just need to be there once in a while to show 'em who's boss and give out a little encouragement. No sir, we're problem free in Cripps County and there's not a darned thing, big or small, needing me there to hold me back or stop me going to Washington. Not one little thing."
The End
A/N: This is the end of The 'Cousins', but it is not the end of the story, which continues in a new volume -Bad Moon Rising – appearing soon.