Chapter 38
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Her Grace read her copy of the police report. The man had died for his attachment to two stupid dogs he did not even know. Animals did not have souls. Animals were put on the planet to serve man. This battle could not be won with a soft heart. Those who worked for their savior’s glory needed to be strong and disciplined. At least the police hadn’t connected the two “robbery attempts.”
“You have new mail,” the computer said in its toneless voice. She used her beautiful voice to open the responses from the other members of the executive committee. They agreed to her proposal in principal, but wanted her to make changes. The changes were not mentioned in the email. The specifics would only be discussed face-to-face, on flash paper in hard copy or by throwaway cell phone. Nothing they planned would be trusted to the open book that was the Internet.
Her Grace bit back the urge to cry and steadied her breathing, praying for patience. If her blood pressure rose too much again that meddling doctor would sedate her, wasting too much of the precious little time she had left. She tried to explain to them that God would not let her die yet. He was not done with her. The doctor professed to believe, but would not leave her life in their saviors hands. Why did they have to meddle? She watched the monitors until she was sure no alarms would sound.
She had known the committee would not agree to her plan without major changes. She had proposed a plan that was perfect, but more ambitious than the old men and women would approve. She had started with her original plan that was audacious and very straightforward. Then she had padded her plan with even more aggressive tactics knowing the old guard would line item veto them. She proposed the plan knowing this and knowing that their more conservative changes would not work and they would be forced to come back to her. She would then have her original plan and their failed attempts to ‘manage it’ as evidence she should be given more power.
Her Grace knew she had to apply pressure outside her chain of command. She knew where to apply this pressure. The congressman was especially vulnerable now. The recent scandal involving a few of the boys who had applied for page positions hurt support in his district, even as carefully drawn as the district had been. There was a chance that the congressman would not win reelection. He was a standing incumbent in a gerrymandered district! This Tea Party movement was making it much harder to buy politicians. They understood that the only way to keep politicians honest was to take away their power. Because of the scandal the congressman would want to show his conservatism, whatever that meant.
The Church of the Seven Sisters supported positions that made even hard liners squeamish. Their passionate opposition to abortion was expected. The Church’s virulent, and she nearly laughed out loud when she thought what that word really meant, opposition to homosexuality, infidelity, and drug use meant the congressman could appear to be moderate while fighting the allegations. She did laugh, a girlish symphony of joy, when she thought about how easy it had been to entice the man into the very transgressions that would make him throw his support wholeheartedly behind her proposals.
Now, how to get the information to the congressman in a way that would not reveal it was coming from the Church? She would not trust this much communication to the electronic medium.
She forced her hand to push the button that summoned her new stenographer. Within seconds the young girl scurried into the room, pen in hand, breathing mask covering her mouth. Even with the mask on she really was so very pretty.
“Your Grace, it is such an honor to be able to work with you. Forgive me my nerves!”
“You are forgiven, child. Now, let us begin.”
Dear Friend,
I was so sorry to hear of your recent troubles. Your philosophical enemies look for any hint of perceived impropriety. I am certain, if you were given a fair hearing, you would be found guiltless. I want to thank you again for your passionate talk to our boys’ group. Many of them were inspired by your words and wonder if you would be able to make time to come and see them when you are in town on the 27th?
She spun her web of words, drawing the man in. It was vital he feel the pressure. Then he would anonymously feed the SEC, FBI, CIA, and NSA the information that sealed the brother’s fate.
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