Number Two

Godboy bides his time

©2020 Matty Stern/U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, used under a Creative Commons licence

[The library — really just a nice, walnut-paneled, pine-floor room with a couple of book cases — of the Carmel, Indiana home of MIKE PENCE. Some framed photos from his career on the wall, along with pictures of Jesus and St. Michael.  The former VP, in light blue dress shirt, sleeveless light brown sweater, tan slacks, and brown moccasins, sits pensively in a cushioned banker’s chair behind a mahogany desk, smoking a straight Billiard pipe. Just behind him to his right is a side table with an old-fashioned wooden cathedral radio in immaculate condition. Just now taking a seat on the other side of the desk is his campaign consultant JIM WESTERBROOK, lean, glasses, slightly shaggy hair but wearing a decent if non-descript business suit and tasseled Florsheim shoes.]

WESTERBROOK: Mr. Pence, I never knew you smoked a pipe.

PENCE: I didn’t mean to keep it a secret. I only use it here, when I’m trying to think.

WESTERBROOK: Well, for something that isn’t a secret, it’s pretty well… unrevealed.

[They both chuckle very lightly.]

It wouldn’t be bad if it got around!  You know, lend you a little air of mystery — but here I am talking like a campaign consultant.

PENCE: You’re a very good consultant, Jim. And it’s late in the season. I think you should go on working.

WESTERBROOK: Go on drawing a salary you mean. Well, that’s kind of you, but I —

PENCE: Not kind at all. I’m still running.

WESTERBROOK: OK. Looks like it’s my turn to try and talk you out of something.

PENCE: You can try.

WESTERBROOK: Sir, there’s just no path. Even if they put Trump in prison, that just means somebody else like him moves up. There’s no white knight scenario. They, well, they don’t want a white knight.

PENCE: [Calmly] You could say that if Mr. Trump is incapacitated, then his vice-president is the logical choice.

WESTERBROOK: No, no, it’s worse for you if he’s out. Because they’ll just blame you for it. They’ll say it never would have happened, he’d still be president if you’d just played along.

[Pause.]

Plus the money’s not there. It’s not about my salary, I’d work for free if I thought we had a chance, but, sir, there’s no path, I’m sorry.

PENCE: Do you think I did the right thing, Jim?

WESTERBROOK: Jan 6? Well, as an American, sure. As a campaigner, though — wow, a sitting vice-president? You’d be a shoo-in now! But that’s you, you’re selfless and noble, that’s why I, why we all work for you.

PENCE: I’m going to surprise you again, Jim. I’m not so selfless and noble as all that.

[PENCE taps out and refills his pipe.]

You say if I enabled Mr. Trump’s plan, I’d be vice-president now. But let me remind you, even if we stopped the electoral vote a lot of other things had to happen just right to keep us in office. And the other thing —

[PENCE relights his pipe.]

Jim, tell me: What happens to people who give Mr. Trump what he wants?

WESTERBROOK: Well — disgrace, prosecution, sometimes prison. OK. But you would have been vice-president! You’d be untouchable.

PENCE: I was vice-president when he tried to have me killed.

[Pause.]

You’ve studied history, Jim. You know what leaders who get to the top by force do to the men who helped them get there.

[Pause.]

At that point, you know, the polls showed I was the front-runner for the 2024 nomination — so long as Trump wasn’t running. A lot can happen in nine months.

[Pause.]

WESTERBROOK: OK. Well. You’ve — I don’t have an answer, sir. I have a lot to think about now.

PENCE: Take your time. I’ll be here. You know I don’t have any events this week.

WESTERBROOK: Ha ha, sure.

[WESTERBROOK gets up, as does PENCE. They shake hands.]

Always a pleasure, sir. Don’t smoke too much of that Borkum Riff!

PENCE: Oh, it all right. Tobacco isn’t as bad for you as they say.

WESTERBROOK: Alright, sir. Take care.

[WESTERBROOK leaves. PENCE puffs his pipe a moment, then turns on the radio. There’s a little static; then —]

VOICE: Mildred tango pencil. Password.

PENCE: Mother.

VOICE: Condition stable along the perimeter, sir.

PENCE: Threat horizon?

VOICE: Calm and clear, sir. The big bad wolf’s pretty busy in court.

PENCE: Yes. Any chatter on the swami?

VOICE: We’ll have it in the briefing, sir. Think you’ll be pleased.

PENCE: Good, good. OK, stay safe.

VOICE: You too, Mr. Vice-President.

[PENCE twist a dial on the radio. Sedate church music plays.]