“I, ummh, I’d like to read it first,” Drummond-McLaren mumbled. “And I might need, oh, until the debate, now three days out, to demonstrate how these alleged letters were forged.  It seems to me that we can skip this afternoon’s session, so we can all read these fake letters.  Aren’t we done for the morning?”

“We are indeed done,” D’Angelo said.  “I believe I heard a motion to recess until the no-confidence debate.  Is there objection?  Ayes?  Nays?  The ayes have it.”

Drummond-McLaren stood and moved swiftly from the room, his coterie of fellow ministers and their sycophants trailing in his wake.  

Elektra found  herself besieged by leaders of the other parties, each wanting to meet privately with her.  “After lunch,” she managed to say to each of them.  “I expected that National Renaissance would want to do more to debate or deny the letters you just saw, not to mention a bunch of others not in our responder.  You’ll each be called soon with a time.  Now, if you don’t mind, I managed to miss breakfast this morning, so I plan on getting something to eat, not to mention chatting up my own party first.  They didn’t know about this, either.”

DeWitt and her escort marched down the Great Stairs of the Union.  Waiting at the bottom were a wake of reporters, all ready with questions.

“Senator DeWitt!”  “Senator Dewitt!”  “Why didn’t we hear about the treason charge earlier?”  “Why did you ask Senator Hughes to make the amendment?” and on and on.

“Gentlepeople,” DeWitt answered, “You will learn more in due course. I learned about the treason issue last night.  This was the first opportunity to broach it.  I did not ask Senator Hughes.  He had uncovered this issue himself – well, he has a staff and friends – and approached me.  We had highly trusted intermediaries to arrange the meeting.  However, I have not yet had breakfast and look forward  to eating, so I must be on my way.”

&&&&&

AUTHOR: And why is a group of reporters called a ‘wake’?