His portrait hung on the wall. Tradition. Not that he cared for it. In his mind, there were good traditions and bad traditions. Wisdom discerned between the two.
He had been chosen for the presidency as a young man, the youngest in the brief history of their divided nation. If not for the help of trusted advisors – decent, noble men and women – he would have led the country down the same path as their northern neighbors. The thought put and kept the fear of God in him.
Not every advisor was trustworthy. Some wore their soiled garments like a badge of righteousness. Others washed their outerwear before presenting themselves before him. The stench of the latter was often hard to smell through the piety. The one man he knew he could trust would leave the administration sooner than later. Time called him to seek out a replacement.
Josiah grabbed the bottom corners of the portrait. He hesitated as though he wanted to rip it off the wall and throw it in the trash but settled for rotating it a centimeter until it sat straight. Tradition. This one he decided to respect for a while longer.
“We’re going to be late, sir.”
“They’ll wait for me.”
Hilkiah peered from beneath folds of graying skin. “They will but we have important business to discuss. It’d be best if we hurried.”
Josiah pointed down the hall. “Do you think I’ll ever measure up to them?” The portraits gazed back with painted smiles.
“It’s not their approval that matters.”
“Does he approve?”
“He chose you for a reason.”
“And what reason was that?”
“To give this nation a respite, a chance to turn back.”
Josiah waited a couple minutes before speaking again. “Have we?”
“Have we what, sir?”
“Turned back.”
“The policies you’ve instituted have gone a long way towards bringing us back.”
President Josiah reflected on the statement. His interlocked fingers rested by his waist with his thumbs tapping each other. “Have they done anything to change their hearts, though?”
“That, I couldn’t say.”
Josiah nodded and started down the hall. “You were telling me about your son. Jeremiah was it?”
“He’s a good kid. I’d like you to meet him.”
“Absolutely. Bring him here anytime. What does he do?”
“He just graduated from college. A little over a week ago.”
“Did he sign up for service?”
“I’m afraid he’s like his old man in that regard. Not the type of guy you want in the military.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“It’s what the recruiter said when he went down. Took one look at him and told him he’s the type that’ll get others killed trying to save his skinny behind. I cleaned up the language for you, of course.”
“Of course. What are his plans, then? Is he going to follow in his father’s footsteps?”
“I think God has bigger plans for him.”
“Bigger than the spiritual advisor to the president?” A trace of conceit slipped through the lightheartedness.
Hilkiah continued down the hall. “Sometimes, I worry about him,” he said.
“That’s a father’s job.” Josiah patted his most trusted advisor on the shoulder. “Tell you what. Bring him in sometime later this week. I’d love to pick his brains about his old man.”
Hilkiah smiled back. “Thank you. I truly appreciate it.”
Josiah paused as he reached for the handle. A slight shake of the head preceded, “Into the lion’s den. Let’s pray they don’t eat us alive.”
The door swung inwards. A host of eyes looked towards the president. The men in military uniform rose as one. The suits nodded in respect. One man in round-rimmed glasses fixed his gaze on Hilkiah before dipping his nose back into a stack of papers.
“As you were,” Josiah said.
The generals returned to their seats. Multi-colored ribbons adorned olive green and blue jackets. Solemn, wizened veterans waited for their turn to speak.
“I assume everyone knows why we’re here,” Josiah continued. “We’ve experienced a series of setbacks on the northwestern front. I need status reports as well as your plans to turn things around.”
A man cleared his throat. Neatly trimmed gray hair shaded his weathered face. Josiah didn’t let him start.
“Before we begin, I’d like for Hilkiah to lead us in a word of prayer. Hilkiah?”
A couple of the generals squirmed but bowed their heads in obedience to their commander. Pashur Immerson removed his round-rimmed glasses and dropped to a knee.
“Heavenly father,” Hilkiah began, “we thank you for listening to us, for sending your son to die for us and rise again so that we can have an advocate in your throne room. You have blessed this nation with more than we could hope for and deserve. Let us never forget that it is you who gives power and authority to those on earth and that you can give or take it away at your pleasure. Therefore, let the glory be yours, whether blessings or sorrows come.”
“We are a nation of sinners, whose hearts do not seek you. Have mercy on us, change us, lead us in the path of eternal life. Bless our enemies who seek to do us harm. Change their hearts and show them the eternal way as well.”
“Today, we ask for your wisdom. Guide us in our plans. May we be righteous in your sight, the righteousness that only comes through the spilled blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Yours is the kingdom and the glory and the honor forever. Amen.”
Pashur’s enthusiastic ‘Amen’ rose above the few mumbled others. “Thank you, brother,” he said. “Fantastic words. I’m sure the Lord will hear and honor your requests. The bless our enemies part might be a little much, though. A smite our enemies might be what we need more of now.” He let out a short laugh to mask the sincerity of his statement. A few wrinkled brows arched their support.
“If we could get started,” a man in a blue uniform and with the jawline of a pitbull spoke up.
“In a minute, General,” Josiah said. “I have a few items to go over first.” He turned to a woman sitting a few chairs down. “Candace, I hear a new women’s clinic opened in Baltimore. Has your team had a chance to check it out yet?”
“Yes, sir. We had boots inside yesterday.”
“Anything to report?”
“If they’re doing abortions, they don’t have either the equipment or the medications for it. They could be performing them using older techniques, but I don’t see it.”
“That’s good but I’m still skeptical of the clinic head. He’s a sympathizer, although he doesn’t strike me as having the guts to disobey the law, especially one that carries the consequences it does.”
“We’ll keep an eye out.”
“You might want to subtly let him know we’ll level the clinic if we even think he’s considering it.”
“How?”
“Park a bulldozer outside his office. That’ll be subtle enough.”
Pashur Immerson looked as though he wanted to speak but, instead, sat back and rocked in his chair.
“General Elnath,” Josiah said, “how’s the eradication going?”
“We’ve removed a couple of house mosques from the Delaware border. A wiccan camp from the same area. The people involved have been removed from their surroundings, shall we say. Not that they won’t come back, but we have protocols in place in case they do.”
“With all due respect.” Immerson could no longer remain quiet. “We may want to show a little more tolerance for our Muslim brothers. We worship the same God, you know. And it wouldn’t hurt to have them as allies, which means you might want to leave their houses of worship alone.”
“The same God. I think you need to check your theology, my friend,” Hilkiah said. “We’ve had this debate before, though, this is neither the time nor the place to rekindle it.”
“And I will follow God’s commands,” Josiah said. “All foreign gods must be removed. We shall have nothing to do with them.”
“I see which side of the debate you fall on,” Immerson muttered loud enough so the people sitting next to him could hear.
“If I may sir?” The pitbull’s cheeks blended with the blue of his uniform, giving them a purplish tint.
“By all means,” Josiah said.
“I’m not sure why we’re discussing any of this. We’re in the middle of a war, yet we’re discussing irrelevancies. Is it possible to get back to planning before we have our rear ends handed to us again?”
“I appreciate you keeping us on track, General Scofield,” Josiah said, “but there’s nothing more important than getting ourselves right with God. Obey him and the rest will follow. Disobey and disaster will come. ‘Today I set two paths before you. Choose life or death.’ It would serve you to re-read the context of that passage.”
“I’m familiar with the passage. I’m simply asking what it has to do with the immediate situation.”
“Everything, general. Why do you think our nation has held off our enemies with such success? The hand of God sustains us. No other reason. Without him, without our complete reliance on him, we’d have been overrun long ago.”
“I’m sure the nations we fight believe God is on their side also.”
“I’m sure they do,” Josiah said. “Now, getting to the agenda.” He looked around the table. “If you don’t mind.”
The civilians hesitated, considering what Josiah meant but not quite believing it.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Candace said. “I was under the impression you wanted us all here.”
“Change of plans,” Josiah said. “I apologize for not mentioning it sooner. I’d prefer that just these five remain. Thank you for your understanding.” He squeezed Candace’s wrist and waited until the non-military personnel left the room. Hilkiah, as always, stayed behind.
“What’s the latest on the Pittsburgh campaign?” Josiah asked.
General Elnath replied. Almost as young as Josiah yet possessing a brilliant strategic mind well beyond his years of service, when he spoke, everyone listened. “We’ve dug in outside of North Hills. Our troops have the high ground with a three-sixty view of the theater. Air support has been running without interference thanks to General Scofield. Our artillery took out another three of their batteries. It’s just a matter of time before we make a major push. If we break through and split the Russian forces here and here.” He pointed at the map. “They’ll have little choice but to retreat.”
“How is your force level? Do you need me to send additional troops?” Josiah asked.
Elnath shook his head. “We should be fine. I have four battalions in reserve borrowed from 3rd Division.”
“That’s it?” Josiah didn’t seem pleased. “Less than three thousand troops to support the fifteen we have in the field.”
“God’s on our side.” Elnath smiled. Ivory teeth flashed against ebony skin.
“I wish I could be as optimistic as you,” General Scofield injected.
“Things not going so well for you?” Josiah knew the answer but left it as a question.
“We’ve had a setback along the Delaware. The Russians have pushed us back to the airport. We still hold it but Philadelphia is lost. I don’t see us getting the city back without additional support.”
“By additional support, you mean the offer of aid from the Chinese.”
“Supplies, troops, tanks. Just the thought of dealing with them would make the Russians think twice about continuing.”
“Like I’ve told you, that’s off the table.”
“You won’t even consider it? Do you know how many of our boys will die if you don’t?”
“The repercussions of siding with the Chinese are unacceptable.”
“With all due respect.”
Josiah cut General Scofield off. “Find another way.” His eyes became burning coals.
Hilkiah leaned back. Troop strength and location devolved into the logistics of meals and latrines. Arguments over strategy and morale converted into shouting matches over who deserved the credit or blame for past and future decisions. General Elnath held his tongue, offering an opinion only when prompted by Josiah. Joys of retirement filled Hilkiah’s thoughts.
A fly buzzed along the far wall. Fat and black, it raced back and forth in random, jagged lines. The top of an empty chair beckoned it to come and sit. Rubbing its forefeet together, the fly rested for a moment before resuming the vain flight which occupied its brief span of time between life and death.
A hearty ‘Thank you, Generals,’ pulled Hilkiah out of his daydream. Sliding chairs and rustling uniforms preceded the typical post-meeting silence. Long after the door shut, Josiah remained in the same position, contemplating profundities and trivialities alike. Only his thumbs moved, the tap, tap in rhythm with his meditation.
Josiah raised his head. “Well, old friend, I think we have some unfinished business to discuss. About your son,” he offered as an explanation.
“Yes, of course.”
“Would you care to walk with me?”
“Of course, sir.”
The door opened to a hallway which turned out to be not as empty as expected. Gnarled hands rubbed a shirt sleeve across round-rimmed glasses.
“Sir,” Immerson said. “I’m glad you’ve finished. I wonder if I might have a word with you.”
“I have some business to attend to with Hilkiah right now.”
“It won’t take long.”
Josiah motioned to Hilkiah.
“It’s fine by me,” Hilkiah said.
“If it won’t take long,” Josiah said. “Let’s walk and talk. What can I do for you?”
Immerson hesitated. His thumb stroked the tip of his fingers. “I guess it’d be alright to say, seeing as how it involves you.”
Hilkiah’s brow flexed.
“I heard you’re considering retirement,” Immerson said, addressing Hilkiah before turning to Josiah. “And that you’d be in need of a new spiritual advisor.”
Pashur’s clenched jaw and thin lips reminded Hilkiah of a viper studying its prey.
“I figured since I was here, I might as well offer my service.”
“I appreciate the offer,” Josiah said. “And I’ll definitely take it into consideration. To be upfront, I have a couple names in mind already.” He glanced toward Hilkiah. “It’d certainly be nice to keep things in the family.”
“Jeremiah,” Immerson said. “Ah, yes. He’d make a fine choice. A little young, perhaps. Without the wisdom one can only acquire through age and experience. But an excellent choice, nonetheless.”
“I’ve heard good things about him,” Josiah said.
Immerson smiled. “A father knows his son best, doesn’t he?”
“Actually, it’s come from the faculty at Annandale. His father, on the other hand, doesn’t speak that much about him.”
“Faculty?” Immerson’s eyebrows arched. “That’s a bit of a surprise. Jeremiah has, shall we say, a bit of a reputation at the college.”
“What kind of a reputation?” Josiah asked.
Immerson cleared his throat. “He … well … he tends to speak his mind. Say things that might make people uncomfortable.”
“A fine quality, in my estimation.”
“Of course. Of course. In mine also. However, not everyone thinks like we do. I’m thinking you might want to consider someone who can say the right thing in the right way. In a way that uses charm rather than a bludgeon to influence people to come around to their point of view.”
“And that person would be you?”
“No. I mean, that is one of my strengths. But I’m speaking in general. If I am the right person, great. If you have someone else in mind, I completely respect your decision. My offer is simply that. An offer.”
“Your offer is appreciated.” Josiah held out his hand to shake Immerson’s. “Anything else you needed to see me about?”
“No. That’s it. Thank you for your time.”
“Not a problem.”
Hilkiah waited until Immerson had disappeared around the corner at the far end of the hall. His lower lip jutted out as his cheeks twisted into a knot. “You’re not actually considering him?” he asked Josiah.
The president snorted. “Not on your life,” he said. “Nor mine for that matter.”