‘To be frank,’ Ritchie continued, ‘I miss the certainties of wearing a uniform.’

Just then, Kipper’s secretary waved to them from the far end of the hallway, calling them back to the meeting. Culver clapped a hand on the admiral’s shoulder, taking note of the cheap fabric. He decided not to ruin the peace gesture by saying as much. Instead, he made a mental note to see about getting this guy to a tailor.

‘If keeping someone’s secret is the worst thing you do in politics, you can consider yourself lucky, Admiral.’

‘Politics?’ Ritchie looked surprised. ‘I don’t think of this as politics, Jed. More like public service.’

‘That’s the spirit,’ said Culver, brightening considerably. ‘Dissembling with the best of us.’

They walked down the hallway, observed by portraits of presidents past, and re-entered Kip’s office via the anteroom, the door being held open for them by a Secret Service officer. The current US President was finishing off a sandwich, gazing out of the window at the snowfall. He waved them back to their seats as he returned to his own place, behind the generously proportioned desk that dominated one side of the room.

‘Now, Paul’s going to take us through the budgetary position, using small words and big numbers so that I can understand,’ he said, with a warning tone that wasn’t entirely to be taken as a joke. Secretary McAuley, who seemed to have not moved at all during the break, preferring to remain in his chair reviewing his papers, thanked the President.

‘Did you read that book I gave you on the Federalist Era, Mr President?’ Culver asked. ‘I’m not joking – you’ll find this Treasury stuff a whole lot easier to digest if you have a sense of history.’

Kip looked pained. ‘I’m trying, Jed. I’m trying. I’m more of a biography man.’

‘I gave you a copy of Miller’s biography on Alexander Hamilton as well,’ the Chief of Staff pointed out.

Kipper rubbed his head at that. ‘Well, the Federalist book is easier, but not by much. Paul, break it down for us laymen, if you would.’

‘Certainly, Mr President. The situation remains dire,’ he began, ‘although there are some positives. The call on supplementary spending for the armed forces has abated considerably as the last federal units rotate out of New York. Governor Schimmel’s state militia have resumed control of Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs, augmented by private security forces funded from salvage concessions in the interior rather than directly out of consolidated revenue.’

‘If I may, Mr Secretary?’ Ritchie raised his hand. ‘Some of those savings should come by leaving heavy equipment stored in New York for future use, either by the state or federal authorities in the future. Am I correct?’