Ozick spoke up. “I’m in the hotel business, myself,” he said, “as housing the gamblers at our casinos.”

“Yeah,” Holder said, “I’m in the cattle business, too.” Everybody laughed, except Ozick.

“Nelson,” St. Clair said to Knott, “I was interested to read of your interest in the presidency.”

“Thank you,” Knott replied in a deep, beautifully modulated voice. “I’m grateful for your interest, Christian.”

“What sort of planning are you doing?”

“Well, we’re forming a new party, to be called the Independent Patriot Party, and we’ve started work on getting on the ballot in all fifty states.”

“And how’s that going?”

“We’ve just gotten started, really, but it’s going to be more expensive than I had first thought.”

“And how are you going to finance your campaign?”

“I’ve already loaned it fifty million dollars. That’s a start.”

“A properly run presidential campaign is going to cost north of a billion dollars,” St. Clair said. “Are you going to self-finance all the way?”

Knott laughed, revealing the best teeth Stone had ever seen, or the best dentistry. “I certainly hope not.”

“Well, the Republican Party is in pretty bad shape, after the last election, but Kate Lee is going to be very well financed, don’t you think so, Stone?”

“I expect so,” Stone replied.

“I think Kate has done a creditable job as President,” St. Clair said, by way of needling Knott, Stone thought. He also thought that St. Clair knew all of what he’d just asked Knott about, and he was just getting the recital for the benefit of his guests.

“The last presidential candidates in either party that I had any respect for were Joe Adams and John McCain,” Knott responded.

“Nelson, I don’t know if I mentioned that Holly, here, is Kate’s national security advisor.”

Knott beamed at Holly. “So, it’s your fault,” he said, laughing, and the others laughed with him.

“I’ll take all the credit I can get,” Holly replied, beaming back at him, “whether I deserve it or not.”

Knott loved that, though his wife was looking at Holly as though she were about to throw a steak knife at her.

“What are your politics, Mr. Knott?” Holly asked.

“I’m for what’s right and what works,” he replied. “And please call me Nelson. May I call you Holly?”

“Of course,” Holly said. “You’re a pragmatist. How refreshing.”

A steward refreshed everyone’s wineglass.

“Ideology doesn’t interest me,” Knott replied, “not any party’s. I’m for American rights.”

“Does that include a woman’s right to choose?” Holly asked, and everybody froze.

“Of course,” Knott said. “It’s not my way, but it’s the law, and I’m not going to stand in the way of the law.”

“How very nice to hear it put that way.”

“Excuse me, if I disagree,” Ozick said, and his face had gone pink.