Angela Fortnight rose from her chair. “Mr. Speaker,” she said, “what are you doing? This is not how the process works.”

“In a minute,” Penn said. He shielded his eyes as he searched for a face in the crowd. “Mr. Johnson, are you still in the chamber?”

Johnson waved from rear of the chamber. “Here, sir.”

“Approach the rostrum, please.”

Johnson descended the stairs two at a time. “Pete is working with Captain Brinks to keep communication lines open,” he said as he approached. “Those guys are in seriously deep shit out there at Beale. It’s entirely possible that they’ll starve to death over the next week or two.”

“Watch your language,” Penn said. “And let’s not forget that millions of people died today, and millions more will likely die in the days ahead.” The words were barely out of his mouth when he regretted them. Especially the tone of them. “You mentioned that there’s a plan for swearing me in as president. How does that work?”

Johnson gestured to the curtains at the front of the chamber, behind the flags of the armed services. “Behind those screens are two backdrops. One is the Capitol Building and the other is the White House. Give us a few minutes to reset things up here, and bring in some cameras, and we’ll put you in front of the Capitol backdrop to swear you in. We have a lectern and Bible specifically for that purpose. Then, after you’ve had a chance to gather your thoughts, we’ll put you in front of the White House backdrop to speak to the nation.”

“Who’s going to hear the speech?” Banks asked.

Johnson shrugged one shoulder. “Whoever’s listening. Remember, our comms are all still in fine shape. We can beam you up to the satellite, and from there, the signal goes out just as it always would.”

“The world needs to hear from the president of the United States under these circumstances,” Penn said. “And the sooner, the better.”

“Mr. Speaker!” Angela shouted. “Stop! A rumor that the president and vice president are dead does not suffice as confirmation. The Twenty-fifth Amendment requires some very specific steps for the Speaker to accede to the presidency, and none of those have been met.”

Banks said, “Leader Fortnight, the nation needs a leader.”

“Not at the cost of the republic! This is a critical juncture, Penn. When all of this is over, however it ends, the world will judge us not just by the actions of the nation, but by our adherence to the rule of law. You cannot simply declare yourself to be president.”

Penn glared at her for a full five or six seconds, then made his shoulders relax. He wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. In the House of Representatives, process and procedures mattered.