Addis thought of a phrase Hanover had liked to use: the king’s truth. Hanover had borrowed the term from the king of Saudi Arabia. In the first year of the administration, the king met with Hanover at the White House. At a subsequent press conference, a reporter asked if Hanover had agreed to help the Saudis set up an electronic surveillance post in northern Saudi Arabia. The king fielded the question. “Nothing was asked for,” he answered. “Nothing was promised. Next question.” He then pointed to a woman from French television.

When Hanover and the king left the East Room, Hanover thanked the king for handling the question. The two had discussed establishing such a base, which was supposed to be a secret installation. The Saudi winked at Hanover and said, “The king’s truth.” Hanover laughed. “Sure could use some of that sometimes,” he replied. With a slim smile, the king remarked, “Comes with the job, Mr. President. Comes with the responsibility. Those with great responsibilities must be permitted to decide what it is for others to know. That may be the most difficult duty of a leader. And, here, it is indeed my truth, for I do not remember any asking or any promise. I remember only a preliminary exchange of views.”

Hanover later told Addis about this conversation, and the phrase became a private joke between them. When Hanover had to respond to an inconvenient disclosure or a White House foul-up, he would look wistfully at Addis and say those three words, but never so anyone else could hear.

Addis switched the television to the Senate channel. Palmer was on the floor, trying to block legislation that would force federal workplace safety officials to provide forty-eight-hour notice to companies before they conduct on-site inspections. The measure would render safety inspections meaningless, for employers could temporarily remedy any potential violations. Again, Addis thought, his party, imperfect as it was, was at least trying to stop the other side from screwing Americans who do the hard work. Or, that is, a portion of his party was.

When Sal Conditt, Addis’s successor as Palmer’s chief of staff, had escorted Addis to the hideaway, he had informed Addis that Palmer did not believe he had the votes to stop the provision. There were going to be too many defections from their party.