George stood up. “Thank you for taking the time to explain your point of view. I appreciate it, and so does the attorney general.”

“God bless you,” said King.

George and Verena left the office and walked outside. Without speaking, they got into Verena’s car. “I’ll drop you at your hotel,” she said.

George nodded. He was thinking about King’s words. He did not want to talk.

They drove in silence until she pulled up at the hotel entrance. Then she said: “Well?”

He said: “King made me ashamed of myself.”

• • •

“That’s what preachers do,” said his mother. “It’s their job. It’s good for you.” She poured a glass of milk for George and gave him a slice of cake. He did not want either.

He had told her the whole thing, sitting in her kitchen. “He was so strong,” George said. “Once he knew what was right, he was going to do it, no matter what.”

“Don’t set him up too high,” Jacky said. “No one’s an angel—especially if he’s a man.” It was late afternoon, and she was still wearing her work clothes, a plain black dress and flat shoes.

“I know that. But there I was, trying to persuade him to break with a loyal friend for cynical political reasons, and he just talked about right and wrong.”

“How was Verena?”

“I wish you could have seen her, in that coat with a black fur collar.”

“Did you take her out?”

“We had dinner.” He had not kissed her good night.

Out of the blue, Jacky said: “I like that Maria Summers.”

George was startled. “How do you know her?”

“She belongs to the club.” Jacky was supervisor of the colored staff at the University Women’s Club. “It doesn’t have many black members, so of course we talk. She mentioned she worked at the White House, I told her about you, and we realized you two already know each other. She has a nice family.”

George was amused. “How do you know that?”

“She brought her parents in for lunch. Her father’s a big lawyer in Chicago. He knows Mayor Daley there.” Daley was a big Kennedy supporter.

“You know more about her than I do!”

“Women listen. Men talk.”

“I like Maria, too.”

“Good.” Jacky frowned, remembering the original topic of conversation. “What did Bobby Kennedy say when you got back from Atlanta?”

“He’s going to okay the wiretap on Levison. That means the FBI will be listening to some of Dr. King’s phone calls.”

“How much does that matter? Everything King does is intended to be publicized.”

“They may find out, in advance, what King is going to do next. If they do, they’ll tip off the segregationists, who will be able to plan ahead, and may find ways to undermine what King does.”

“It’s bad, but it’s not the end of the world.”

“I could tip King off about the wiretap. Tell Verena to warn King to be careful what he says on the phone to Levison.”