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Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part OneThings Fall Apart
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. Seven Years Earlier
  24. 20
  25. Part TwoThe Borders of Utopia
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. Part ThreeWe the Creatures
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. Acknowledgments
  67. Tropic of Kansas
  68. Excerpt from Tropic of Kansas
  69. About the Author
  70. Praise for Rule of Capture
  71. Also by Christopher Brown
  72. About the Publisher

A pause while it searched for the answer. “There currently is no president of the United States.”

“Smart answer. Where is former President Thomas Mack?”

Another, longer pause. “President Mack is dead, according to a plurality of government and media sources.”

“You’re no fun,” said Donny.

“I’m sorry,” said the bot.

“What about the sources that say he’s not dead? Like the one you just played for me on the TV. Any other recent sightings?”

A short pause. “Yes. Would you like to hear the sightings from this year to date?”

“Definitely.”

Outside the window, they were passing through a district of warehouses. Dallas remained a logistics center and distribution hub, where the products Americans still made that people wanted in other countries, like guns, televisions, and marijuana, were gathered for export. And one of the main places where international relief supplies were received for distribution to the slowly recovering heartland.

“In January,” said the bot, “a family returning from vacation in Cancun said they had seen him in the casino, playing blackjack. Also in January, a truck operator claimed to have found him running a Kum & Go convenience store on Interstate 70 in western Nebraska. In February The Fort Report republished a network post from user charliefiefortyfive that breakaway elements of the Department of Defense have him in an old missile silo in North Dakota. They also noted earlier speculations that the online self-help guru Jeremy Hardman is actually President Mack with plastic surgery and a beard. In March La Nación carried an interview with a ranch hand who said the President is in Paraguay as a guest of the regime on a big ranch stocked with game and guarded by the military. And two weeks ago the Chinese government released photos of him in one of their prisons.”

“I saw that,” said Donny. “Those were totally fake. Where do you think he is?”

“I don’t understand your question. Would you like to stop for lunch? I have a coupon for you for Karl’s Quick Grab, which is at the next corner and would only take you an extra twelve minutes to get to your destination.”

“I’m not buying anything other than this ride,” said Donny. “I asked you where the President is.”

The bot was still working on an answer when they arrived.

14