Younger grinned minimally. “Look, the prof and I have our differences. But as long as he leaves me alone to run the big rig, we can get along.”

Rogers said weakly, “With me in the middle.”

“So you see, Jake,” Glynis said, “why Tim can’t make a public show of support for Tomlinson. Or Bob, either.”

“It’d tear the program apart,” Rogers agreed.

“The hell with the program,” Younger growled. “I’ll stand up for Tomlinson and Sinclair can go piss in his hat.”

“You’ll do nothing of the kind!” Glynis said sharply.

Nodding, Jake said, “It wouldn’t do any of us any good to wreck the program. Tomlinson needs you guys to succeed.”

“Which means you will continue to work like a good boy, Tim,” said Glynis, “and keep your temper under control.”

Younger gave her a look that was halfway between a guilty grin and an angry glare.

The waiter brought their lunch orders and they started to eat without any further talk about politics. As Jake dug into his fried fish platter, he realized that he was hips-deep in a snake pit. The MHD program has got to keep getting good results, which means that none of the people working the program can show in public that they support Tomlinson. Which means that Tomlinson’s going to have to push MHD as a major plank in his campaign without any of the guys working on the program supporting him.

A real nest of snakes.

There’s got to be some way around this, he told himself. But for the life of him, Jake couldn’t see what it might be.

Carrot and Stick

CARROT AND STICK

Jake was shocked to see Nacho Perez in his office when he returned from lunch. The man was stooped halfway over in front of his bookcase, peering at the journals and reports stacked on the shelves, his unbuttoned sports jacket hanging loose.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jake demanded.

Straightening up, Perez replied, “Waitin’ for you, doc.”

“How did you get in? The door was locked.”

With a shrug of his thin shoulders, Nacho said, “I didn’t steal nuthin’.”

Angry, Jake went to his desk and plopped into his little chair. It rolled backward and banged into the bookcase behind his desk.

Perez didn’t seem to notice. “You read all them books?”

“Yes.”

“You must be pretty smart.”

“What do you want?” Jake snapped. “Why are you here?”

Still standing, Perez said, “He wants to see ya.”

“He?”

“The senator. He wants to see ya.”

“Well, I don’t want to see him.”

“Yes ya do.”

Perez said it flatly, without a hint of malice, but Jake remembered his brief talk with Monster.

“Come on,” Perez coaxed, “all he wants to do is talk with ya.”

“Senator Leeds.”

“Yeah.”

Jake sat behind his desk glaring at Perez, thinking, Senator Leeds wants to talk with me. Why? What’s he up to?