As soon as everyone was seated, and the transcriptionist signaled ready, Heather said, “All right, here we go. For the record: I am Heather O’Grainne and I am convening the Third Intergovernmental Summit of 2025, with Graham Weisbrod, President of the Provisional Constitutional Government, and Cameron Nguyen-Peters, National Constitutional Continuity Coordinator of the Temporary National Government, and—”
She rattled through the list, alternating between the governments and laddering down in order of rank, finishing with “… invited guest Jenny Whilmire Grayson. We will commence with opening statements. Call it, Mister President.” The coin was in the air.
“Heads.”
“Heads. Graham, when you’re ready.”
Wonder if she bothered with a two-headed coin or just figured no one else would get a look? James thought, idly.
Graham Weisbrod pulled out a short, typed document and spread it before him, adjusting his reading glasses. Okay, definitely, he cut Allie out of the game to do this, James thought, because she looks like she’s trying not to let anyone know she just felt a snake go up her pant leg.
Weisbrod’s grandfatherly smile had been famous in the media for more than a decade before Daybreak; somehow, seeing it now, James had a flash of the old sense of security. Weisbrod said, “Please keep in mind that this is preliminary and that large parts of it are intended to start discussion about details and implementation; this is merely the beginning of overworking our staffs.” He raised the paper and said, “The Provisional Constitutional Government proposes to issue an overall order stipulating that all Federal employees are to accept, support, and obey the government to be elected in 2026. By all, I mean all. All the military forces down to privates, every postal carrier and every clerk filling out forms. Accept means if you believe the restored Constitutional government’s not legitimate, you quit your job before you say so. Support means you do everything in your power to make the restored Constitutional government succeed even if its policies are exactly what you don’t want. Obey means just that.” He looked around the room. “Of course, the truth is, we’re just telling people to do what they’re supposed to do anyway: obey the 2026 restoration government. Fundamentally what it says is that whether either side likes the election results in 2026 or not, what’s elected is what there is. No option for either of us to stay in business and try to negotiate a deal we like better. Vote the new government in, hand off to it, and be done with it.”
Cameron Nguyen-Peters nodded. “I believe I understand your proposal in broad outline, and of course we’ll want to go over the text of your order. May I ask what you’re hoping we’ll do in return?”
“Nothing,” Weisbrod said. “This isn’t a negotiating position. It’s the right thing to do, so I’m doing it unilaterally.”
“Oh.” Cam was genuinely smiling. “I thought that might be the case. In that case, we’ll need to issue a similar order, also unilaterally, so that we’re all in good faith here. If you don’t mind I’d like to look over the exact text of your order; perhaps we could order exactly the same one.”
Grayson sat bolt upright. “Sir, this really requires discussion.”
Allison Sok Banh’s expression was very like the general’s, but prettier. “Shouldn’t the staff explore some proposals—”
“Oh, exactly,” Cam said. “If you’ve got copies of your text, Graham, maybe we should adjourn for twenty minutes or so to read it?”
“Right here,” Graham said. “And I have copies for my side as well. Heather, do we have any kind of separate conference rooms available?”
James, from his corner, thought that the biggest problem in moving to separate caucuses might be maneuvering everyone around all the dropped jaws on the floor.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER. PUEBLO, COLORADO. 11 AM MST. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025.
The door had barely closed before Whilmire asked, “Did you even intend to consult with us?” in a tone suitable for asking a waiter what’s in the food while hoping not to learn anything.
“We agreed,” Cam said, “that you would always be informed. And so you are. You know what’s being said as soon as it’s said. As for the policy Graham Weisbrod announced, if it’s as advertised, it simply declares that we are going to do our duty, as bound by our oaths—that is my oath and the general’s, Reverend. As a gesture to allay some very legitimate public concerns about whether the Constitution is going to stand, considering the recent unrest about that very issue, it seems wise. Now let’s use our time and make sure it says what Graham Weisbrod says it says.”
“Just when what’s always been the best part of the country has the freedom to be the way it should be, you go running to bring these people back.” Whilmire stared at Cameron Nguyen-Peters as if he were a specimen in a pathology lab.
“Those people are as American as you or I,” Cam said, “and the Constitution says what it says. We work for the American people, not the church-approved people, and we took our oath to the Constitution, not to Jesus. Or to Reverend Peet—since some people confuse the two. For example, the Constitution allows me to say things that piss you off, such as, for example, that there has not been any Rapture, there never was going to be, there never will be, and that what you’re running is an exceedingly cruel con game on people who have lost loved ones.”
There was a stunned silence.
“Well,” Cam said, “I don’t know about anyone else, but I found that rather refreshing. Reverend, if your Post Raptural Church intends to gerrymander the nation so that your followers are a majority in the rump that’s left, you will not only have a fight from those of us loyal to the nation as a whole, you will have an even bigger fight from those of us who might be trapped in the rump. The United States is going back together, without provisos or take-backs. The president elected in 2026 will be the president of the whole thing. Now let’s look and make sure that Graham Weisbrod is committed to that too, and that he’s not pulling a fast one.”
The silence dragged on until Whilmire said, “I’ll pray for you.”
“Let me know how that works out.” Cameron sat still for a long moment. “And the document?”
Grayson took his copy, put it on the table in front of him, and adjusted his reading glasses. “I’m no lawyer but I’ll do my best.” He pointedly did not look up at his father-in-law.
Whilmire pretended that the paper was not there, and said, “I need to pray—”
“Daddy,” Jenny said, “maybe you and I should have a little talk outside. While the Natcon and the general see what they can figure out about that document, I mean. Why don’t you and I have a chat?”
She led her father out by the arm. As soon as the door closed, Grayson, not looking up, murmured, “She’ll get us the time to work but we better use it.”
Cam nodded, and brought his concentration to the pages before him. A few minutes later, he said, “I see nothing wrong on the first reading.”
“If I were teaching a class on writing orders,” Grayson said, “I’d use this as a model, and it says exactly what he said it does.”
“One more time through?”
“We should.”
At the third time through, they agreed that there was no question: it unambiguously ordered every Federal office and officer to accept, support, and obey the government elected in 2026. “And actually,” Grayson said, “those last three paragraphs boil down to No barracks lawyering, no attempts at barracks lawyering, and you know damn well what I mean by ‘ barracks lawyering’ so don’t even think about it. They make it better.”