Dante moved away from the window and spoke in a pleading voice but still looked more at the ground than at his friend.
"The more you fight the Senate, the more it drags things down. The people are complaining because they're worried that the Senate means nothing. They're worried you're going to be a dictator for life. Hey, like it or not most of the people living in your Empire were Americans before. You know, land of liberty and freedom and all that. They've followed you this far, but they need some assurances before they take this fight around the world." Trevor grunted and said off-the-cuff, "That sounds like Evan Godfrey talking." "It is." Trevor whipped around on Dante and glared.
Before he could say a word, Dante Jones reminded, "When things went to Hell after New Winnabow, I worked with Godfrey to keep it under control. When you went away, I worked with him and Jon to hold together the mess you left us in. With everything happening now, Godfrey came to me off the record to offer, I guess, an olive branch."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, really. And he makes sense, man. People are worried about the future." "There won't be a future if we don't win this war, Dante." "There won't be any war if this falls apart. Can you put aside your ego for five minutes?" "Ego? You think I like this?"
"No, man, I know you never wanted any of this. I get it. But when it comes to Godfrey, you've got an ego. You once told me that you'd do anything for the great cause, right?"
From the moment he had been given responsibility for humanity's survival he knew he had to be a leader like no other. Everything he did must be to further the cause. Sometimes that meant standing his ground with complete resolve, other times that meant a humiliating retreat in order to live to fight another day.
He could do all that…yet refused to swallow his pride and deal with Godfrey.
Dante said, "Some of the shit that's happened these past few years has really, you know, divided everyone. You act like you don't trust Internal Security and you don't trust the Senate. In fact, you really dig on them sometimes, like you're trying to insult them. You got to remember, those people got elected so each one of them has some kind of following. When you pick on the Senate, their voters take that personal."
Trevor opened his mouth, said nothing, and closed it again.
Dante went on, "You need to show some confidence in I.S. and in the Senate. Show the people out there that you respect these, I guess, institutions. Maybe you've got to kiss some ass, but you've done worse in the name of keeping things together." "What exactly does Evan want? A campaign donation?" Dante threw his arms up, grunted, and walked toward the door saying, "Never mind, Caesar. Forget it." "Wait." Dante stopped and turned to face Trevor but his eyes found the floor. "What does he want?" "He just wants to meet with you, man." "Great, have him come up and we'll meet." "No," Dante shook his head. "You need to go down there, to D.C." "What? Why?"
"To show that you respect what they're doing down there. Don't you get it? All you need to do is go down there, kiss some Senate ass, and meet with Evan on his turf. Show him and the other Senators some love. Show the public that you aren't some kind of brutal dictator. You know what people are thinking about that missile strike, Trev? They're thinking maybe next time it might just be your political enemies at home. That maybe anyone who speaks out against Trevor Stone might end up the same way."
It angered Trevor that Dante would suggest such a thing but the very emergence of that anger caused him to stop and wonder. On that other Earth, a Trevor Stone had led invaders to the Chaktaw's world for conquest. On that other Earth, this Trevor Stone had touched his own dark side. If alcoholics were told that they could never be cured until they admitted a problem, could the same hold true for despots?
He held his temper and replied, "So I go down there and bow down to the great politicians. All that does, Dante, is weaken my position."
Dante stepped forward and sold the package: "Not if Evan he holds a press conference, praises your leadership, and commits to keep the war going beyond the U.S. borders."
Trevor stood shell-shocked at the idea of Godfrey supporting the war beyond old America's boundaries.
Dante reacted to Trevor's gape, "That's right, buddy. With Godfrey supporting it, anyone else who speaks out against the war will be on their own. You won't have any hassles, the Senate can go on worrying over the shit you don't care about, and everyone will be happy."
"All Godfrey wants is a little respect? If I do this, we announce it to the press and all?"
"Evan suggested that you just announce you're going to D.C. to meet with him. Don't make it seem arranged. Then it'll come across like you two had a real heart-to-heart which ends up with you thanking him for what the Senate is doing and him giving you his full support."
Trevor's mind spun. He could not believe Evan Godfrey had given up the game. He felt certain that the Senator plotted some political trap and that he had turned poor Dante Jones into an unwitting accomplice. Nonetheless…
"I'll think about it."
Dante looked Trevor in the eye for the first time during the conversation and asked, "What have you got to lose? What's the worst that could happen?"
– After Dante delivered Evan's olive branch, Trevor strolled the halls of the estate for two hours trying to come to some sort of conclusion. He could list a dozen reasons why he should not reach out to Evan. How could a man be expected to make good with another who had slandered him so? Who stoked dissent and, possibly, even violence?
Trevor decided not to go, and immediately heard Dante's voice ringing in his ears: "Trevor murdered them…maybe they had a better idea, a different idea. Everything around here has to be exactly as Trevor says, right?"
No, Trevor would not do this for Evan Godfrey, but he might do it for Dante. Maybe if he took this one little step-showed this one concession-then when Evan springs his political trap Dante would see the truth about the Senator. If not, and if Dante stayed this close to Godfrey, Trevor would have to replace him. Maybe with Ray Roos.
By the time Trevor descended the steps to the council chamber in the basement, he had decided to go to Washington D.C., next week, meet with Evan Godfrey, go through the motions, and walk right into whatever game Evan meant to play. Trevor knew he always managed to out maneuver the Senator, perhaps whatever Evan planned would backfire; maybe even drive a stake through the pest's heart. More important, perhaps Trevor could repair his friendship with Dante Jones and prove to both himself and 'the people' that he would not become a tyrannical dictator.
Trevor found several dozen soldiers in the basement, some with bazookas, others with flamethrowers, even a few with mortars. They were plastic, of course, and scattered across the top of the otherwise vacant council table.
Those particular troopers ran in the ranks of JB's army, no doubt mustered to face a phalanx of Duass infantry or grapple with the metallic monsters of the Geryon's Steel Guard (forces Trevor had encountered on that parallel Earth and believed to be in Asia on this world). However, JB battled a more immediate threat. He crept along the wall next to the armory door with a rolled newspaper in his hand. "Um, JB?" JB held a finger to his lips, "Sshhhh." Trevor listened and, after a moment, he heard JB's prey: the buzz of a fly as it flew around the ceiling light above the table. The boy raced forward, swung his newspaper, and missed the insect. It buzzed off. "Trying to slay a fly, son?"
"Yes," Jorge Benjamin Stone answered in a stout voice. "It has been annoying me. I don't think I can finish the big battle with this constant buzzing in my ear."
Trevor nodded the way fathers nod at young boys about such things.
JB circled the table, cocked his newspaper, and swatted yet again. This time Trevor heard the sharp flap of the weapon striking home. JB grew a huge grin on his face and tracked down the corpse with glee.