The Three Sisters (53 page)

“Now, some of you may be concerned about what will happen to the other branches of government. The members of Congress and the Justices of the Supreme Court will remain unaffected by my decision to finish my term of office. The present Congress, at my request, will remain in Washington. I hope to discuss with them the pressing issues which we face and to use their advice to solve the problems we must now tackle. In
1982
, there will once again be regular Congressional elections. By then, America will have been redirected to the road of economic, political and military strength which it must follow if we are to solve the challenges which lie ahead. Then, in
1984
, having done the work I have set for myself, I shall step down and allow a new American to be elected president. By then I am confident that the world will once again be prosperous and secure so I can leave this office knowing that I have fulfilled the goals I have laid down
for myself.

“Finally, I address you, the American people. There are many decisions to be made in the future months, and I will need your full support in working for the great causes which America represents. I have always dedicated myself to achieving world peace and have devoted all my energy to making this a safe world for us and for our grandchildren Though some will not be happy with my decision, and let me tell you, it was a difficult decision to make, I know that all true Americans will stand by me for together we can once again make America the greatest and most powerful nation in
the world.

“Thank you.”

CHAPTER XXI

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to
be merry.

–
Luke
15
:
24

or the first time since Faith, Hope, and Charity had left Washington, D.C., for California almost nine months before, the three sisters returned to their house in Virginia, accompanied by the serious-looking silent secret service men who now accompanied the three wherever they went. The house had been kept up during the previous seven months by Mr. and Mrs. Ram who had been assigned the task after the three sisters had been arrested at the Washington Monument. The Rams had stayed in the guest bedroom during the three’s incarceration, and had left the three sisters’ rooms alone, save for
occasional cleaning.

“There’s no place like home,” quoted Regina from
The Wizard of Oz
as the three walked into their house. None of them had slept in over a day and each was exhausted, but before they collapsed into their own beds, they each toured the house to make sure everything was just as they had left it nine months before. And with one exception, everything was just as the three had remembered it. The exception was
K’s room.

Coito had always cultivated disorder in her room, as in every other part of her life, setting furniture at angles to the walls and to other pieces of furniture so nothing was perpendicular or parallel to anything else. Posters and pictures were hung from the ceiling, pushed up into corners, taped up crookedly, upside down, or all of the above so the room was always colorful and alive. The posters and pictures were taped up so they often fell down, and when Coito was at home, she was continually replacing old posters with new ones. This way Coito never had to sleep in the same room for a very
long time.

Mrs. Ram, however, had zealously chosen to set the room of K which stood for chaos in order, not knowing that for Coito, order was a fate worse than death. “No wonder so many Japanese commit
seppuku
,” K had once said. “They go batty from so many formalities.”

Immediately, Coito began pulling posters off the wall and pushed them back against the corners, or however they would fall. She pulled the furniture away from the walls, pushed some pieces over, and continued at a frenzied pace until the room had returned to its former state of disorder. Thus satisfied, Coito walked over to her bed, threw the covers back, and went
to sleep.

The other rooms had been kept immaculate, but no such conflict occurred between Theodora and the Rams. Her room was as composed and orderly as it had been since the day the three had moved into the house. Thea’s books and records were still neatly organized in her bookcase while her other possessions sat silently in their place. How many times had she thought she would never hear her recordings of Bach again (including some rare
78
s), or read her Shakespeare? But they were all there, waiting to be enjoyed at her leisure. Theodora picked out a Bach
Sonata for Solo Violin
, put it on her stereo, and sat back in her chair to listen and let order be restored to her world before she
fell asleep.

Regina went up to her room to make sure everything was as she had left it. And it was. Her
The Awful Truth
poster was untouched as were her photographs, movie magazines, albums and other memorabilia. Regina looked over everything, delighted in the memories she associated with each item, and realized how wonderful it was to
be alive.

The three sisters had survived the Festivities by the skin of their teeth, and they were determined not to return to the
status quo ante
of their lives. But before they embarked upon new paths, they had to celebrate the failure of the Festivities with their friends. For the rest of the week, those who had stuck by the three until the end were invited over to the three sisters’ house each night to help celebrate the three’s new lease
on life.

For Regina, it was the second time she had cheated death. The first had occurred when she had left Central America after Sister Clara had been murdered. Now, both Coito and Theodora knew what it was like to dodge death’s door. “No Seventh Seal yet,” Regina
told them.

The pessimism of the last few days before the crucifixion had given way to the euphoria that comes from being reborn. Now Coito and Theodora understood that Regina’s happy-go-lucky attitude came not from her lack of understanding of the problems of life, but from the appreciation of knowing how important it is to live life to its fullest while it still existed. Their shared experience and feelings brought them closer, and now they understood and empathized with each other in ways that had not been
possible before.

If the three’s evil evenings that week were not as wild as their friends remembered some of the platonic orgies to have been, there was a reason for this. Each of the three had changed quite a lot in the previous nine months, and they were still making the mental adjustment to being free and alive once again, but just as important, the three sisters were preparing to throw a single grand evening of DeMilleian debaucheries to celebrate their pardon with everyone whom they still counted as their friends. The Greatest Platonic Orgy of All Time, as concupiscible K billed it with typical overstatement, was planned for Friday, December
28
and would continue as long as their guests could survive.

Though they had decided to quit the Kennedy Center for good because of what Victor had done, they still wanted to return to see their friends. Moreover, since they had survived the Festivities, Victor owed them quite a tidy sum of money, enough to last them for the rest of their lives, since Virnovak Enterprises now had to pay the three sisters the royalties on their souvenirs, the Confessions, the Festivities, and other money-making activities that were due them. Unwilling to throw away a million dollars despite what Victor had done, the three consented to one last meeting with Victor, though they swore they would never see him again.

Keeping their promise, the three sisters went to the Kennedy Center on Thursday morning, and went to Victor’s office on the top floor of the Kennedy Center where they waited for him and
their checks.

“Thought you’d never see this room again, didn’t you?” asked Victor as he entered his office. No kisses were exchanged. “Hasn’t changed much. Few pictures taken down, replaced. Get tired shooting the same old people.” The three sisters, a little tired and perhaps grouchy, were not in a mood for idle conversation. “K, why the
serious mien?”

“Victor, we’re hardly in the mood for discussing the weather. Let’s get it over with. Where are
the checks?”

“Still mad ’cause of the crucifixion? Be realistic, K. Did save your skins. If truth must out, military wanted to wait ’till after crucifixion was over and you three were dead. Make sure people saw government’d gone too far. Wasn’t for me, you three wouldn’t be here now. Have your ashes scattered on the Potomac instead. Ought to give me credit where it’s due, at least. All’s well that
ends well.”

“What a friend we have in Victor,” sang Coito cynically. “Just remind me whose idea the crucifixion was?” asked K, referring to Victor’s
inexpiable action.

“Besides, tried warn you everything was OK night of the Festivities, but you wouldn’t let me. Still have that bump on the head you
gave me.”

“Did you have the whole thing planned from the start?” asked Theodora. “It all seems almost logical now, the Supreme Court, the air force base where we were held, the trial,
and then…”

“Actually, had no plan. Crossed each bridge when I got to it and all that. Starting last May, matters just took their own course. Like natural chain reaction, one thing led to the next,” explained Victor, suddenly swinging around and shooting a portrait of Machiavelli. “At the time, had no idea your arrests would lead to the Trial, or Confessions, or all the publicity, or Virnovak, or the conviction, or the Festivities, or the coup. Who would’ve? Gotta admit though, had the time of
my life.”

“But you were the one who suggested that we die,” screamed Coito. “You can’t deny that,
you bastard.”

“Maybe played a role, suggested idea. Hardly could’ve hypnotized all of Washington into doing
my bidding.”

“Victor, I just don’t understand how
you could…”

“Made it more of a challenge. Had hoped I could figure out something, though I didn’t know what, and I did. Besides, if I’d planned whole shenanigans out to start with, known the whole ballgame beforehand, wouldn’t’ve been such a challenge, wouldn’t’ve been as risky. Would’ve abandoned it, let a secretary handle it. Idea of crucifixion came. So struck by it, had to act. Forgot myself. Only considered consequences later. I admit though, acted before I thought, but you can understand
that, K.

“Coup wasn’t all my idea either. Military’s mainly. Slowly getting squeezed out of budget by social programs. Missed golden days of fifties and sixties when had lion’s share of budget. Used to have almost ten percent of GNP, now only five percent. Saw the shape of things to come. Besides, military hated Carter. Needed midwife to legitimize the coup. Got Nixon. Believe me, wanted tell you three dozen times, but couldn’t. Didn’t dare risk
a leak.”

“Victor, don’t you realize what you’ve done?” asked Theodora. “You talk about all this as if it were some game, some business deal, but the military, it overthrew the government of the United States. This is America, not some banana republic. I just can’t fathom anyone supporting or doing what
you did.”

“Figured we’d be better off with them than against them. Don’t worry though, soon as budget’s returned to normal, soon as situation’s stabilized, probably go back to barracks. Politics too disorganized for military to enjoy running things. Gotta admit, girls, things were getting out of hand. Everyone looking out for themselves, things started falling apart. Look, you know history, Thea. Military’s always played stabilizing role. Always been there in case radicals, left or right, got out of hand. Workers rebelled, troops sent in. Had Hoovervilles, troops wiped them up. States refused integrate or had riots, sent in National Guard. Colleges rebelled in sixties, troops protected citizens. Country supported
them, too.

“Gotta remember, though, soldiers just paid to do their job. Besides, look at McCarthy, running wild in the fifties, had all intellectuals scared to death. Especially the State Department. Probably gone on for years if he hadn’t attacked the army. Wrong move there. Can’t ignore military anymore. Too much vested interest. Where Carter went wrong. Didn’t pay enough attention to them. Cut B-
1
, other programs, military saw the light. Everyone else got something out of the Festivities, why shouldn’t the military? Gotta be fair girls. Military realized when so few protested against crucifixion, would meet only minimal resistance if it
took over.”

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Kathryn Land, Victor’s secretary, walked in and handed six checks to Victor who then walked over to each of the three, handed them two checks apiece, and went back to his desk where he continued to pace
the floor.

“There you are, first checks from Virnovak Enterprises As you can see, one dated December
31
, other January
1
for tax purposes. Won’t be last checks either. Rest of it in trust funds, be handed out periodically. That’ll be best for taxes and all that. If greedy, can have it all now, but you’ll just be handing it all over to Uncle Sam. Bottom line, each of you millionaires, thanks to Virnovak Enterprises. Have freedom to do whatever you want.” Coito began snickering, almost laughing. “What’s so
funny, K?”

“It’s just absurd. A week ago we were to be sacrificed on national TV for the good of the country. Now
we’re millionaires.”

“Free enterprise, girls. Only in America. Listen, wanted you three up here anyway. Like to have you stay on with me, Kennedy Center, Virnovak Enterprises, even as consultants. Only appear occasionally, help on ideas, presentation, things like that. Give you much freedom as
you like.”

“No, Victor,” said Theodora. “You’ve got to be crazy. After all you’ve done and all that’s happened, there’s no way we would stay on now. The Kennedy Center is not in
our plans.”

“Sure you won’t change
your minds?”

“Victor, don’t push your luck,” warned K sternly. “You got off lightly with just
a bump.”

“All right, didn’t know you were so sensitive. Anyway, each of you decided what you’re going
to do?”