The Invitation(68)
“I’m sorry Rita. I…don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything, Kathryn.”
“Will you turn the TV on please, Rita?”
“Kathryn, are you sure you want me to do that? You know what they’re going to be talking about.”
“I know.”
“It would only upset you. Don’t.”
“No, no, I have to meet this head-on. I’m not going to hide from this. If I do, it’ll get the best of me.”
“Are you sure, Kathryn?”
“I’ll be all right. I want to know what they’re saying, please.”
As Rita reaches for the TV remote, Kathryn Myers emotionally braces herself for what she’s about to hear. The announcer’s voice is subdued and lugubrious.
“Ladies and gentlemen we now have with us in our studio Senator Walter Merrick of Maryland. Senator Merrick we first want to thank you for coming in on what for you must be a difficult day.”
“I’m happy to be with you, John.”
“Sir, can I ask you what your reaction is to the news conference held this morning, with the director of the FBI, Senator Fields, and CIA Director Stuart?”
“Before I respond, John, I want to express my deepest sympathy to members of President Myers’ family, both to his mother and wife. So we need to keep them in our prayers.”
“Yes, Sir, thank you for that.”
“Now to your question, John. I think that this day will be remembered as one of the most shameful days in our nation’s history.”
“Sir, that’s pretty strong language. Why do you say that?”
“I watched the entire news conference. It was the most one-sided presentation I’ve ever heard.”
“What did you hear in the news conference to make you say that?”
“President Myers was practically accused of being a traitor. That’s what I heard. That’s what everybody heard.”
“You’re talking about the CIA directors comments.”
“That’s right. It’s utterly disgraceful that no one was at that news conference to speak for President Myers.”
“The director of the FBI stated this morning, Senator Merrick, that you were invited to be at this news conference. Is that true, Sir?”
“Yes, I was called on short notice early this morning, and I told the director’s secretary that my schedule made it impossible for me to be there. I assumed they would simply postpone it for a day or two.”
“Were you surprised they held this news conference so soon?”
“Shocked, John, that’s the word, shocked. I mean what’s the hurry? President Myers is not even in his grave yet, think about that.”
“Senator Fields, your colleague, was asked about that this morning, and as you heard, his response was they didn’t want to run the risk of very sensitive information being leaked from an unofficial source, which they say would add to public uncertainty. Do you buy that argument, Senator Merrick?”
“No, John, I don’t. They talk about information being leaked. Who are they talking about?”
“You’ll forgive me for asking, but is it possible they meant you when they said that, Senator?”
“Well you’ll have to ask them that question, but I can assure you I would never leak information for political gain.”
“Speaking of sensitive information, is it true that you, Senator Fields, and CIA Director Stuart were shown the FBI evidence in question?”
“Yes, it is.”
“And this consisted of a two-hour video recording of Ken Myers when he was in college?”
“That’s correct.”
“And a brain scan of President Myers, is that right, Senator Merrick?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly did you see on this brain scan?”
“I saw what was described at the news conference this morning.”
“CIA Director Stuart described it as being some type of microchip, a microprocessor of some kind. Is that what it looked like to you, Senator Merrick?”
“Yes.”
“And this object was embedded inside the brain of Ken Myers. Is that correct?”
“That’s what I was told.”
“How do you explain that, Senator Merrick?”
“I can’t explain it.”
“Well, let me ask you this, and I want to let our affiliates know that we’re going to run over a little, because I think the American people would like to hear this from you. My question to you, Senator Merrick, is this: do you dispute any of the facts that were presented at this morning’s news conference?”
“I don’t dispute the facts, John, but let me say I do dispute the unwarranted inferences that were manufactured from them.”