Even astronauts didn’t get invitations. “Put him through, Barb.”
Godwin appeared on-screen. He was a long, angular guy with a polished scalp and a white beard. “Jerry,” he said, “how are you?” On the few occasions Jerry had seen him, he had radiated serenity. A nuclear war could have broken out, and Godwin would have remained perfectly relaxed. He smiled and somehow managed to suggest that he and Jerry were old friends. “We wanted to invite you to appear on the show.”
“Bill, I’m seriously tied up.”
“Come on, Jerry. You can make time for us. I mean, that’s your job, isn’t it?”
Damn.
He didn’t have an easy way out. “When did you have in mind?”
“Well—” Godwin delivered a smile. “How about tonight?”
“You normally restrict the show to political guests, Bill. What would we be talking about?” He wasn’t sure why he bothered to ask.
“What the future looks like from NASA’s point of view. And, of course, we’d be interested in knowing what the dustup was between you and Frank Kirby today.”
“The show originates in New York, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“There’s no way I could get there.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have to, Jerry. We have people in Florida. They could come in and set you up, and you’d do the show from your office. Or even your home, if you like. Your call.”
“I think I better pass. I’m seriously on the run at the moment.”
“Okay. Sure. Whatever you want. But I have to tell you that we’d have no choice but to make an announcement that you declined an invitation to appear.”
“Come on, Bill. You’re not really going to make an issue of this, are you?”
“Jerry, the guy gets a community service award, then gives it back before he’s even out of the building. It’s a human-interest story. And I know you want to explain your side of this.”
“Have you invited Mr. Kirby?”
“We have. But he won’t be able to make it.”
“Are you going to make an announcement about
that
?”
“No need to. Look, we’d like to have him. But you’re really the guy we want. You’re at the center of this.”
Jerry stared out at the sky. It was growing dark. Approaching rain. “What time?” he asked.
—
Mary stiffened. “Al Koestler?” She stared at him out of the monitor. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jerry. There’s no way you can win.”
“If I’d ducked, you know what they’d have said.”
“I know.” She looked down, scribbled a note to herself. “Okay. Do it.” Her features softened. “You’ll be all right. Koestler’s just a windbag.”
Limit the damage. It’s all you can do.
—
They would do the broadcast from Jerry’s home. It was a good choice. It had been a long day, and he needed to get away from the office. He ate at his favorite restaurant, Dixie Crossroads Seafood in Titusville, but never tasted the food.
The TV crew arrived shortly before seven and began setting up. Mary called to reassure him. “You’ll get through it all right, Jerry,” she said. “Just hang loose.”
A makeup guy patted powder on his nose and cheeks. Then a young woman explained about the lights on the cameras and how he should talk to the lens. It was all stuff he knew, that anybody knew, but he let her go on. “You won’t be on until the second segment,” she explained. Her name was Shirley. Unlike Koestler, she seemed reasonable, and he would have preferred to have her conduct the interview.
A bright moon was visible in the trees. While Jerry stared out at it, they moved the wingback chair away from the window and put it beside a desk, then set up a camera so that the desk would occupy the background. As eight o’clock approached, a young man who seemed to be the director suggested he sit down in the chair. Jerry complied.
He’d done interview shows before, during his years as a campaign front man. But nothing on this scale, nothing on cable news that would go out to the entire nation.
Godwin appeared on-screen. He was a long, angular guy with a polished scalp and a white beard. “Jerry,” he said, “how are you?” On the few occasions Jerry had seen him, he had radiated serenity. A nuclear war could have broken out, and Godwin would have remained perfectly relaxed. He smiled and somehow managed to suggest that he and Jerry were old friends. “We wanted to invite you to appear on the show.”
“Bill, I’m seriously tied up.”
“Come on, Jerry. You can make time for us. I mean, that’s your job, isn’t it?”
Damn.
He didn’t have an easy way out. “When did you have in mind?”
“Well—” Godwin delivered a smile. “How about tonight?”
“You normally restrict the show to political guests, Bill. What would we be talking about?” He wasn’t sure why he bothered to ask.
“What the future looks like from NASA’s point of view. And, of course, we’d be interested in knowing what the dustup was between you and Frank Kirby today.”
“The show originates in New York, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“There’s no way I could get there.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have to, Jerry. We have people in Florida. They could come in and set you up, and you’d do the show from your office. Or even your home, if you like. Your call.”
“I think I better pass. I’m seriously on the run at the moment.”
“Okay. Sure. Whatever you want. But I have to tell you that we’d have no choice but to make an announcement that you declined an invitation to appear.”
“Come on, Bill. You’re not really going to make an issue of this, are you?”
“Jerry, the guy gets a community service award, then gives it back before he’s even out of the building. It’s a human-interest story. And I know you want to explain your side of this.”
“Have you invited Mr. Kirby?”
“We have. But he won’t be able to make it.”
“Are you going to make an announcement about
that
?”
“No need to. Look, we’d like to have him. But you’re really the guy we want. You’re at the center of this.”
Jerry stared out at the sky. It was growing dark. Approaching rain. “What time?” he asked.
—
Mary stiffened. “Al Koestler?” She stared at him out of the monitor. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jerry. There’s no way you can win.”
“If I’d ducked, you know what they’d have said.”
“I know.” She looked down, scribbled a note to herself. “Okay. Do it.” Her features softened. “You’ll be all right. Koestler’s just a windbag.”
Limit the damage. It’s all you can do.
—
They would do the broadcast from Jerry’s home. It was a good choice. It had been a long day, and he needed to get away from the office. He ate at his favorite restaurant, Dixie Crossroads Seafood in Titusville, but never tasted the food.
The TV crew arrived shortly before seven and began setting up. Mary called to reassure him. “You’ll get through it all right, Jerry,” she said. “Just hang loose.”
A makeup guy patted powder on his nose and cheeks. Then a young woman explained about the lights on the cameras and how he should talk to the lens. It was all stuff he knew, that anybody knew, but he let her go on. “You won’t be on until the second segment,” she explained. Her name was Shirley. Unlike Koestler, she seemed reasonable, and he would have preferred to have her conduct the interview.
A bright moon was visible in the trees. While Jerry stared out at it, they moved the wingback chair away from the window and put it beside a desk, then set up a camera so that the desk would occupy the background. As eight o’clock approached, a young man who seemed to be the director suggested he sit down in the chair. Jerry complied.
He’d done interview shows before, during his years as a campaign front man. But nothing on this scale, nothing on cable news that would go out to the entire nation.
Similar Books
