Wild Cards [06] Ace in the Hole by George R.R. Martin

man's name badge said. He had a broken nose and a little silver Christian cross pinned to his collar.
    Great, Jack thought. Probably a Barnett supporter. He unclipped his ID and floor pass from his pocket and waved them in the guard's face.
    "I'm a delegate. It's okay."
    "No one gets through this door. Ever. Those are my instructions. "
    "I'm a delegate."
    Connally appeared to reconsider. "Okay. Let's see that ID."
    Jack handed it over. Connally squinted as he looked at it. When he looked up, there was an evil grin on his face. "You don't look sixty-four to me," he said.
    "I'm well-preserved."
    The guard reached for his walkie-talkie. "This is Connally. Situation Three."
    Jack waved his arms. "What the hell is that?"
    "You're under arrest, asshole. Impersonating a delegate." "I ant a delegate."
    "The Secret Service are on their way. You can talk to them."
    Jack stared at the guard in rising despair. This, he realized, was only Monday.
    12:00 NOON
    "Devils and ancestors. What are you doing here?"
    Jack Braun eyed Tachyon sourly. "I'm headed for that bar." His long arm speared the underside of the raised piano bar. "For a drink ... or two ... or three, and if anybody tries to get in my way-"
    "You should be on the convention floor."
    "I was trying to get to the goddamn convention floor when this lard-assed security guard accused me of impersonating a delegate, and had me arrested. It took Charles Devaughn to cut me loose. So I've had a rather trying morning, Tachyon, and I'm going to get a drink."
    "The Barnett forces are desperately politicking for delegates. You need to be there to keep California solid."
    "Tachyon, in case you've forgotten; I'm the head of the California delegation. I think I can handle it." Braun roared, and several ever vigilant reporters craned to see the fight. "Jesus, you've been an American citizen what, five, six months, and already you're an authority on American politics?"
    "Anything I do, I do well," replied Tachyon primly, but he was working to subdue a smile. Braun spotted it and suddenly grinned.
    "Relax, Tachyon. Gregg's not going to lose California."
    "Jesse Jackson wants to talk to me," said Tach with one of his bewilderingly abrupt changes of topic.
    "Are you going to?"
    "I don't know. I might learn something."
    "I doubt it. Jesse's one smart operator. And besides, you're not working for the Hartmann campaign. Objectivity of the press and all that."
    Tachyon frowned. "What do you think he could want?"
    "At a guess I'd say your support."
    "I have no delegates, no influence."
    "Balony. Tachyon, these conventions are like a big shambling dinosaur. A prod in the ass can sometimes start the whole beast off in a new direction. If you were to switch your support, many of the jokers would follow. People might decide that you knew something. It could tilt things toward Jackson, and that's what he's after."
    "Then I won't see him. This convention is tOO close already."
    "Drink?"
    "No, thank you. I think I'll head over to the convention center."
    Jack started up the stairs. Tachyon stared at that broad back and powerful shoulders and wondered if he could shift some of his burdens onto those shoulders.
    "Jack."
    Something of his confusion and fear must have penetrated, for Braun paused part way up the stairs, and walked slowly back down. Laying his hands on Tachyon's shoulders, he frowned down at the smaller man. "What? What's wrong?"
    "Do you think ... do you think it's possible for one of the candidates to be an ace?"
    "What, here?"
    "Yes, of course here! No, the candidate for dog catcher in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Don't be an imbecile!"
    "I'm not, you just took me off guard, that's all. Why? You got something?"
    "No," he said airily, and suspicion flared in the big ace's blue eyes.
    "It's hooey ... bunk. Nobody could keep a thing like that hidden from the press. Remember Hart."
    "He was careless."
    "Look, if you're worried check it out. You could do it easily enough."
    "Yes, but information received