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“Mr. Secretary, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there an implied threat in what you said before? You said that if McNab asks for immediate retirement, that ‘will be the end of it.’ The end of what, Mr. Secretary? If General McNab declines to ask to be retired, then what?”
Beiderman didn’t reply for a long moment. Then he said, “General, it is our duty to work together to get through this awkward situation.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Mr. Secretary.”
“Then I suppose the President will fire him.”
“Mr. Secretary, did you see the photographs of Mr. Roscoe Danton in that stack?”
Beiderman nodded.
“And of the President’s former press secretary, Mr. Parker?” Beiderman nodded again.
“Mr. Secretary, do you think POTUS has considered the very real possibility that if what he desires actually occurs, then it will be a front-page story in The Washington Times-Post and all over Wolf News? And all over all the other media, thanks to Mr. Parker?”
When Beiderman didn’t reply, Naylor went on: “Wolf News—the press generally—will have a field day with that, Mr. Secretary. ‘President Clendennen Fires Top Green Beret because Green Berets Walk Out on His Remarks at Arlington Funeral.’ ”
Beiderman looked stricken.
“Mr. Secretary, I suggest that you and I have a duty to protect the President from something like that. Both President Clendennen personally and the office of POTUS. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Are you open to suggestion, Mr. Secretary?”
Beiderman nodded.
“If you and I fly to Fort Bragg right now, Mr. Secretary, and comply with the President’s order to show McNab these photographs, and then offer him the opportunity to immediately resign—”
“The President didn’t order me to go to Fort Bragg, General,” Beiderman interrupted. “He ordered me to come here to give you those goddamn pictures and order you to deal with General McNab.”
“I beg your pardon, sir.”
“You realize, Naylor, that if a story like that comes out, and since Roscoe Danton was at that goddamn party, it’s a given that it will come out, then you know who the President is going to blame.”
“Sir, apropos of nothing whatever, I’m sure you will agree that when people lose their tempers, they sometimes act irrationally.”
“What are you driving at, General?”
“I wouldn’t want to be quoted on this, sir.”
“But?”
“While I can certainly understand the President’s anger at having McNab’s people walk out on his remarks . . . there are those who might say his reaction to the insult was a bit irrational.”
“I don’t like where this conversation appears to be going, General.”
“Sir, when people . . . anyone . . . has a little time to think things over, to realize that when they were angry they did some things, said some things in the heat of anger, that they wish they hadn’t done or said.”
“Jumping to the bottom line, you’re suggesting that in a day or two the President will cool off. Okay. He probably will. So what do we do today?”
“When you arrived here, Mr. Secretary, I told you that I would comply with the President’s desires the moment General McNab returned from Afghanistan, which should be in the next few days.”
“McNab isn’t in Afghanistan.”
“He can be on his way to Afghanistan in a very few minutes.” Beiderman looked at him with his eyebrows raised.
