Cut and Thrust

53

Stone sat and stared at Ann. “Did Kate tell you that?”

“No, she didn’t, but you know how cool and calm Kate always is?”

“Yes, I’ve noticed that about her.”

“Well, now she’s nervous to the point where she’s been throwing up. I’ve caught her twice.”

“I should think that being the candidate is enough to make her nervous.”

“Maybe, but have you seen any of the campaign commercials?”

“Only one.”

“Did you notice how she seemed to... glow?”

“That was probably just makeup.”

“She wasn’t wearing makeup,” Ann said. “The director told her she didn’t need it. Only two things make a woman glow like that — a new love or pregnancy.”

“I wouldn’t think there would be time in her life for a new love.”

“No, there wouldn’t be, and she loves Will Lee so intensely that it just wouldn’t be possible.”

“So, to your mind, the only other possibility is...”

“Exactly.”

“Let me ask you this: If she were pregnant, do you think she would tell you?”

“I’ve thought about that, and I believe she would. I don’t think she would tell Molly, they don’t have that kind of relationship — but Kate and I do.”

“Would she tell Will?”

“Oh, yes, she wouldn’t keep that from him.”

“How old is Kate?”

“That’s classified,” Ann said, “and you will never have a high enough security clearance to find out.”

“All right, is she fifty yet?”

“I’ll give you that much — no.”

“Has she been through menopause?”

“No. I would know about that.”

“Then it’s possible she could be pregnant.”

“It’s extremely unlikely. I mean, she has the son, Peter, from her first marriage to Simon Rule, but that was a long time ago. I happen to know that she and Will have one hell of a good sex life — that’s classified, too — but I always thought Will might be sterile. On the other hand, she could have been on the pill all that time.”

“Well, it would certainly be a first,” Stone said. “A pregnant presidential candidate.”

“The first that we know about,” Ann said.

“Have you thought about the ramifications?”

“I’ve thought of nothing else all day. All week, really, but my suspicion has been growing.”

“Are you going to ask her?”

“Certainly not — that would limit her options.”

“How do you mean, options?”

“Well, she could choose to have an abortion,” Ann said. “She’s strongly pro-choice, and I assume for herself as much as for other women.”

“If she decided to do that, do you think she would reveal it — either before or after the fact?”

“Certainly not before the fact, but after, who knows? I mean, there are more people in this country who favor a woman having the option, if polls are to be believed.”

“And most of those who are opposed to it would be opposed to Kate anyway, wouldn’t they?”

“Among Republicans, yes. Among independents, maybe. It’s not a political calculation I’d want to have to make.”

“Then suppose she decides to have the baby? That would pose wardrobe problems, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t think so. After all, Kate is tall and slim, and she told me once that when she was pregnant with Peter, she hardly showed at all. She was an analyst at the Agency then, and she wasn’t sure how her superiors would react, since they were all men at that time.”

“Then she might be able to keep a pregnancy secret, until after the election?”

“Conceivably,” Ann said, “pun intended.”

“All right, suppose she announced it, or that the news leaked? What effect would it have on the campaign?”

“I believe,” Ann said, “not to put too fine a point on it, it would cause the biggest fucking uproar you could possibly imagine. Think of the royal baby, and multiply that by a hundred.”

“What kind of uproar? Favorable or unfavorable?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. It’s the sort of thing we’d need to do a poll on, and we certainly can’t do that.”

“What about the opinion of women?”

“My guess would be, supportive, at least most women.”

“And men?”

“Horrified. But maybe I’m wrong, who knows?”

“What are you going to do, Ann?”

“I’m going to wait until Kate decides to tell me.”

“And what will you do then?”

“Punt.”