Free Biblical by Christopher Galt Page B

behaved as if something or someone out of sight has caused her concern or alarm.”
    “And when the security people arrive, there’s no one there?”
    “Exactly. I have to tell you that the President has not always been alone during these episodes. Four members of staff have been present when Mrs Yates has been distressed by something only she would appear to have been able to see. Because no one other than you and I has been privy to the nature of these episodes, I’m concerned that rumors may begin to circulate and questions be asked about the President’s state of mind. About her fitness for office.”
    “I have to say, Colonel Ward, that if President Yates has been subject to the delusional episodes described in the dossier you sent, then my professional opinion would tend to come down on the side of at least a hiatus while she’s fully psych-assessed. I’m sure there are mechanisms for the Vice President temporarily taking over the reins without any kind of
official
transfer.”
    “I would agree,” said Ward, reaching for a second document in the case, “if we were dealing with the President and the President alone.”
    “I don’t—”
    “These
episodes
,” Ward interrupted, “to which the President has been subject … well, to be frank, they’re not isolated. This is a confidential report on the airliner crash in Michigan last month. There are transcripts of the conversations between the pilot and co-pilot and between the cabin and air traffic control. You’ll see some of the concerns raised by the investigating officer. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are running the investigation.”
    “This is relevant?” asked Hoberman, flicking through the pages.
    “Read it at your leisure and judge for yourself. It’s one of several instances of people seeing things that weren’t there. More than you would normally expect, and the people involved otherwise not prone to delusional disorders.”
    “So what is it you expect from me?” asked Hoberman. “I mean specifically?”
    “To begin with a professional opinion, obviously. But I’d like you to consider staying on here for a few days. If, as I suspect, we are dealing with something broader than the President’s experiences, I would appreciate you heading a task force to get to the bottom of it.”
    Hoberman laughed. “Only if you call it something other than a task force. And what do you mean, ‘something broader’?”
    “I mean if there is some kind of connection with other incidents, like the airplane crash. I had to ask you to come here because we need to assess and if necessary treat the President on the move, as it were. This is a critical point in her Presidency. You know, of course, about the Deeper Integration Act that’s going through the European Parliament, and the Quartet Peace Accord brokered with Israel?”
    “Of course I do. I watch the news.”
    “For the first time since the formation of the State of Israel, we may be about to see a lasting, even permanent peace and possible accession to the EU of Israel, the Palestinian State and Lebanon. I don’t need to tell you that such events are changing the political map of the world in a way we haven’t seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall. US interests could be compromised if there’s not a steady hand at the tiller. When you read the Michigan crash report, you’ll see that there’s a concern that some kind of neurological agent may have been used. We have to consider the possibility of some agency seeking to destabilize the US leadership.”
    “You believe the President may have been exposed to some kind of hallucinogen?” Hoberman asked.
    “It’s unlikely – there’s been nothing in toxicology to indicate the presence of an agent – but it’s entirely possible. I’ve no idea
what
could be causing a stable mind like the President’s to manifest hallucinations. That’s what I’d like you to help me find out.”
    Hoberman sighed and again looked