Free James Potter And The Morrigan Web by George Norman Lippert Page B

have been an enemy, come to murder you right here at your breakfast. Then what would we all do?”
    Drummond shuddered. He stared speechlessly at the man. Had he literally just appeared there? Was it even possible? Yes, of course it was. The man was quite right. Since the Event, this truly was a New World.
    “Let me help you with that,” the robed man said, gesturing vaguely toward the broken coffee cup. Drummond saw a black stick in the man’s pale fingers. There was a faint spark of light, and the shattered cup snapped back into one piece. It lofted gently into the air and settled silently onto the table at Drummond’s right hand.
    “There,” the robed figure sighed, pocketing his wand. “No harm, no foul.”
    “Who are you?” Drummond said weakly, his heart pounding. “What do you want?”
    “For now, you may call me the Collector, Mr. President,” the man smiled. “And like I said, I want to help you. You and I have a mutual problem. Fortunately, we also have a mutual solution.
    Drummond forced himself to calm down. He sat up straight and tried to regain some sense of composure. “And what exactly is this mutual problem?”
    The robed man nodded toward the television. “A certain popular Senator with designs to occupy your office.”
    Drummond glanced toward the television, saw the impeccable grey hair and handsome features of Carla Murphy still talking easily with her interviewer.
    “She will succeed, you know,” the Collector said with a light sigh. “She is already far more popular than you. Frankly, she will make a much more effective leader than you. I would vote for her myself if I had the chance.”
    Drummond frowned, his cheeks reddening. “Then why help me?”
    “Because Senator Murphy has, shall we say, views that are counterproductive to our aims.”
    “When you say ‘we’,” Drummond said, peering closely at his visitor, “do you mean you and me… or you and others?”
    The Collector shrugged vaguely. “Yes.”
    Drummond considered this. “What do you propose? You should know that I won’t do anything unworthy of my office. I may not be the best statesman in the world, but I’m not above the law.”
    The Collector was already laughing, even as Drummond finished speaking. “How delightfully self-deceptive you people are,” he said with a shake of his head. “Already you have cheated, lied, and slandered, and yet you convince yourself that you are no worse than anyone else, that you have done only that which is required. How wonderfully resilient your consciences must be.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Drummond replied sternly, throwing his napkin onto the table. “And I don’t care how you came to be here. If you’re just going to make baseless allegations, you can vanish right back out of here.”
    “Calm yourself, Mr. President,” the robed figure soothed. “I do not judge you in the least for your actions. I respect what you have done to achieve your office. This is why I am confident that you will, indeed, allow me to help you.”
    Drummond bristled but leaned back in his chair. “All right, then, Mr. Collector . Assuming your assistance is something I could benefit from, what’s it going to cost me? Nobody gives free help in this town. What’s in it for you?”
    “It’s very simple, Mr. President,” the visitor answered. “You will make me your vice president.”
    Drummond startled. “ Vice president ? Are you crazy? I already have a vice president, if you haven’t noticed. Joe Mattigan is a good man, even if he is a bit of a media dullard. What am I supposed to do with him?”
    “That is not your problem, Mr. President,” the Collector announced breezily. “I simply require your promise, unbreakable and sealed, that if the post becomes available, you will name me to the position. I will make it very easy for you. My credentials will be unassailable. No one will doubt your judgment. If you do this, and if you follow my very simple