The Titans (43 page)

"Freedom!"" Choked harder. was Tyranny is dead! Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets!"" "You murdering son-ofabitchf" With a scream, Lamont tumbled over on his side. Gideon's boot smashed into his ribs a second time. Lamont's hat fell off. His eyes flared with fear as he 592The Murderer crawled away from that incredible figure looming above him, revolver in hand. Behind Gideon-oh, God help me-Lamont saw the sergeant from the lower floor and the guard from the third floor landing. It was the noise of their coming he'd heard, not Jephtha's boots slamming the floor. He'd been too caught up in the deed; too carried away to realize- Gideon's blue eyes shone with a pitiless fury. On the pallet, Jephtha Kent rolled his head from side to side. Tried to sit up, gulping air. His eyes were still closed. Gideon lunged at Lamont. Tore the flag out of his hand. Drew his other arm back and whipped Lamont across the face with the barrel of the Colt. Lamont reeled back, upsetting the slop jar. "Gideon, please-was Lamont held up his hands. ""Pleasel Listen to me! I don't know how you got here, but I-I'm only giving him what he deserves-was Lamont pushed up with both hands, stood unsteadily. Though he was frightened, he managed a little more strength in his voice: "After he's gone, the money will be yours." "That was it-was Gideon was trembling so hard, he could barely speak. "The money-was "For you. For your brothers-was "Bullshit." Lamont took a step backward, terrified by the yell from the young man with the revolver in one hand and the flag clenched in the other. "All right!" Lamont screamed. "For the government! That's why I wanted it-to help the cause. Gideon, he's a Yank. A nigger-loving Yank! Think of what the money could do! You know how badly the government needs help-was He wiped his mouth, watching the muzzle of the revolver. Red-faced, Gideon thrust out the flag: The Titans593 "And you meant to do it with this? Dishonor this with a murder? It's already got blood on it, you bastard. The blood of a decent man who did his killing openly- good God in heaven! I never realized how sick you are." Lamont knew he was trapped then. He lost control; screamed like a woman: "The cause comes before everything!" "No," Gideon said. "No, that's wrong." "If you deny it, you're not loyal, you're a traitor!" Color drained from Gideon's face. "I'm a Southerner," he whispered. "A Southerner, Lamont-not a murderer. You don't understand the difference." Silence. The actor wanted to cry. He was finished. Gideon kept staring at him, tall and hot-eyed and vengeful. Finished. Unless- In a space of seconds, he began to breathe faster. Unless. He dove for the satchel. Caught the handle and swung the bag with all his strength. Gideon jerked the trigger. The wild shot plucked at Lamont's duster and tore a long furrow in the stained wall. The satchel smashed against Gideon's head. The satchel wasn't heavy. But the blow made Gideon stumble. Lamont saw his chance. If he could get past the guards outside the door- He ran. Gideon dropped the revolver and the flag. Grabbed the hem of Lamont's duster. Fabric tore. Screeching and kicking, Lamont drove a knee into Gideon's crotch. The younger man yelled, doubling over. Lamont crowded him to the wall. Shoved his right palm against Gideon's face, slammed his head against the plaster, hard: I'll kill him if I have 594The Murderer Somehow Gideon managed to free his right arm. He pounded his fist into Lamont's stomach. Gagging, the actor reeled back. He clutched his belly. Gideon's anger was beyond control. He seized the lapels of Lamont's duster; jerked him; hurled him- Frantically Lamont windmilled his arms. His boots slipped in the mess from the overturned jar. Off balance, he floundered backward. He had a distorted glimpse of Gideon's stunned eyes. Then his spine struck the window. Glass shattered. His nails scratched for a hold on the frame; found none- He shrieked as a piece of glass slashed the back of his hand, ripping a vein. Blood spouted- And there was nothing behind him. He tumbled into the darkness, the wind howling in his ears as he fell toward the ground three floors below. CHAPTER XI "And If a House Be Divided-was "LIEUTENANT KENT? The President is ready to receive you." Gideon stood up and stepped away from the bench in the second-floor corridor of the Treasury Building. He'd been fretting there more than two and a half hours while haggard aides shuttled back and forth between their offices and the President's suite. It was the Friday morning following Edward's death. Gideon was extremely nervous about the forthcoming interview. He'd been summoned to it without prior warning, and given no hint of its purpose. Even if he got through the interview without difficulty, there'd be no respite in the afternoon. Edward's burial service was scheduled to begin at two. Fan had borne the tragedy with surprising strength. He knew the events of Wednesday night had affected her deeply, however. Not just the death, but the circumstances surrounding it-especially the swift action by the investigating authorities to suppress the truth in the papers. Someone high in the government had reached the press and won cooperation. The published reason for Edward Lamont's death was an accidental slip on the stairs of the building where he lived. Gideon had explained to his mother that he hadn't meant to kill Edward, only to prevent him from murdering Jephtha and escaping. He spared himself to a certain extent during the explanation. He didn't tell Fan

n 5968And If a House Be Divided-" he was furiously angry when he caught Edward and flung him so that he stumbled and crashed through the Almshouse window. Fan accepted Gideon's story without question. She showed no rancor. Yet he still felt uncomfortable about having to sit through prayers and a sermon at St. Paul's and accompany his mother to the grave already being prepared out at Hollywood. Thank God Margaret had agreed to be at his side during the ordeal. This morning he'd polished his saber and attempted to clean and repair his uniform for the interview. But he still felt shabby as he followed the man who had summoned him. They entered a gaslit office. Before the man closed the door to an adjoining room, Gideon caught a glimpse of the President's secretary working his way through a gigantic stack of papers. The man retired via the main corridor, leaving Gideon at attention in front of an imposing desk. Behind it stood the leader of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. Outside the office windows, gray clouds pressed down on Richmond, dulling the day. Davis turned from one of the windows. Gideon gave him a crisp, correct salute. The President gestured. "Please be seated, Lieutenant." Awkwardly, Gideon maneuvered his saber and took a chair. He felt awe in the presence of the slim, well dressed man in his early fifties. Davis had strong features, including a particularly firm-looking mouth. He carried himself with perfect erectness-probably a heritage from his days as a soldier. The President sat down at his cluttered desk. The desk's only ornamentation was a small miniature in a gold frame; a portrait of a handsome, dark-haired woman at least fifteen years younger than the President. Gideon recognized Varina Howell Davis instantly. He'd seen her at the Spotswood twice this week. She The Titans597 was the President's second wife; a woman for whom the citizens of Richmond had a high regard. Along with almost everyone else in the city, Gideon knew her background, as well as that of her predecessor. Jefferson Davis had married his first wife against the protests of her father, Zachary Taylor. The former President had been Davis" commanding officer at the frontier post where the couple met Davis had resigned his commission so he and his bride wouldn't be subjected to the personal and professional harassment of an unforgiving father. Happy though the marriage might have been, it was not a long one. Davis took his wife home to his plantation on the Gulf of Mexico, near Biloxi, Mississippi There she contracted malarial fever and died. After a suitable period as a widower, he'd courted and wed young Varina Howell. The second Mrs. Davis came of a fine family of Virginia Whigs; people with important political connections in the North. One of her grandfathers had been governor of New Jersey. There were frequent jokes about the affectionate relationship of the President and his wife. He called her Winnie; her pet name for him was Banny. And though Mrs. Davis had a romantic streak in her nature, no one questioned her intelligence. Or her courage. She was the one who'd accepted the responsibility of relaying the telegraphed news of widowhood to her close friend Mrs. Bartow. The President reached for a file buried beneath several others. Gideon crossed and uncrossed his ankles, conscious of scuffs he'd been unable to polish off his boots. He was surprised at how fit Davis looked. Everyone knew of his nervous dyspepsia. And although his cheeks displayed a certain hollowness, his hair was still quite dark, parted on the side and worn long in back. 5988And If a House Be Divided-was Davis opened the file and leafed through its contents for a moment. Then he lifted his gaze to his visitor. It was impossible for Gideon to tell that one of those clear, intense gray eyes-the left, he recalled-was blind. "Lieutenant Kent, I believe you've already been informed that no charges will be lodged against you- even though you entered the Almshouse at gunpoint, without official permission. As it turns out, there was good and sufficient reason." "I was told there'd be no charges, sir. But I'm relieved to hear you say it. I didn't intend for Mr. Lamont to fall. My first consideration was preventing a killing." "As you stated in the presence of the guards-was Davis consulted a paper from the file. "Something to the effect that Southerners are not murderers. I applaud you for that. I'm no more fond of the Yankee prisoners than you are. That doesn't condone an attempt to kill one of them, however." He drew out another sheet. "I'm sure you're wondering why I sent the messenger to your mother's flat, asking you to stop here." "Yes, sir." "I felt I owed you a personal report on the disposition of the case. I apologize for making you wait, but I was attending an important conference." His words had a rather abrupt quality; there was an unmistakable air of authority about the man. He assumed Gideon would accept the explanation without question. Gideon did. "After Mr. Lamont's death and your deposition for the authorities," Davis went on, "we apprehended and interrogated Mr. Cheever-was A crudely scrawled paper rustled in Davis' hand: "He made a full confession. He and Lamont had indeed concocted a scheme to do away with your father. The Titans599 The scheme dates back at least to April, when a first attempt was carried out during the Baltimore riot. The object of the scheme-as you suspected and Cheever subsequently admitted-was to transfer control of certain financial holdings to you and your brothers. I gather the transfer only becomes effective upon your father's death." "That's correct," Gideon said. He explained briefly about the California gold properties belonging to the Kents. "The Kents," Davis mused. "I wondered if the name was a coincidence. Is the prisoner related to the family that publishes that vile newspaper he works for?" "The New York Union?" Reddening, Gideon nodded. "Mm. Well-to continue. Cheever told us your stepfather intended to persuade you, your mother and your brothers to permit a certain percentage of the inheritance to be tunneled into our Treasury-though I fail to understand how he meant to transfer bullion between warring territories." "I'm not sure he even thought that far-was Gideon began. "Possibly not. Mr. Lamont was evidently a self-styled patriot-?" "Yes." Davis" mouth showed distaste. "Not the sort with whom I care to have this government associated- though God knows I'll take every bit of money we can get." Quietly: "Except blood money." He cleared his throat. "The two conspirators were evidently aware of my feelings. Cheever admitted the source of this new-found wealth was never to be revealed to the Treasury Department. The money was to be turned over by intermediaries." "Did Cheever reveal their names?" 6008And If a House Be Divided-was "No. He was too terrified to do that-even under the somewhat-ah-rigorous questioning to which he was subjected. In any case, Cheever and your stepfather clearly hoped that within a few months, your family could be persuaded to go along with the plan, at which time they would begin passing funds to the donors whose names would appear on the record. I assume those donors would have to be wealthy men in their own right. Otherwise their sudden generosity would be suspect-was "Perhaps that's why Cheever was afraid to reveal their names." "Undoubtedly." Davis closed the file. "That appears to be the essence of the plot. I'm sorry to tell you no formal charges will be filed against Cheever. Thanks to your actions at the Almshouse, no murder was done. And in return for his confession it was agreed he would not be prosecuted as an accessory. But Mr. Cheever has been dismissed from Secretary Walker's department. In fact he's left Richmond-under armed escort. He'll never again be permitted to hold any post in this government. Nor any military rank, even noncommissioned. Should he choose to enlist under an assumed name-which I expect is unlikely, given his devious and cowardly character-there's nothing we can do to prevent it. But we don't want his kind serving our new state. Our cause is just, our basis for separation is Constitutional, and I like to believe we are honorable men. For that reason-was Davis reached to the bottom of the file and withdrew an official-looking paper. "comI have, this morning, signed your father's parole." "A parole!" Gideon exclaimed-, unable to contain his surprise and pleasure. "I was certain he'd be kept in prison." "Technically he should be. But he's been grievously The Titans601 treated. And he's not without a certain degree of influence in Northern newspaper circles-was" Davis tented his fingers. "My motives aren't entirely pure I feel that if your father's paroled, he may be slightly less inclined to write about us as barbarians- rebellious traitors. We can use a few temperate voices speaking for us in the North. Of course, I hope I've made clear I also consider your stepfather's scheme unforgivable. My sense of fair play demands satisfaction. Cleansing of guilt, if you prefer." Davis laid the document on top of the file. "Naturally the parole won't be publicized. And it's conditional to this extent. If your father doesn't pledge his word to withhold the frankly scandalous reasons behind the parole, he'll be detained in Richmond. I don't want a word about Lamont's plot published. It could do us irreparable harm-especially in the European press. All in all-was Davis shrugged. "I believe it's an equitable arrangement, and one to which I hope hell be a party. All of the civilians will be exchanged eventually. Your father's early release won't cause too much gossip- provided he doesn't create it himself." "What if he won't cooperate, Mr. President?" "Then I'll make an exception when the rest of the paroles are arranged, and hell be kept in Richmond for the duration of the war. I certainly hope that won't be necessary. Of course I have no idea of how he'll react to my proposal." Gideon was candid: "Neither do I. I tried to speak to him at the Almshouse, but he was only half conscious. He's not fully recovered. I haven't been back to visit him since Wednesday evening. My mother's demanded most of my time-was "Well, when he is himself again-the physicians assure me it will be within a week or two-and if he greater-than was 6028And If a House Be Divided-" agrees to my terms, I intend to assign you the task of transporting him north." "To Washington City?" "As close as practicable." Davis smiled. "Our mounted picket lines reach almost to the Potomac thanks to General McDowell's disastrous performance. And you're temporarily detached from Colonel Stuart's cavalry after what I understand was gallant service at Manassas-was "Detached and horseless," Gideon said. "I'll arrange for a wagon and a team. That should make the journey a little easier on your father. You'll have to return the wagon, however. And both horses." Gideon was elated. Davis' clemency, and his disgust with Lamont's scheming, might go a long way toward changing some of Jephtha's ideas about the so-called traitors of the South. From a personal standpoint too, he was relieved. Jeph- tha Kent remained on the other side of the conflict. But Gideon, was still guilt-ridden because he'd turned on Jephtha; struck him that night at the National Hotel. To balance that act Gideon wanted to see freedom granted to the man who would forever be something of a stranger to him, yet who could never be wholly a stranger because of the blood binding them together- A tap at the door of the adjoining office turned Davis in his chair. The secretary looked in: "Excuse me, Mr. President. Just a reminder about your meeting with Attorney General Benjamin." "Yes. Thank you." The President's quick nod dismissed the secretary. The door closed. Davis stood up and smiled: "I hear you plan to be married soon, Lieutenant." "That's correct, sir." Gideon rose. "To Miss Margaret Marble of this city." The Titans603 "I told Winnie-Mrs. Davis-was A gesture at the framed miniature. "comab the events at the Almshouse. She was quite taken with your courage and resourcefulness. I believe she'd like to be present for the wedding. Would you favor us with an invitation?" Flustered, Gideon stammered, "Why-why, yes- naturally I-we-my Lord!" He blushed. "Excuse me, sir. We'd be honored." "Count on it, then. Now that you've been fortunate enough to find a bride, I hope you'll be equally successful in finding something that's become just as important as a wife." Davis' good eye twinkled. "I'm referring to a horse. Don't tell your fiancee." "The horse is a definite problem, sir. I haven't solved it yet. I understand there are animals for sale illegally-was "Yes, the damn profiteers are working in Richmond just as I'm sure they're working up north." "But I can't afford their prices." "Well, I do hope you discover some way to secure another mount. Colonel Stuart's cavalry is an admirable unit. Young men like you and the colonel are the bright hope of this government. The North has its millions of people-its immense factories. We have more limited resources, and fewer citizens. But if you are representative of them, and I think you are, I have no doubt of our eventual victory. Not military victory, necessarily. I'd prefer a peaceful acknowledgement of our legal right to exist as a separate nation-was His expression grew even more sober. "That is the one thing I want the North to acknowledge. Our legal right." Gideon nodded much too vehemently. But he wanted to please Davis because he'd been so generous. "You're entirely correct, sir," he said. "We've got to make them acknowledge we haven't committed treason. 6048And If a House Be Divided-was And we don't dare lose in the field before they do, or I expect they'll hang us." "They'd hang me, certainly," Davis murmured. He gazed out the window at the gray clouds above Richmond's rooftops. Then, moving slowly, he accompanied Gideon toward the door to the corridor. "Of course, we're not committing treason at all. We're only doing what our American ancestors did in the last century-was He pondered a moment. "Any people, anywhere, so inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government and form a new one that suits them better. That's a most valuable and sacred right-a right which I hope and believe can liberate the world." With one hand on the filigreed knob of the door, Jefferson Davis looked Gideon in the eye. "Nor is that right confined to cases in which all the people of an existing government may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can, may revolutionize comand make their own of-as much of the territory as they inhabit." Overwhelmed that he'd been allowed to share the President's thinking to such an extent, and anxious to have Davis know he agreed, Gideon exclaimed: "I've never heard the argument for our cause put so perfectly, Mr. President." Davis