Devine didnt like the guys manner. It was blunt and seemed to leap to lots of conclusions. The brown eyes, clearly visible under the streetlight, scrutinized Devine and came away suspicious. The nurse, Carol, came back into Francess room, looking worried. The cops. Call them. We have a situation. I think you know that I do. But Ive got baggage that you dont need to deal with. Mr. Devine? That wasnt rude; I was just keeping him in line. He was acting as if hed cracked the case. Half a print! While Joel ate, the three of us gossiped about the latest D.C. rumors. Half of them were outright lies started by bitter enemies, but some of them were at least funny, especially a high-ranking congressman so fed up with the bathroom wait at a fancy party (apparently he was too drunk to realize there were two other bathrooms on the first floor of the mansion) that he pissed in a goldfish bowl. Were supposed to have a trade-off, Slick. But so far its been mostly a one-way deal. I give and you take. Mason looked through the keys.These are all skeleton keys. Valentine sat down next to him and opened his laptop.They own shitload of stuff. I mean shitload. After that another man got up and joined us and then another and then seven or eight more until we outnumbered the hecklers more than two to one. Not the Democrats, I said. Thanks. Then lets get out of here, Stone said. He got into the car in the garage and placed the shotgun on his lap, then Fred rolled out onto the street. Two men on motorcycles, who had been waiting at the curb, followed the car. As they turned onto Park Avenue, Stone noticed a motorcyclist sitting on an idling machine, talking on a cell phone. See that, Fred? You find out anything about Corrine? Mason asked. Here, I said and handed her my handkerchief. She dried her eyes and looked up at me. When did you grow that? she said. I sat down and she went into the house and came back with a tall gin and tonic. I rolled a cigarette, lit it, took a sip of the drink, and stared out over the pond at the farm. Because it had been recently discharged, because there was no other place where the bullet could have gone, and because the gun was a .38 caliber. They tapped glasses and drank their tequila.So, after you take over the world, whats next? asked Devine..