THE UGLY TREE

At the Waterford wedding, newlywed Fred Waterford had just stood to toast the bride. His beautiful bride.

"Serena Joy," he quipped through tears to the assembled, "you are the Serena Joy of my life. But if you'll cover your ears, my sweet, I'm going to let the gathered, in on a little secret." Turning to the assembled, he lifted his glass, "here's to the woman who always has a rabbit in her hat. Me, I've benefited greatly from her ability to pull it out just when I need it. So, please lift a glass with me - to Serena Joy! And her hat!"

"To Serena Joy," the gathered responded. Some added, "and her hat!"

Later, when Fred had asked Serena's maid-of-honour for a dance, Serena's friend Sonia - also at the head table because of doing bridemaids' service - she moved to the bridemaid's seat, which she once thought would be hers.

Serena said, "I hope all is forgiven, Sonia. I've never been married before. Organizing this affair was 100x harder than me and my mom ever imagined. At least you were a bridesmaid."

Sonia raised her glass to Serena, it being obvious that Sonia had toasted liberally from it. With a discernible slur to her voice, Sonia replied, "all is forgiven, bitch." Looking out at the dance-floor, Sonia's boyfriend Ray Cushing, he was being visibly rough with the succession of women he was dancing with.

Sonia said to Serena, "see Ray out there? He said he wouldn't dance with me, not while I'm drunk. Me, I told him, 'I'm not as think as you drunk I am'." Sonia looked to Serena, and said, "do you think that was the wrong thing to say?"

Serena said, "look Sonia, I could only have one maid-of-honour, truly. Fred veto'ed you, said if I chose Putnam's girlfriend, that that would go a long way to being an influence, in the Jacobs."

"Jacobs, Jacobs, Jacobs, Jacobs," Sonia ranted, a little too loudly. "I'm sick of hearing about the Jacobs. Me, I know too much about Warren Putnam."

"You know, Sonia," the bride said to her, "it's early. Those men you see out on the dance-floor, they are going after political control. My books, though, they are not about politics. They are about the way we women can reclaim our true roles."

"Roles, Serena? Really?" Sonia blurted out. "Ray will never change. The boys from that fraternity, they're Neanderthals, monsters. Warren Putnam, he led me into sin, as well as you my dear."

'Not now, not now, Sonia', Serena thought. 'Not at my wedding, please, do not make a scene.' Serena had found out from their last Antigua trip - just the two of them - just what kind of boars the Frat-boy-Jacobs were. Yes, helping Sonia out with her abortion was wrong, Serena had long since conceded. But Sonia was a woman, Serena rationalized, who needed a fresh start. If one day Sonia couldn't be separated from the abusive Ray Cushing, then she could not be dragging Warren Putnam's child along. Ray would know it wasn't his.

An abortion. At the beginning of the impending and obvious, global fertility crisis. A 'wedge-issue' to be sure for the Jacobs….. but, 'stop it, Serena', Serena told herself. 'This is my wedding! Leave all this for the next book!'

Ray Cushing strode up to the head table and leaned over with is elbows on it. He said, "Serena Joy, it has been great to be here, but let me apologize for Sonia." Turning to his then-girlfriend, he said sharply, "let's go, you're an embarrassment. You've fallen out of the sobriety tree, and have hit every ugly-branch on the way down."

THE PROUD GROOM

It was not exactly a 'scene', the way Ray Cushing had pulled his girlfriend from the reception, a member of the bridal party. But people noticed.

Of import to bride Serena Joy, now Waterford - was that the photos had already been taken. Serena thanked her lucky stars that Ray had not got all controlling before then.

A smiling groom approached Serena, now seated alone at the head-table. They'd already 'cut the cake', they'd already had to endure relatives 'clinking their glasses' so that the couple would kiss-on-cue - perhaps 1/3 of the invited had already eaten and had made their excuses.

Fred said to Serena, taking Cushing's position opposite to her, "you are, indeed, my love! I hope I never forget to tell you that." When Serena did not reply, Fred asked, "what was that all about with Ray and Sonia?"

Serena said sternly, "I worry about those two. Ray was a little harsh."

Fred turned to the remaining revelers, but said to Serena, "I think he's going to have to be. We're making strides, Serena. It's time for us all to start practising what we're preaching - Jacob's are finally breaking through with populists. We're gaining ground on the political right. We have to be ready, if and when we get real influence."

"Oh hell, Fred," Serena chided, "grab some more champagne. This is our wedding!"

"I know," Fred said. "Look, out there on the floor. Every Jacob who got an invitation is here. Even the puritans, they are dancing!"

He turned back to Serena. "I've been meaning to tell you, it may as well be now. I've sold you car."

Serena's eyes widened! "My car!? Dad gave me that car for my 19th birthday! You had no right….!"

"You're mine now," Fred said smiling, confused that the smile was not returned. So he continued, "Serena, we're Jacobs, we're inches away from our agenda. We have to act like Jacobs." Fred took his elbows from the table and stood straight.

"It looks like both you and Sonia need to get with the program, and pick a lane." He paused and added sharply…..

"Mrs. Waterford."

MRS. CUSHING

Serena had had trouble even getting a taxi. The climate in The United States approaching the Jan 6th Congressional certification of the latest Electoral College result was tense - esp. following a disputed Presidential election. Some taxis were already refusing to take women. Why take the chance, depending on where the political winds in America would go post-January 6th?

Fred had hand-waved away all of Serena's concerns. He had reminded her that the blue-print for what The Jacobs intended, it was largely drawn from her books and her other popular publications. Hers and Joseph Lawrence's books. All that was missing, Fred had said, was some spark which would propel Jacobs to the forefront of a populist revolution - as Andrew Pryce would say - a revolution as profound as 1776.

Serena's taxi ride was far more prosaic, commonplace, and as it turned out, unromantic.

Sonia, her best friend, was now Sonia Cushing. Serena Joy Waterford had not been informed. Apparently, Ray Cushing had made the appointment himself down at city hall, and had brought Warren Putnam as his best-man, the newly minted Naomi Putman served as Sonia's maid-of-honour and witness.

As much of a surprise that had been for Serena to hear (Serena had asked to be Sonia's maid-of-honour if it ever got to that), she was just now contemplating that Sonia must have done all this under duress.

Then it hit Serena - Warren Putnam? Hadn't Putnam fathered the child that Sonia had aborted? That Serena herself had paid for? 'O God, these men,' Serena had thought.

When Serena arrived at the new Cushing home in Boston, Sonia was alone and herself hip-deep in boxes. More boxes were being brought in by the moving company.

Seeing Serena, Sonia adopted an air of resignation. Without saying hello, Sonia said, "Ray is moving most of his stuff here. He says he has enough for the both of us, that my stuff can go to good-will."

AFTER

The Rachel and Leah bombing had - in political science terms - decapitated much of Gilead's leadership. The saving grace for New Gilead, as well as the rest of Gilead in particular, was that the 'terrorist act' had caught the Americans-in-exile, Canadians and the larger international community ill prepared.

Thirty-one Handmaids had died in the bombing. Half of them had been brought in from other Districts to provide, as Fred Waterford had put it, better visuals. Their deaths had dealt a near fatal blow to Gilead's Bilhah program across the whole Republic.

From a political science point of view, twenty-six Commanders of the Faithful had 'gone home to God', as the suddenly elevated, new political leadership had said - as they tried to stabilize Jacobs' hold on the country.

Of note, High Commander Andrew Pryce himself had been 'called back to God'. The political vacuum in New Gilead following Pryce's death changed the trajectory of 'cleaning up Gilead' - even as far as D.C. - for good.

Most significantly, Commander Ray Cushing rushed to fill the 'security duties' left in Pryce's vacuum. It had taken Cushing's Guardians an hour of threats and shouting to penetrate the old convent which served as the Eyes of God headquarters. Once inside and in control, to Cushing's amazement, Pryce's office was spartan and lacking files. But his Guardians had not had to fire a shot, as the Eyes HQ security people eventually stood aside.

All Commander Cushing had said to an otherwise silent Chancery, was that he was now in control at Eyes HQ. No one argued.

The largest emotional toll for Ray Cushing? Commander Fred Waterford, Cushing's travel partner to places like Antigua - Fred had been near-fatally injured in the blast. It had sent Cushing into a rage that Fred was now fighting for his life in the best equipped ICU in New Gilead. Cushing had so ordered that.

In Cushing's anger, the salvagings began - again, without reference to Chancery. Even Andrew Pryce had reported his 'security actions' to Chancery, always accompanied with an iron-clad rationale, like with Commander Guthrie's arrest.

Cushing? The streets of Boston were now littered with hangings from street-lights, as well as from the front of the most elite of houses. Most notably the Deeds' house - including the Commander Glen Deeds, his wife and martha. Their Handmaid, Ofglen (Lillie Fuller) had been the suicide bomber.

How had Ray Cushing become aware that Andrew Pryce's first action following the Rachel and Leah dedication, was supposed to have been both Cushing's and Waterford's arrested for 'apostasy and gender treachery'?

Irrelevant. Cushing's promise to Fred Waterford's unconscious body, betrayed that he knew. But Cushing's reign of terror was not to have legs.

THE BIG MAN NOW

Driver Nick Blaine had taken Serena to the Cushing house from the hospital. Even Serena herself had wondered why she'd asked Nick to do that.

Once there, the Cushing Martha had tried to dissaude Mrs. Waterford from entering. A drunk and bruised Sonia Cushing had appeared at the door, shoving her Martha aside. When Sonia stumbled, the Martha propped her up.

All Sonia had said through her slurs, holding the sore places on her face, "you have to save me, Serena. You have to. You did once before." Sonia steadied herself, swore at the Martha who in turn backed away. Sonia then said, "Ray, he's out of control. He said he's going to save Fred, but has to figure out how to do it so that both you and me are 'taken care of', his words."

"You and me, Serena. He said that. I know I've been a bitch to you Serena." Sonia then smiled, "Remember Princess Diana beach on Barbuda? The marshmallow sand? That was my idea, honey! We can do that again!"

Once home late in the evening, Serena found the Handmaid, Offred, in the kitchen where she'd been eating.

With no one else to talk with, Serena told Offred, "Ray Cushing will be the death of us all." She retold Offred of vacations with The Cushings, places like Antigua. She said, "Ray was a blowhard, even then. Now he's the big man." Serena was now one step farther from being in control. "It doesn't suit him."

Offred told Mrs. Waterford that Commander Cushing had been at the house. She told Serena, "he doesn't believe I was taken against my will."

Serena put down her drink, she said, "you have to answer his questions carefully, make sure he understands the truth."

Offred told Serena that the whole Deeds' house, including the Commander, had been executed. "They'd do the same here, there's no way they'd leave a baby to grow up in this house."

Serena, fearing losing control over her baby, exclaimed sternly, "Fred would never allow that."

Offred replied, "Fred isn't here." Then added for effect, "Serena."

SIGNING AUTHORITY

Nick hated martial law. It meant that there was too much to do. Part of it was cleaning up after Commanders, who were now shooting marthas in the street. Part of it was that his own Commander, Fred Waterford, was clinging to life following the bombing.

Coming home late, he wanted nothing more than to go up above the garage and climb into bed. He resisted the urge to go into the main house to check up on Offred, pregnant with his child. 'Stay smart, Blaine,' he thought to himself. He looked up at the third floor window behind which was the mother if his child - but he sighed and turned to climb the stairs to his place.

Inside? "Blessed evening," Mrs. Waterford said, waiting for him. His first thought? 'No rest tonight!'

Mrs. Waterford said that Nick's wife, Eden, had gone with Rita to the Websters, whose martha had been executed that afternoon. She said that it was the nice thing to do.

Then she got to the point. "Nick, have you ever helped the Commander submit warrants to the Consular of Divine Law?"

'Of course I have', Nick thought. Just last week before the bombing, a warrant about Commander Waterford himself was rumoured to be circulating.

Instead, Nick said, "yes, ma'am. But those documents need the Commander's signature." A signature where everyone knew that Waterford was lying unconscious in hospital. To him it sounded like Mrs. Waterford was going to try to pull a rabbit out of a hat, but with no hat.

She said demurely, "I know that the Commander will forgive my trespasses." She paused and then added, "will you walk me through the process?"

Nick's immediate thought? 'Damn, this kind of thing I need to clear with Beth at Jezebels.'