Chapter 160: Congressional Office Building

Thursday, January 12th, Late Morning

In one of the several House Congressional Office Buildings, three women stood around the Representative's desk with a map spread out. The brunette representative looked down at the simple political map.

"The capital city is named Waldberg as well," Izzy said and tapped the map with a finely manicured fingernail. The color of her fingernails was a conservative blue color, which had become her signature, and she changed her nail color as much as she needed.

"I know rather imaginative," Kari said.

"What came first, the city or the country?" Izzy asked.

"Luxemburg also shares its name with its capital," Skye said.

Kari looked up, "Thank you, Skye," she said.

Izzy shook her head, "No blood on the carpet, please," she said.

"I wasn't going to fight Kari," Skye said.

"It wouldn't be a flight," Kari said.

"Anyways," Izzy said, "I wish we had a better map."

"It was the only one I could find, short of going for a US Geological Survey map," Kari said.

"There have to be other methods?" Izzy asked.

"I don't know, remember I'm trying to keep this under the radar," Kari said.

"Anyways, I wonder what's happening behind those borders," Izzy said.

"It's like the iron curtain, again," Skye said.

Kari looked at Skye, "We're not old enough to know what the Iron Curtain was like," she said.

"My Dad does, and told us about it," Skye said.

"Your Dad is also a retired soldier, with how many years of service?" Kari asked.

"Almost, I don't know, he always was until well he was well injured," Skye said.

"So, your information is invalid since someone else's opinion colors it," Kari said.

"That's all information, Kari," Skye said.

Izzy sighed, "Don't we have a National Guard person on our staff?" she asked.

"What?" Kari asked.

"Isn't there someone on my staff here or in North Carolina that is or was a National Guard member?" Izzy asked.

"Fenton, John, he was in the Tree Hill office," Skye said.

"Was?" Izzy asked.

"Deployed with the Thirty Armored Brigade Combat Team," Skye said.

"Fuck!" Izzy said.

"Wish you paid closer attention to how to read maps in school?" Kari asked.

"Yeah," Izzy said.

"Me too," Kari said.

"Could we find a road map or something off Google Earth or something?" Izzy asked.

"I could see if someone could get something together," Skye said.

"Well, get to it," Izzy said.

"Will do," Skye said, and went out of the office.

Kari looked down at the map. "Hard to believe it's hardly bigger than a drop on the bigger map," she said.

"Yeah, kind of reminds me of the Princess and the Pea," Izzy said.

"That doesn't make sense," Kari said.

"Okay, how about that stone in your shoe," Izzy said.

"Yeah, and it seems that they can't solve their problems without shooting each other," Kari said.

"Some people rather have eyes, and ears closed, and mouth open," Izzy said.

"Politicians disease my uncle calls it," Kari said.

"You know you work for one," Izzy said.

"No one's perfect," Kari said.

"Yeah, well, how could you live in a country like that?" Izzy asked.

"That reminds me of an old political cartoon my uncle showed me," Kari said.

"I'm almost scared to ask, but tell me," Izzy said.

"It was an assault rifle, and I don't remember what country it said above it, but it called it a voting machine. There is an arrow pointed to the trigger and called it the voting lever," Kari said.

"Wow, what did you say to that?" Izzy asked.

"I said I don't get calling a gun a voting machine, and my Uncle said some people don't have peaceful elections," Kari said.

Izzy nodded, "It would be nice if they did," she said.

"Yeah, peace on earth," Kari said.

"It's not our place to say how or why my husband lost his uncle because we tried to impose democracy on someone," Izzy said, repeating a line someone told her about Derek Somers.

"I believe it was Plato that said, Only the dead have seen the end of war," Kari said.

"It was George Santayana, he also said, Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it," Izzy said.

"How do you know that?" Kari asked.

"Chase, Huck, and also Santayana went to Harvard," Izzy said.

Kari almost spits, "Harvard; I only want to hear that when we mention The Game," Kari said.

Izzy laughed, "Maybe, I should take the kids up there to see The Game," she said.

"They'd enjoy it," Kari said.

"There were one or two times I had to carry you home," Izzy said.

"That must have been some of a weird sight, Little Izzy carrying Big Kari," Kari said with a laugh.

Izzy laughed, "We're poor little lambs who have lost our way, baa, baa, baa," she sang.

Kari laughed, just as Skye entered the office with another woman. "What did I miss?" Skye asked.

"Oh, we just remembered Yale and The Whiffenpoofs Song," Kari said.

"Oh, that song based on the Kipling Poem," Skye said.

"I guess," Izzy said.

"So anyway, do you know who George Santayana is?" Kari asked.

"Santayana, as in Santayana's Ghost, which is about or the concept of someone is watching you do something you were warned about and laughing as to say I told you so," Skye said, "Paraphrased of course."

"She's close," Izzy said, and looked at the other woman, "So, who do we have here?"

"This is Martina Lucassen," Skye said.

Izzy nodded, "Ms. Lucassen, can you help me with an issue?" she asked.

"I can do my best, Ma'am," Martina said.

"It shouldn't be that difficult," Izzy said, "Come here."

Martina was tentative, but stepped forward and stood across the desk from Izzy and Keri. Izzy nodded.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" Martina asked.

Izzy pointed at the map, "I'd like a better map of this area, where we could at least see the roads," she said.

Martina nodded, "I could do that, Ma'am," she said.

"I don't want anyone knowing its for me," Izzy said.

"I understand, Ma'am," Martina said.

"Very well, Skye, get her what she needs, to get this done," Izzy said.

"No problem," Skye said, and guided Martina out of the office.

"The question is, why are they playing so close to the chest?" Izzy mused.

Kari shrugged, and they looked down at the map.