Dinner at the Ransoms
Rob
In the car on the way home, Archie gives Lena a couple pats (would she ride in a cat carrier in 1973 or just bounce around the car free-range?) and asks Charley, "So, pumpkin: What do we want to tell the gang about where Lena came from?"
(Archie's supposed to treat Charley more like an autonomous, independent agent, so I guess he's starting by letting her cook up a lie for the family.)
Mel
“Oh … well … ” Looks at Lena sleeping on her lap. “You’re secretary has been sick … And she has gone for treatment and ahh … She can’t look after Lena right now. So, rather then taking her to the pound, because, we’ll because, no one else can look after her. You thought we could look after her for a while. And well gosh, (mimicking Archie) Charley has taken a real shine to her.”
Rob
Archie laughs, genuinely delighted at the imitation of him. "That's swell, Charley. Very good. Do you know why that's a good cover story? Because all the parts are basically true." As they pull into the driveway, he says to the cat with a wink: "OK, Agent Lena. Live your cover!"
Michael
When Archie and Charley come into the house, the rich scents of Family Home Evening Monday night dinner are evident from the kitchen; Melanie's in there as usual cooking up a storm. But Archie also hears the television from the den on and the sound of news programming; as Archie and Charley peek into the den from the foyer, they see Jane and Eddie in front of the TV as the sound of Roger Mudd filling in for Walter Cronkite on CBS is heard.
Jane is riveted. Eddie looks a little bored, but as Archie and Charley came in, Archie could hear Eddie asking Jane questions in low tones. Now, unfortunately, one of the Ransom family rules for Family Home Evening is no TV, so the fam can concentrate on being fully present with each other. Archie and Charley hear Jane say, "No, the reason why it's important is because they were hiding the recording system because they knew it would expose their planning the Watergate burglary." Eddie says in response, "Well, how do you know that? Maybe they talked about it somewhere else." Jane: "There is nowhere else for the President than the Oval Office and the Executive Office Building. Plus didn't you hear Butterfield? There are tapes labeled 'Camp David' and 'White House Barber' for God's sakes!" Jane's voice is getting hectic, and raised. She looks up and sees Archie and Charley and the cat, and looks nonplussed.
Rob
Archie acts as if he didn't hear the Lord's name in vain, but gives Jane just enough of a look to signal that he did. "Hi, Peanut. Hey, Sport," he says, as per usual. "Let's turn that off, okay? I'm sure we've all had quite enough of the Watergate show for one day." Then, using the cat to change the subject: "Charley, do you want to introduce Jane and Eddie to our guest?"
Michael
Jane stands up, very briefly does the narrowed-eyes, pinched mouth, hands on hips thing at Archie (almost identical to Melanie's body language on the rare occasions when she loses her patience) but almost instantaneously melts when she sees Charley with Lena. Eddie goes over to switch off the TV for Jane, guiltily, like he's taking the fall for her. "Sorry, Dad." (He's been a little sheepish around the house the past couple of weeks, making sure he behaves since the events at the St. Francis.)
Mel
Charley says, “This is Lena! She belongs to Dad’s secretary but she’s too sick to take care of her right now. So, I’m going to look after her.” Grinning she adds. “You can pet her she’s really friendly.”
Michael
Jane actually comes over first to Lena and gives her a quick stroke behind the ear. "She's very cute, Charley. I hope your secretary's gonna be okay, Dad," she looks up at Archie with real concern. Eddie says, "Mom didn't say anything about us getting a new cat! Neat!" With that Melanie comes over in apron to the doorway to the den. "Did I hear something about … a new addition to the family?" Melanie sort of cocks a slightly-dubious eyebrow at Archie.
Rob
Archie gives Melanie a guilty grin. "Well, maybe more of an extended house guest than a permanent addition. 'Welcome the stranger' and all that, ha ha." To Jane: "I'm sure Sophie will be back on her feet soon, pumpkin. She just needed to get away, get some rest for a little while." (Trying to think of a disease that can knock you out for weeks or months but isn't really that frightening. Maybe mono? If Melanie seems dubious about any specifics of Sophie's illness (might as well use her real name; Melanie has met her), Archie will confide to her but not the kids that she's had some sort of nervous breakdown and needs a few months leave, but that he just told Charley she was "sick".)
"So! What's on the agenda for Game Night?"
Michael
Eddie says, "I wanted to play Risk but Jane vetoed it." Jane says in response, "Sorry pal, I'm just not feeling very warmonger-y tonight. Besides, I don't think Mom likes it very much. Go To The Head of the Class?" Eddie says, "Charley always wins that one." Melanie tries to broker peace with a compromise offering, "Well there's no need for us to get competitive about it, Edward, it's meant to be fun! How about after dinner we play something simple? Like Go Fish or Crazy Eights."
Melanie says after this, "You kids wash up, dinner will be ready in just a few. Your father's going to help me set the table tonight."
When Melanie gets Archie in the kitchen, she wordlessly points to the china cabinet and sighs. "What on earth is the matter with your secretary? I mean, she did look a little piqued on the Fourth … " Melanie seems a little taken aback by a new pet, even if it is merely a guest.
Rob
Archie holds up his palms in a supplicating shrug. "I'm not sure exactly. Some kind of nervous — " He lowers his voice so the kids can't hear: "Well, I don't want to say 'nervous breakdown,' but some kind of anxiety attack? It all happened very suddenly! I mean, I know she sometimes goes to a psychiatrist or an analyst or something — Sophie's always been tightly wound — but I never saw anything like this coming on."
"Anyway, I guess she checked herself into some kind of clinic. And couldn't bring the cat, obviously. So I said we could look after it while she was gone. It's only temporary, sweetheart. I'm sure Sophie will be back on her feet in no time. And Charley really is keen to do her share of the chores."
"Gosh, that smells terrific. How was your day?"
Michael
Melanie sighs again, this time more deeply. (Two sighs in one evening?) "My day was fine. Jane was glued to the television all afternoon looking at the news; I swear since that civics class back in the spring she thinks about nothing but politics and Nixon. I tried to engage her in talking about anything else, but she just got all … sullen and short with me."
"And I did the shopping today but everything's getting so expensive. You should see how much the roast cost, outrageous! I know there's nothing for us to worry about but … " Melanie stops short and closes her mouth sourly, like Jane did a few minutes ago in the den. She's looking at Lena as she explores the kitchen attracted by the smell of the dinner roasting, "Oh, it just does feel like everything everywhere is on shaky ground right now. Two teenagers in the house and I sometimes feel like I don't even know how to talk to them anymore. And now this with your poor secretary."
Rob
"Oh, honey." Archie puts his arms around her. "The kids are fine. Just fine. I'm glad Janey takes such an interest in the news, frankly. Would we rather all she cared about was boys and rock-and-roll bands? And I don't think a roast is going to break the bank, ha ha. Remember when we were on [whatever street they first lived on in L.A.], living on twenty bucks a week, eating fried egg sandwiches every other night?" He holds the hug for a moment, suddenly wistful. Then says, "Well, let's get this scrumptious-looking dinner on the table, and see what Carl Bernstein [meaning Jane] has to say."
Michael
The Ransom kids (hah) come to the table as Melanie's roast beef with roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts are served. Dinner conversation revolves around Eddie's day: he says he'd done some advance summer reading for sophomore year English: he's currently hacking his way through Steinbeck's Cannery Row—the San Francisco schools are awfully progressive, Archie thinks, isn't that book pretty advanced for 10th graders?—but Archie suspects he's actually been reading comics and watching game shows instead. Charley talks a little bit about her "special education" work in summer school. And then things come to Jane. She chuckles a little bit. "So Dad. What do you think about the taping system in the White House? I know, I know," she holds up her hands in supplication, this time her body language looking an awful lot like Archie's own, "no politics at the dinner table, but I'm genuinely interested in what you think. You're in media, you know media. If the courts or the networks get hold of what Nixon and Ehrlichman and Dean and Haldeman and all those guys were saying last year around the break-in... wouldn't that be unprecedented?"
Rob
"Well, yes, it would be unprecedented if the President of the United States had to turn over recordings of his own confidential conversations to the six o'clock news. There is such a thing as executive privilege, after all. Not to mention the security concerns. But, you see what the Democrats are doing, don't you? The Democrats, and the Washington Post - and now the networks are playing along for the ratings, it's the best summer replacement series they've ever had - they're all trying to spin this third-rate burglary into some kind of, ah, espionage thriller." Archie is avuncular, dispensing grown-up wisdom, but with a smile. "On the drive home just now, the radio news girl was talking about a 'bugging' system in the White House. Like it was put there by the KGB! It's basically a Dictaphone. Lots of executives use them. You can't 'bug' yourself, now can you?"
Michael
Jane ponders this. "Well, the way I see it is... a recording device becomes a bug the moment it exposes something you don't want heard."
Rob
"Ha ha, touché." Archie actually enjoys the give and take, is proud to have a daughter clever enough to debate with. "As someone in media, I will say this: the President isn't doing himself any favors with all the cloak-and-dagger secrecy. Nobody ever does." He takes a bite of potato, chews thoughtfully. "You know, maybe these tapes will be a good thing. Maybe the White House should release the tapes - redacting anything security related, of course — and show the President has nothing to hide. Then the Democrats will just have to fold up their circus tent and go home."
(that is, two daughters clever enough to debate with)
Michael
Jane levels a very cold, very deliberate look at Archie. "So, you think he's innocent. I know, everyone's innocent until proven guilty, due process, all that, but... even after all this, you still think Nixon didn't wink and nudge to those creeps and say, 'Go get 'em, boys.' I mean, I know you're good at telling when people are lying, Dad. You can always tell when one of us is not being 100% truthful... and you still don't see how shifty he is?"
Rob
Archie sighs. "I'm not saying Nixon's an Eagle Scout. He's always had sharp elbows, you know what I mean? He's always been a bit of a bare-knuckle fighter. And that's not the worst quality for our president to have, not when he's across the table from Leonid Brezhnev or the Red Chinese. But this Watergate caper? It doesn't make any sense, for the President to be involved in something so... shoddy. Why stoop to that? Because he thought he might lose to McGovern? It's just not credible."
Michael
Jane drinks the rest of her glass of milk after that comment, keeping her eyes on Archie and then, after giving a quick series of glances to the rest of the family, she says, "People are angry out there, Dad. They've been angry for a few years now. Maybe not as angry as they were after Kent State, but... simmering. Sure, bringing the troops home and going to China bought him some goodwill, enough to get him re-elected... handily, like you said. But just being liked isn't ever enough for someone like that, you know? And someone like that will always push their luck just a little too far because a little is never enough for them. They need to have it all. That's why I have a feeling he did it, Dad. Because he's a man who has everything he ever wanted and he's still not happy."
Melanie inhales sharply and suddenly. "Well. That's... probably enough of that. I'm sure we don't need to be... psychoanalyzing the President at the dinner table, do we honey?" Melanie asks (rhetorically) of Archie.
(It doesn't take all of a Psychology roll + Sensitive + decades of knowing his family for Archie to know that Melanie was not digging the conversation and where it was going and specifically what Jane just said.)
Rob
"Right you are, honey. 'No politics at the dinner table,' look at me breaking my own rules, ha ha. So: Cannery Row, huh?"
Michael
Jane says, "There's politics in that too."
Eddie sort of stops with his fork in the air with a brussels sprout on it, unsure of whether to speak.
Rob
Archie's just looking for a safe place to steer this conversation. "I think my favorite Steinbeck is Mice and Men. Did you kids ever see the movie version? Burgess Meredith was George and Lon Chaney Jr. — the Wolf Man! — was Lenny."
Mel
At that, Charley loses her grip of her fork. It ricochets off her plate then falls noisy to the floor. “I did…It was awful.” She gives Archie a bewildered look as she moves to pick up her fork. And half way under the table adds “It was just too sad to like.”
Michael
"Oh, let me get you a clean one, dear," Melanie says, pulling up from the table and going to the silverware drawer in the kitchen. Jane says, "Steinbeck is pretty sad, Charley. I remember reading The Red Pony in junior high and just crying and crying. But it was a hard time during the Depression. He realized and told the story of what happens when the rich take advantage of the poor, and the poor are left to compete with each other for scraps. There are little moments of hope and beauty in his books but..." Jane very meaningfully looks at Archie. "I guess some people would say that's just the way the world works."
Michael
So as the plates are being cleared away by the kids and Archie is over at the game cabinet picking out a deck of playing cards, he hears his office phone ringing.
("Oh thank Moroni and all the Latter-Day Saints, a reality temblor" )
Rob
Archie feigns annoyance. He gives a deck of cards to Eddie: "Shuffle those up and deal me in, partner. I'll just be a moment." Then goes to answer the phone.
Leonard
"Hi, boss," comes Jocasta's voice from the other end of the line. "It's Carolyn. Am I interrupting anything?"
Rob
"Oh, hello..." Archie stops himself from saying 'Carolyn' (or Jocasta, obviously) just in case he needs to finesse his next lie. "Hello there. No, we're just putting away the dinner dishes. What's up?"
Leonard
"Sorry to call so late, but I just had an interesting phone call myself. Do you remember Terence McKenna, from the convention? The one I brought to your Fourth of July cookout? He just rang me up to invite me to his place for a little get-together. And he wanted to know if I would ask you to come along. I think he's quite taken with you," she says teasingly.
Rob
Whatever Archie might've been expecting, it wasn't that. "McKenna... McKenna..." He has to think to remember him at first. "Oh! 'Endendros'? The, ah, Atlantean gardener? He wanted to invite me to something?"
Leonard
"That's the one. He seems very impressed with you -- Viv too," Jocasta replies. "Honestly, I think he'd rather you show up than me. He thinks you're important."
"It's fine if you don't want to -- he's, uh, very countercultural. But it might be worth cultivating him. He's doing some very interesting work."
Michael
Expert Skill (Memetics) roll for Archie.
>>>> SUCCESS
"Important," eh? Archie considers. Could be that that Atlantis Rising game meme is rattling around in Terence's head a little; goodness knows what it might do to someone taking a lot of LSD or funny mushrooms over a couple of weeks... it doesn't seem like Terence wants to keep "playing" the game but he also might have sussed out Archie's role as game master/author. Archie also considers the weirdness of that dream he had after coming home from the St. Francis, the vision of Genevieve in Babylon, the conversation with Sebastian Stone on his own "turf," and the sense someone else was watching Genevieve with him and the fact that it might have been Terence! Who knows what the combination of the temblor, the meme, and arresting History B might have flipped in Terence's head. Whatever the case, it seems like Terence has a sense of Archie's role in all of it.
Rob
"It is worth keeping an eye on the principals from the convention," Archie says. "I wouldn't want to, ah, 'cramp your style.' But, if Genevieve is coming too? Sure, I can be there. If only to disabuse him of the impression I'm important, ha ha."
Leonard
"Sounds good, chief. It's Friday night — I'll get you and Viv the details at the office. Have a good night!"