Leo turned and looked at Ethan.
"Contact the Republican Party."
"We'll work with them to take down Campbell and ruin the reputation of the Democratic Establishment Faction."
"But in exchange, I need the Republican Party's votes in the special election for Acting President of the Senate. All of them, for William Saint Cloud."
Ethan took a deep breath.
They weren't just going to replace the Governor and the Vice Governor; they were even going to drag the Attorney General into it.
They were going to use Republican votes to elect a Democrat as Acting President of the Senate, and then have him pardon an activist who had assassinated a capitalist.
This completely shattered traditional party lines. They were weaving the left wing, the right wing, capitalists, and politicians—all of them—into one great web.
The air in the office was heavy.
Ethan stood before the whiteboard, his fingers unconsciously tracing the circled word: "Pardon."
