***

Plates of fresh salmon, mixed vegetables, and tomato soup covered the table. The steam from the dishes rose through the air, accompanied by the mixture of smells from each. Smith closed his eyes and inhaled, taking in the scent of the fresh food.

“It’s good to be on the outside,” he said.

“I wasn’t aware you were locked up for that long, Congressman,” Lucas replied.

Ambassador Lucas William sat on the opposite end of the table. He was a younger man, appointed by the Canadian president for his “vigor and brains,” according to Lucas. There was a reddish tinge to his hair, which contrasted against his tan skin.

“Well, it felt like a very long time, Ambassador,” Smith said. “I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to meet with me.”

“Your chief of staff made the appointment with me while you were still in prison. I admired the confidence that you would be able to make it today. I actually lost quite a bit of money betting against you in our office pool.”

“How were the odds for not guilty?”

“Fifty to one.”

Smith grimaced. “Ouch.”

“You’ve caused quite a stir in the country by calling out Congressman Jones in a debate. That’s all the media is talking about. Do you think he’ll agree to it?”

“If he doesn’t then he’s not just a lunatic, he’s a coward.”

The table was long, and Ambassador William felt incredibly far away. The dining room of the Canadian Embassy was surprisingly decadent—although, with the amount of snow Canada still received in the north, which they converted to water, they didn’t rely as heavily on water imports as the United States did.

The tension between the United States and Canada hadn’t been nearly as volatile as it was with Mexico, although it should have been after the United States commandeered all of the Great Lakes once things started to get really bad five years ago. Canada didn’t have the military to stop them, and with their snow in the north, they weren’t in a hurry to try.

“My debate is one of the reasons I wanted to meet with you, Ambassador. I was hoping we could talk about a mutually beneficial arrangement,” Smith said.

“And what type of arrangement did you have in mind?”

Smith’s fork clanged against the porcelain plates. He wiped his mouth with the edge of his napkin and rose from his chair. The Ambassador was caught mid-chew as Smith sat down next to him.

“It’s no secret that we’re drying up, Ambassador. If it isn’t obvious by the weather report, then it is by the extreme actions our government has taken. The drought will spread. The deserts are growing, and it won’t be long before the shaky alliance between our two nations dwindles and comes to another military conflict. And I don’t believe that’s what either of us wants.”

Lucas swallowed. “No, it’s not.”

“The scientist who designed the filtration process that can create clean, drinkable water from any liquid source in cheap, massive quantities is in Halifax. I need your help in acquiring the permits needed for him to build a station on Canadian soil.”

Lucas dabbed the corners of his mouth. He rested his back on the velvet-cushioned seat behind him. The food-stained napkin hung limp in his hand. He tossed it on the table next to his half-finished salmon.

“If I do this, then the Great Lakes debt is forgiven. All of it. And immediately,” Lucas said.

“Done.”

“Then I better get on the phone. Once I see the paperwork with our deal laid out, your scientist can begin his work.”

Smith and Lucas shook hands. Smith turned to leave, but Lucas stopped him. “Congressman, if your government doesn’t approve the debt forgiveness, then I’ll have Dr. Carlson detained in a Canadian prison. He’ll never set foot on American soil again.”

The boldness of youth was something Smith had always admired. He still liked to consider himself bold, although he found that the older he became, phrases such as “time tested” and “battle proven” seemed to replace it. Smith simply nodded and smiled.

Smith buttoned his suit jacket on his way out of the embassy. Beth was waiting for him in the front offices. She snapped her laptop shut and joined him walking out of the building, falling right into stride with him.

“We need to get in touch with Senator Harris,” Smith said.

“What? Why?”

“He’s chair of the budgetary committee that handles all balances owed to the U.S. government. We’re going to need him to sign off on something.”

“You know he doesn’t like you, right?”

“Yes, Beth. I’m aware. Has Jones reached out to us yet?”

“No. Nothing.”

“What about Dr. Carlson? Where’s he at with assembling his team?”

“He’s setting up some meetings with colleagues.”

Dr. Carlson was the final result of a chain reaction, but it all started with Jones. If Smith couldn’t get Jones in front of a camera, then he’d lose momentum. And if he lost momentum, then so would the cause. He needed to strike while the media was still buzzing. It wouldn’t be long before attention would be pulled back to the war with Mexico. And now with the Canadian ambassador’s request, the spinning plates Smith was holding up seemed to keep multiplying. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to keep them going.