"Let's go over there and sit down," John said, nodding toward a picnic table under an oak tree. They went and sat down. John put a cooler on the table. "You want a beer?"
"Sure," Ham said. "It's hot out here."
John handed him a Budweiser, and they both popped the tops. He took a long swig and set the beer on the table. "Ham," he said, "let me tell you about you."
"Okay," Ham replied.
"You're like a lot of our folks; you don't like the direction the country has taken since-"
"Since the Vietnam war," Ham said.
"Right. That was the breaking point for a lot of us. The politicians got us into a shooting war and wouldn't let us win it. The result of that, among other things, is that blacks and Jews started to get more political power, to the point that you can't really get anything done in this country unless you kiss their asses."
"That's God's truth," Ham said.
"Now you're out of the army that gave you a reason to live for thirty years," John said, "and you're bored rigid."
"Right again."
"What would you say if I told you I could offer you work that would, one, end your boredom, and two, help bring about a new American revolution, one that would put real people like you and me in power?"
Ham looked him in the eye. "I'd say that's a mighty big statement."
"I can back it up," John said.
"I'm listening."
"All right. I have two things that will help me make it happen: one, I've got the makings of an army of absolute loyalists who are being trained to make that revolution happen, and two, I've got the financial means to support the effort-or I will have, and sooner rather than later."
"I'm still listening," Ham said.
"Ham, you've been a noncom for most of your adult life. How would you like to be a general?"
Ham allowed himself a small smile.
"You'd be good at generating, wouldn't you?"
"You're damn right I would, but if you try to take over the country, you're going to have to deal with the military, and that's a very big job."
"Think back on your military experience, Ham. How many officers you knew would fit into the kind of revolution I'm talking about?"
"Damn few."
"But the enlisted men and noncoms were a different story, weren't they."
"They were. A lot of them were smarter than the officers who commanded them." Ham was getting good at lying.
"So, you see, we don't have to fight the military. We take it over, and we do so by elevating the noncoms to command status."
"And you do that by eliminating the officers?"
"Not all of them," John said. "There are some who can be trusted. We're already in touch with a lot of them."
"So you're talking about getting rid of most of the officers, establishing martial law with a new military, then dumping the Constitution?"
"No, no, no," John said. "The Constitution of the United States is a magnificent document, a blueprint for the perfect society. The problem is the people who are interpreting it and enforcing it. What we need is about five years of military dominance to cleanse this country of its worst elements and to establish a new judiciary. Then we can hold elections with confidence. Free elections are a wonderful thing, when you're dealing with an electorate purged of anti-Christian elements and reeducated to think about their country in a new way."
"Well, that's all very exciting," Ham said, "but do you really think you can pull this off?"