The recent price surge had already been felt hard across the country. Hundreds of people in the Northeast had died during a winter cold snap when fuel oil stocks ran dry. Airlines, trucking companies, and related transport businesses were driven toward bankruptcy, while hundreds of thousands of workers in other industries had already been laid off. The entire economy seemed on the brink of collapse, while public outrage swelled at a government that could do little to alter the forces of supply and demand.
“There’s no sense in getting angry at the Canadians,” the President said. “Shutting down Athabasca is a rather noble gesture, in light of the accelerated global-warming figures we keep seeing.”
Sandecker nodded. “I just received a National Underwater and Marine Agency report on ocean temperatures. The seas are warming much faster than previously predicted, while rising at the same pace. There seems to be no stopping the melting of the polar ice caps. The rise in sea level is going to create a global upheaval that we can’t even imagine.”
“As if we don’t have enough problems,” the President muttered. “And not only that, we’re also facing potentially devastating economic repercussions. The global anti-coal campaign is gaining real support. A lot of countries are considering the proposed boycott of American and Chinese goods unless we give up burning coal.”
“The problem is,” Sandecker noted, “coal-fired power plants are the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions—but they also provide half of our electricity. And we have the largest coal reserves in the world. It’s a painful dilemma.”
“I’m not sure that our nation could survive economically if an international boycott gained momentum,” the President replied in a low voice. The exhausted Chief Executive leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. “I fear we are at a tipping point, Jim, in terms of both the economy and the environment. Disaster awaits if we don’t take the right steps.”
The pressures of the situation were building, and Sandecker could see that they were clearly taking a toll on the President’s health. “We’re in for some tough choices,” Sandecker replied. Taking pity on a man he considered a close friend, he added, “You can’t solve it all yourself, Garner.”
An angry fire suddenly lit in the President’s tired eyes. “Maybe I can’t. But I shouldn’t have to try. We’ve seen this coming for a decade or more yet nobody had the will to act. Prior administrations spent their time propping up the oil companies while throwing peanuts at renewable-energy research. The same goes for global warming. Congress was too busy protecting the coal industry to see that they were setting the planet up for destruction. Everyone knew that our economic reliance on foreign oil would someday come to haunt us, and now that day has arrived.”
“There’s no debating the shortsightedness of our predecessors,” Sandecker agreed. “Washington has never been a town known for its courage. But we owe it to the American people to do what we can to right the wrongs of the past.”
“The American people,” the President replied with anguish. “What am I supposed to tell them now? Sorry, we had our head in the sand? Sorry, we’re now facing rampant fuel shortages, hyperinflation, staggering unemployment, and an economic depression? And, sorry, the rest of the world wants us to stop burning coal, so the lights are going out, too?”
The President slumped in his chair, staring at the wall in a lost gaze.
“I can’t offer them a miracle,” he said.
A long silence lingered over the office before Sandecker responded in a low tone. “You don’t need to offer a miracle, just a sharing of the pain. It will be a tough pill to swallow, but we’ll have to take a stand and redirect our energy use away from oil. The public is resilient when it counts. Lay it on the line, Garner, and they will stand with us and accept the sacrifices to come.”
“Perhaps,” the President replied in a defeated tone. “But will they stand with us when they figure out that it may be too late? ”
4
ELIZABETH FINLAY STEPPED TO THE BEDROOM window and glanced at the sky. A light drizzle beat down, as it had for most of the day, and showed no signs of letting up. She turned and gazed at the waters of Victoria Harbor, which lapped at a stone seawall behind her house. The harbor waters appeared calm, broken by a sprinkling of whitecaps kicked up by the light breeze. It was about as good a spring sailing day as it got in the Pacific Northwest, she thought.
Pulling on a thick sweater and a weathered yellow rain slicker, she padded down the stairs of her expansive shoreline home. Built by her late husband in the 1990s, it featured a honeycomb of broad glass windows, which captured a dramatic view of downtown Victoria across the harbor. T. J. Finlay had planned it that way, as a constant reminder of the city he loved. A larger-than-life character, Finlay had dominated the local political scene. An heir to the Canadian Pacific Railway fortune, he had entered politics at an early age, becoming a popular and long-standing MP for greater Victoria. He had died unexpectedly of a heart attack but would have been delighted to know that his wife of thirty-five years had easily won election to his seat in Parliament.
A delicate yet adventurous woman, Elizabeth Finlay came from a long line of Canadian settlers and was fiercely proud of her heritage. She was troubled by what she saw as unjust external influences on Canada and was a vocal critic for tougher immigration standards and tighter restrictions on foreign ownership and investment. While ruffling feathers in the business community, she was widely admired for her courage, bluntness, and honesty.
Stepping out a back door, she made her way across a manicured lawn and down a flight of steps to a heavy wooden dock that marched into the bay. A happy black Lab followed at her heels, wagging its tail in tireless bliss. Moored at the dock was a sleek sixty-five-foot offshore motor yacht. Though nearly twenty years old, it sparkled like new, the product of impeccable care. Opposite the yacht was a small wooden Wayfarer sailboat of sixteen feet, emblazoned with a bright yellow hull. Like the yacht, the vintage racing sailboat was kept looking new with polished brightwork and fresh lines and sails.
At the sound of her footsteps across the wooden slats, a thin gray-haired man stepped off the yacht and greeted Finlay.
“Good morning, Mrs. Finlay. Do you wish to take out the Columbia Empress?” he asked, motioning toward the yacht.
“No, Edward, I’m up for a sail today. It’s a better way to clear my head of Ottawa politics.”
“An excellent proposition,” he replied, helping her and the dog into the sailboat. Untying the bow and stern lines, he shoved the boat away from the dock as Finlay raised the mainsail.
“Watch out for freighters,” the caretaker said. “Traffic seems a bit lively today.”
“Thank you, Edward. I shall be back by lunchtime.”
The breeze quickly filled the mainsail, and Finlay was able to maneuver into the harbor without use of the outboard motor. As the harbor opened up before her, she tacked to the southeast, maneuvering past a Seattle-bound ferry. Seated in the small cockpit, she clipped on a safety harness, then took in the view around her. The quaint shore of Victoria Island receded on her left, its gabled, turn-of-the-century structures resembling a row of dollhouses. In the distance ahead, a steady stream of freighters rolled in along the Juan de Fuca Strait, splitting their forces between Vancouver and Seattle. A few other hardy sailboats and fishing boats dotted the sound, but the open expanse of water left a wide berth to the other vessels. Finlay watched as a small runabout roared past, its lone occupant tossing her a friendly wave before plowing on ahead of her.
She sat back and soaked in the salt air, turning up her collar to the damp sea spray. She sailed toward a small group of islands east of Victoria, letting the Wayfarer run free while her mind did likewise. Twenty years before, she and T.J. had sailed across the Pacific on a much larger boat. Crossing remote stretches of ocean, she found that the solitude gave her a sense of comfort. She always considered the sailboat to be a remarkably therapeutic device. Just a few minutes on the water purged away the daily stresses while calming her emotions. She often joked that the country needed more sailboats and fewer psychologists.
The small boat skimmed through quietly building swells as Finlay crossed the open bay. Approaching Discovery Island, she tacked to the southeast, breezing into a sheltered cove on the green island that stretched only a mile long. A pod of orcas broke the surface nearby, and Finlay chased after them for several minutes until they disappeared under the surface. Tacking again back toward the i
sland, she saw that the nearby waters were clear of other vessels, save for the runabout that had passed earlier. The powerboat seemed to be running in large circles ahead of her. Finlay shook her head in loathing at the disruptive noise from its large outboard motor.
The runabout suddenly stopped a short distance ahead of her, and Finlay could see the occupant fidgeting with a fishing pole. She shifted the rudder and tacked to her port, intending to pass offshore. Skirting by a few yards away, she was startled to hear a loud splash followed by a cry for help.