The Senator and the Student

On Monday morning, Rebecca kept her nose buried in the Laucester Beacon all the way into the capital city. Fortunately, most of her fellow commuters took the hint and left her alone, but there were a few whispers of "harlot" and worse. At least her hometown paper had sided very much with her in the scandal du jour: the editorial headline read, "Sen. Wharton's Life is Her Own".

Would that Martha agreed with the paper, Rebecca thought as she made her way to her office. But that was quite hopeless.

Sure enough, Martha leapt up from her desk at the moment Rebecca walked in. "Senator!"

"Good morning, Martha." Rebecca smiled and turned toward her private office.

"Senator, was the telegraph broken in Laucester?" Martha demanded, following her. "I sent you a rather urgent message..."

"I received it, and had no response," Rebecca said.

"What?" Martha slammed Rebecca's office door shut behind them as Rebecca bent over the fireplace and lit the fire. "Do you know how much time we've lost because you ignored me? This story is out of control!"

"There is no need for anyone to control it," Rebecca said. "Chester and I are in love, and that is no one's business but our own."

"Have you gone mad?" Martha seethed. "Or are you honestly unaware of what sort of strings Premiere Wynnton is willing to pull to block your suffrage bill?"

"And isn't that just what you wanted, Martha?"

"Not the point and you know it, Senator! Now, from the moment I got in this morning, there have been non-stop calls from the press for comments on Mister Croft, and I have had no earthly idea what to say!"

"Now you do, Martha," Rebecca said. "You can say Chester and I are in love, and it is no one else's concern at all."

"Senator, you have far more faith in people's good nature than I do," Martha said as she gave up and retreated toward the door.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't belong in the Senate," Rebecca said.

"Famous last words, I fear," Martha said.

Just as she was leaving, Rebecca's pagegirl, Wanda, appeared in the doorway. "Is the senator here?" she asked.

Rebecca heard her. "Come in, Wanda!" She leaned back in her desk chair and crossed her legs. "Have you delivered the suffrage bill to the docket room?" she asked the girl. "I'm sorry to leave that to the last moment on Friday, but it was a very hectic couple of days."

"That's fine, ma'am," Rebecca said. "You know, my brothers spent the whole weekend begging to know if the bill would come up before the next election..."

"Well, it will be unless the premiere is heartless enough to call an election just before Christmas," Rebecca said.

"But -"

"Oh, I shouldn't worry, Wanda. She did threaten me with that last week, but she never would! Voters would be furious, having her encroach on the holiday season with politics when they're together with their families!"

"But Senator -"

"Besides, the Mainline name is still poison. She'd need a miracle to stay in the premiere's chair."

"Senator!" Wanda snapped. "Forgive me, ma'am, but please listen."

"Yes?"

"She has called an election."

"What?!" Rebecca jumped up.

"For the week before Christmas. And I couldn't get your bill on the docket."

"Yes, of course," Rebecca shook her head. "No new business once an election is set." She gathered up her briefcase and threw some papers from her desk into it. "Well, we'll just have to set it for first thing after the election."

"Begging your pardon, Senator, how confident are you that you'll still be a senator then?"

"That matters less than ensuring those who will still be here will carry the battle on," Rebecca said. "Keep that bill in your desk. Even if I'm not here to submit it, I'll see to it that someone is."

One of the first things Rebecca had learned in the last election was to smile through her rage. This she did as she stepped out into the hall and was once again mobbed by press. "Senator, how do you feel about your chances in the election?" "Is this a desperate ploy to defeat male suffrage?"' "Will you be running for premiere if you win?" "What has Mister Croft to say about all this?"

"No comment at this time, thank you!" And she strode briskly down the hall to the Senate chamber.

Several of her fellow suffragists were clustered around Rebecca's desk when she arrived in the chamber. "What do we do, Rebecca?" asked Senator Abood.

"You go home and tell the women there what you told the Senate last week," Rebecca said. "That goes for all of you," she added.

"You do know how furious they'll be with having an election so close to Christmas?" asked Laura Grafton, an Egalitarian senator from a factory town down south. "The men will be on leave from the factory, all set for the holiday with their families, but now the women will be preoccupied with the election!"

"Use that, Laura," Rebecca said. "Tell them this is all a ploy to stir up opposition to male suffrage, because Lady Gwen knows it's the only way she can defeat it! No one likes to be manipulated."

"Are you quite sure it is only that, Rebecca?" asked Norma Stone, who as usual was listening in from her desk.

"Yes, I am sure," Rebecca said without looking back at her.

"That is not what I'm hearing," Norma went on. "Seems to me there are concerns about the Egalitarian leader's integrity. The voters have a right to voice their concerns about that, if you ask me."

"Who asked you?!" snapped Senator Abood.

"Ellie, it's all right," Rebecca said, taking her friend's hand and rubbing it gently. "If Senator Stone is so miserable she must attack others for being lucky in love, she is beneath our pity."

"Congratulations, by the way," said Senator Marsten. "I hope the election doesn't cause any strife with Mister Croft."

"Thank you, and I do not believe it will."

"She doesn't believe it will," Premiere Wynnton repeated shortly thereafter in the premiere's office, when Senator Stone had reported on the exchange. "And she supposes she can turn the resentment against me?"

"With all due respect, Madam Premiere, I fear she may be right about that," Senator Stone said. "I am not looking forward to asking the farmers for their votes when they'd rather be cosy by the fireside with their husbands and children."

"I shouldn't worry about that," Premiere Wynnton said, turning to the other two women who were gathered around the other side of her desk. She put an arm around the older of the two. "I believe you know Gwen Rollins, Senator?"

"By reputation only!" Senator Stone said, shaking hands with the former senator. "It's my one regret that I washed in on the same tide that washed you out of the Senate, madam! Particularly in light of who took your place."

"That's very kind of you," said Gwen. "But I shall be all the happier to rejoin the Senate for all that."

"You will be challenging Senator Wharton, then?"

"That disgrace to her gender," Gwen said bitterly. "It shall be my great pleasure to send her to an early retirement!"

"Women all over Laucester have been telling her so," added the other woman, whom the premiere hadn't yet introduced. "A fair number of men as well, although that doesn't really matter."

"Forgive me, Norma," said Premiere Wynnton. "This is a beloved former constituent of Senator Rollins: Winnifred Croft."

"Croft?" Norma asked as she shook Winnifred's hand. "Any relation to..."

"I am his mother," Winnifred said crisply. "And that tart never even asked my blessing!"

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that!" Norma said. "But I must warn you, the press seems utterly enamoured of your son and Senator Wharton. If we run against true love at Christmastime, no matter how misguided that love is, we could end up looking like so many heartless wretches."

"Oh, I shouldn't worry about that," said Winnifred.

"Mrs. Croft is an old friend of Senator Wharton," Premiere Wynnton explained. "She knows plenty of dirty secrets should we be unable to bring her son to his senses."

"I should hope that won't be necessary," said Gwen Rollins.

"As should I," Winnifred said. "But Rebecca will have none but herself to blame if I must. She knows me well enough to know what to expect."

Rebecca had all morning to calm her comrades and update her speech. She also had time to reconsider delivering it at all, now that the vote definitely wouldn't be taking place until the new Senate had been sworn in. But it had become clear to her that she needed to rally the troops before they headed home to campaign.

Premiere Wynnton used every parliamentary trick at her disposal to keep Rebecca off the floor until the reporters in the gallery gave up the scoop and left. But by midafternoon they were still present and the premiere had run out of tricks. She had no choice but to comply with Rebecca's request for floor time.

"Thank you, Madame Premiere," Rebecca said with a triumphant flair as she stepped to the dais. "I come before you to announce the Egalitarian Party's plans to introduce male suffrage on the first day of the next Senate!" This brought thunderous applause from her side of the aisle and intense boos from the Supremacists and the few remaining Mainliners.

Rebecca basked in both before continuing. "Now, I know there are those who are too firmly wedded to tradition to consider such a thing. I have but one question for those: what is the harm to your marriage, your business, your farm if your husband has a say in the running of the country? Your husband who fights our wars, works in our long and exhausting factory and farm jobs, fishes our waters, and so much more? Where in history was it ever written down that they were unqualified to make intellectual decisions like us?"

"On every page!" heckled Senator Jakesley, a particularly rock-ribbed Supremacist.

"Order!" Premiere Wynnton's heart clearly wasn't in the word, but rules were rules.

"Thank you." Rebecca couldn't help smirking. "Senator Jakesley is not wrong, mind you, but I ask you: could it be men haven't thrived beyond our expectations because we've never allowed them to? None of you need me to remind you of the dire predictions when we opened the universities to men. Now they're thriving there, and most of the female students I've spoken to were delighted to have them. Ladies, let's face it: female superiority belongs on the slag heap of history. Breasts are not fonts of wisdom and restraint; menstrual periods are not a cure-all for expelling evil, and half the world is not born inferior. I have full faith in the women of our country that the coming election will bring in a vast tide of support for men's suffrage, and I urge my colleagues to join the right side of history or risk being drowned in that tide!"

Rebecca set down her papers and welcomed the standing ovation from the Egalitarians, and was particularly delighted to see a few new Progressives joining in. The Mainliners and Supremacists sat stone faced, glaring at her. The gallery was buzzing with notetaking and reporters exchanging opinions on the speech.

When Rebecca was finally able to make her escape from the Senate chamber, the questions came thicker than ever on the walk back to her office. "Senator, what do you say to the charges that you inflicted an election on the country at the most inconvenient time for politics?"

Rebecca had intended to once again ignore the questions. But she stopped and looked at the young reporter who had asked that one, whom she didn't know. "I say their anger should be directed at Premiere Wynnton. This is a desperate effort on her part to stop the tide of progress, nothing more."

"But aren't you concerned the voters will punish you regardless?"

"That is a risk I am willing to take. But I would ask those same voters, if you resent having less time to spend with your husbands, shouldn't you honour them by voting to ensure they become equal citizens? I know what I want for the man I love."

"Speaking of him, Senator --" began Marlene Reed.

"No, I won't be speaking of him," Rebecca interrupted. "And I hope I can trust the press to respect the poor man's privacy. He's a busy student and a private citizen, and his affairs are none of your business."

She knew it would do no good. But it felt good to say it.

The Senate was out of session on Wednesday. So Rebecca spent the morning in her study, answering constituents' post and resisting the temptation to go downtown and listen to Gwen Rollins' declaration of candidacy. There was, she knew, no chance of her remaining incognito if she attended.

Martha did have a fighting chance at that, and so Rebecca had sent her to listen and take notes. Just before midday, Guy appeared in her doorway to announce Martha's arrival from the speech. "Send her in, Guy," Rebecca said.

"Of course, Senator." He bowed and took his leave, and Rebecca stood up and poured two glasses of Martha's favourite liqueur. She had Martha's at the ready in her left hand when she arrived a moment later.

"You might want a bigger glass of that," Martha said on her arrival, shutting the study door behind her. "It's worse than I expected."

"How is that even possible?" Rebecca smiled through her trepidation, telling herself she meant all that she'd said about being willing to lose the election for equality. "Surely she didn't attack Chester, when his mother is her biggest supporter!"

"Everything but." Martha gulped down the aperitif and opened her notebook. "'Ladies of Laucester,'" she began, "'Although my decades of service to you were interrupted three years ago, I have never stopped thinking of myself as your humble servant.'"

"Humble!" Rebecca snorted.

"'I stand before you today to ask that it be made so again. I ask not for myself, ladies, but for you. For your rights and responsibilities and your continued ability to address those responsibilities as only a woman can. For preserving a man's privileges in this world, to which he is entitled.' I'm afraid that line got tremendous applause, Senator. We've got our work cut out for us to overcome that attitude."

"Go on," Rebecca said. "If that's the worst of it, I'm not at all afraid."

"It's not even close, I'm afraid," Martha said. "'My worthy opponent' -- and at that mention there were boos -- 'Now, now, ladies, my opponent is not evil; she is merely misguided. She fails to recognize that a woman's work is hers alone because we alone are suited for clear, lucid thought and empathy for those for whom we must make decisions. She doesn't hate men, she just doesn't understand or respect their strengths and their limitations.'"

"Dear God, what year does she think this is?" Rebecca asked.

"Never mind that, Senator. Here's where it truly turns ugly. 'Sadly, all the country now knows my opponent doesn't respect the boundaries of a young man who can't possibly know his own mind yet.'"

"That bitch." Rebecca poured herself a drink -- a stiffer one this time.

"'I ask you to join me in restoring dignity and respect to Laucester. If my opponent wants to pretend men are equal and play with one who is half her age, by all means let us set her free to make a full-time job of robbing the cradle!'"

"I take it that line got applause," Rebecca said icily.

"Thunderous," Martha confirmed. "I mean, the crowd wasn't a terribly large one..."

"You don't need to sugar-coat this for me, Martha," Rebecca said. "We are up against a whole lot of fear and anger."

"I'm pleased that you understand that at last, Senator."

"I always understood it. I just -- I didn't care if this cost me the election. But if the attacks on Chester cost me...well, I don't care what they cost me. I care what they cost him."

"With due respect, Senator, I tried to warn you of that."

"Yes, yes, of course, Martha. Look..."

She was interrupted by a rap at the door. "Senator?" came Guy's voice.

"Yes, Guy?"

He opened the door. "Winnifred Croft is in the parlour and asking for a word with you."

"Good Lord!" said Martha.

"It's all right, Martha," Rebecca said. "We are old friends, and I should have had a word with her before Chester and I got involved." To Guy she said, "I'll be downstairs in a moment. Martha, is there anything else?"

"Just your own speech for Saturday," Martha said.

"I shall write it this afternoon. See you then?"

"You shall, of course." Martha picked up her coat and nodded to Guy, and took her leave.

Guy was about to follow her down the hall, but Rebecca called to him. "Guy, while I'm speaking with Winnifred, could I trouble you to tidy my desk here? It is such a mess and I do have a busy afternoon planned." She folded the last sheet of paper she had been writing on, to hide the jagged edge where she had torn off the bottom part of the page, and dropped it almost carelessly atop the piles of notes.

"Certainly, Senator." Guy stepped back into the room, and nodded at her as she stepped off down the hallway to greet her old friend.

Rebecca found it easier to feign pleasure at the visit than she had expected. "Winnifred, what a pleasant surprise!"

"There is no need to lie to your oldest friend." Winnifred didn't stand up or make eye contact with Rebecca.

"Well, it certainly is a surprise," Rebecca said.

"Speaking of surprises, Rebecca, had you any intention of telling me of your dalliances with my son?"

"Of course I did. I'm quite sure he did, too."

"Chester, speak to me!" Winnifred laughed haughtily. "I see he hasn't told you everything about our relationship of late. No doubt he will in his own good time, so I'll just say, Rebecca, it's not a good one."

"Can you blame him, given your attitude about his attending university?"

"I am his mother. That entitles me to certain things. Besides, my opposition to him acting like a woman in a woman's world is because I love my son and I want the best for him. You don't understand because you just can't see men don't have the necessary comportment. They can never be our equals!"

"You're entitled to your opinion, Winnifred. But I do recall a time when you were quite fond of men."

"Don't you dare, Rebecca!" Now Winnifred did stand up, and she stepped up toe to toe with her old friend. "You are the one who can't keep her skirt down. And with my son! You knew him as a child!"

"He's no child anymore, and he can make up his own mind about whom he loves."

"Nonsense! I love my son, but he is a fool like most of his gender. You know as well as I, that's why we ask their mothers first, Rebecca. And I would have said absolutely not, under no circumstances, no!"

"I know. And so does Chester."

"And of course, the pair of you would have gone on and done exactly as you pleased," Winnifred sighed. "That is why I don't hate you, Rebecca. You've sullied my son's reputation for all time, but the bloody fool would have done it with or without my blessing. What if I told you we could be friends again?"

"We can, if you can accept that your son's heart and mind are his own."

"You know very well I cannot, because it just isn't true! A man can never know his own heart and he has little mind to speak of. But look, Rebecca, I am willing to forgive. Not forget, but forgive. I ask only one thing of you."

"Let me guess, you want me to withdraw the male suffrage bill."

"And step down in the elections."

"That's two things, Winnifred."

Winnifred smiled -- a cold, haughty smile. "I suppose it is. But since you've made this one issue the crux of your entire career..."

"Then why on earth would I want to give it up when it's on the verge of success?" Rebecca smiled as well, a genuine and welcoming one that naturally was not returned.

"Out of respect for my son and all the other men in your life, that's why!" Winnifred snapped. "You're pushing them into a life that their constitution is utterly unsuited for, and where they could do a great deal of damage to themselves and others!"