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Senator Cannon’s broad, handsome face showed a smile that indicated pleasure, happiness, and a touch of triumph. His dark, slightly wavy hair, with the broad swathes of silver at the temples, was a little disarrayed, and there was a splash of cigarette ash on one trouser leg, but otherwise, even sitting there in his shirt sleeves, he looked well-dressed. His wide shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist and lean hips, and he looked a good ten years younger than his actual fifty-two.

He lit another cigarette, but a careful scrutiny of his face would have revealed that, though his eyes were on the screen, his thoughts were not in Convention Hall.

Representative Matson, looking like an amazed bulldog, managed to chew and puff on his cigar simultaneously and still speak understandable English. “Never saw anything like it. Never. First ballot and you had it, Jim. I know Texas was going to put up Perez as a favorite son on the first ballot, but they couldn’t do anything except jump on the bandwagon by the time the vote reached them. Unanimous on the first ballot.”

Governor Spanding, a lantern-jawed, lean man sitting on the other side of Senator Cannon, gave a short chuckle and said, “Came close not t’ being unanimous. The delegate from Alabama looked as though he was going to stick to his ‘One vote for Byron Beauregarde Cadwallader’ until Cadwallader himself went over to make him change his vote before the first ballot was complete.”

The door opened, and a man came in from the other room. He bounced in on the balls of his feet, clapped his hands together, and dry-washed them briskly. “We’re in!” he said, with businesslike glee. “Image, gentlemen! That’s what does it: Image!” He was a tall, rather bony-faced man in his early forties, and his manner was that of the self-satisfied businessman who is quite certain that he knows all of the answers and all of the questions. “Create an image that the public goes for, and you’re in!”

Senator Cannon turned his head around and grinned. “Thanks, Horvin, but let’s remember that we still have an election to win.”

“We’ll win it,” Horvin said confidently. “A properly projected image attracts the public–“

“Oh, crud,” said Representative Matson in a growly voice. “The opposition has just as good a staff of PR men as we do. If we beat ’em, it’ll be because we’ve got a better man, not because we’ve got better public relations.”

“Of course,” said Horvin, unabashed. “We can project a better image because we’ve got better material to work with. We–“

“Jim managed to get elected to the Senate without any of your help, and he went in with an avalanche. If there’s any ‘image projecting’ done around here, Jim is the one who does it.”

Horvin nodded his head as though he were in complete agreement with Matson. “Exactly. His natural ability plus the scientific application of mass psychology make an unbeatable team.”

Matson started to say something, but Senator Cannon cut in first. “He’s right, Ed. We’ve got to use every weapon we have to win this election. Another four years of the present policies, and the Sino-Russian Bloc will be able to start unilateral disarmament. They won’t have to start a war to bury us.”

Horvin looked nervous. “Uh … Senator–“

Cannon made a motion in the air. “I know, I know. Our policy during the campaign will be to run down the opposition, not the United States. We are still in a strong position, but if this goes on–Don’t worry, Horvin; the whole thing will be handled properly.”

Before any of them could say anything, Senator Cannon turned to Representative Matson and said: “Ed, will you get Matthew Fisher on the phone? And the Governor of Pennsylvania and … let’s see … Senator Hidekai and Joe Vitelli.”

“I didn’t even know Fisher was here,” Matson said. “What do you want him for?”

“I just want to talk to him, Ed. Get him up here, with the others, will you?”