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“Come on, it’s nice.”

Brad lay down on the bed and sank into the mattress. “Oh, it’s one of those foams. I like that.” Tom was happy that his father had said he liked something. He went and opened the small round window and let some air into the room.

“This is nice, Dad. It’s perfect. I bet most of your day will be outside anyway, so this is very comfortable to come home to.” And they spent the next hour convincing themselves that everything was fine. The ship did have five pools, although three were not currently in service. It had a movie theater and a large dining room, and a gym and a sauna. There were dance classes and bingo games. It was just that everything looked twenty years older than it did in the brochure.

At 4:45, two long loud blasts from the ship’s air horn told everyone it was time for guests to depart. Tom and his father walked to the exit ramp and stood there for a moment, not saying a word. Then Brad started to cry. His son hugged him. “Stop it, Dad. Stop it. This is going to be great.”

“How do you wind up like this? In a million years I would never have imagined this is where I would be.”

“It’s going to be great. I know it. And if it isn’t, you’ll leave.”

“I can’t leave. All the money is in this now. This is my fate.”

“It’s a good fate, Dad. You’ll see. You’ll make new friends. It’s okay. You’re going to love this. I know it.” At that moment the air horn sounded one last time and it made both men jump.

“Jesus Christ,” Brad said. “Is this the way they tell you to do things?”

“I think it’s just for departure.”

“It had better be. I don’t want to be called to each meal like an air raid drill.”

Tom laughed. He kissed his father on the cheek and then walked off the ship.

Brad went to the railing of the second deck, along with hundreds of other people who were saying good-bye, and waved to Tom as if he were just going to Hawaii for two weeks. The fact that this was permanent was too much to think about. Hopefully there were people here who loved to play bridge. Brad had not had a great game of bridge in years.

* * *

Susanna Colbert had gone to college with Nate Cass and had always stayed in touch with him. Nate invested in The Card at her suggestion and, like everything else he touched, it turned to gold. Her calling Nate was not unusual. But he had not heard from her since she had become the Treasury secretary.

“To what do I owe the honor?” he asked.

“I was thinking about you. How’s your family?”

“No change. Still divorced. You?”

“I’m good.”

“How’s Washington?”

“It’s exciting. A challenge.”

“Pretty big news about the Chinese.”

“I think it’s going to work out well.”

“It’d better.”

“Are you free for a bite sometime this week?”

Nate paused. Normally whenever Susanna asked to see him it was about investing large sums, but he knew that as head of the Treasury she wouldn’t be allowed to do that. Then he got curious.

“Susanna, don’t ask me to bail out the country. I don’t have that kind of money.” She laughed.

“Really? I’m sorry. I’ll call someone else.”

“I would certainly have a meal with you. Do you want to tell me what it’s about?”

“Let’s do it over lunch. I’m coming to New York on Thursday for the weekend. Is Friday all right?”

“It’s fine. I’ll pick a place and let your office know.”

“I look forward to it.”

At one o’clock on Friday, Susanna and Nate met at Antonio’s, a small, elegant Italian restaurant on East Sixty-third Street. The restaurant only seated seventy-five people and was frequented by advertising executives and designers. No famous people. No paparazzi. Colbert was, of course, recognized by some, but it wasn’t a big deal.

They had a table in a reasonably dark corner near the kitchen, and what they gave up in foot traffic they gained in privacy. Nate ordered a fish stew and Susanna had an anchovy salad. They both had white wine. Nate raised his glass and toasted her. “To the first female secretary of the Treasury. May God guide you in getting us out of our massive debt.”

Susanna smiled. “Even God can’t do that, but thank you.”

“So what is this all