The Tenth Justice - Brad Meltzer [120]
Ben pointed to the sofa and offered Ober a seat. “I guess you had some trouble getting in.”
“Not at all,” Ober said, taking off his coat and throwing it on the sofa. “It was easy. The security guard downstairs said that the courtroom was full today. And then I told him that I was here to see Ben Addison. Well, let me tell you, the man checked his clipboard and, bingo, I was inside and at the front of the line. After I got through the metal detector, another guard led me up here.” Ober looked around the room. “This is a pretty good setup here. It feels like the White House—everything is old and serious.”
“It is the Supreme Court,” Lisa said. “Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”
“Did someone say something?” Ober asked, looking at Ben. “I thought I heard a whiny bitch, but it must’ve been my imagination.”
“Ober, you promised,” Ben scolded.
“Fine, fine, I’ll be good,” Ober said, sitting on the sofa. “How are you today, Lisa?”
“I wish a pox on you.”
“Why, thanks for saying so. I just had it cut last week,” Ober said, touching his hair. “This is a great sofa,” he noted, bouncing up and down on its springy cushions. “And you guys have a lot of privacy. So have you ever, you know…late at night after the cleaning lady leaves…?”
“Can you please show some decorum?” Ben begged.
“Can I ask you a question?” Lisa said to Ober. “How can you be so damn festive when you know your friend is scared to death?”
“Don’t judge me,” Ober warned. “You help Ben your way and I’ll help him mine.”
“Both of you, stop it,” Ben said, heading for the door. “Let’s go downstairs.”
In the Great Hall, the slowly diminishing crowd filed through two metal detectors, while Ben, Lisa, and Ober walked straight into the main courtroom. “He’s with us,” Ben explained to a security guard who was staring at Ober.
“This is amazing,” Ober said when he finally entered the room packed full of spectators, reporters, and Court staff.
“If you want pomp, we’ve got pomp,” Ben said as they walked to a roped-off section of seats on the right side of the room.
“Is everyone in front of us a clerk?” Ober asked, noticing that they all seemed to be his age.
Ben nodded. “Only clerks and roommates of clerks can sit here.”
As the remaining spectators were ushered into the room, Ober said, “Well, Ben, I have to admit, the Court looks the same as when I worked here.”
The clerk in front of Ober turned around. “Who’d you clerk for?”
“Osterman,” Ober said.
“Me too!” the clerk said, clearly excited. Extending a hand, he said, “I’m Joel.”
“Nice to meet you, Joel,” Ober said, his voice growing deeper.
“What’s he saying now?” Lisa asked Ben.
“Nothing,” Ben said, amused. “Let him go.”
“Hey, if he puts you in a good mood, I’m in a good mood,” Lisa said.
“So what’d you think of the big man?” Joel asked Ober.
“He was always the nicest in my book.”
“Really?” Ben asked. “Because Osterman’s usually known as being the biggest asshole on the Court.”
“Well, that’s what I meant,” Ober said. “He was nice in that ‘mean asshole’ sort of way.”
“Your friend wasn’t a clerk, was he?” Joel asked Ben. When Ben smiled, Joel said, “Fuck you, Addison. You think you’re so funny, don’t you?”
“No, Joel,” Ben replied. “I know I’m funny.”
“He is very funny,” Ober said. When Joel turned around and ignored him, Ober continued, “Nice to meet you, too.”
A buzzer sounded, ending every conversation in the room. “Is this where I’m supposed to be quiet?” Ober whispered.
“Shhhhh,” Ben said.
The marshal banged his gavel, and every person in the room stood at attention. “The Honorable, the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States!” the marshal announced. Within seconds, the nine justices strode through openings in the burgundy velvet curtain and moved to their respective seats on the bench.
“Very cool,” Ober whispered.
When the justices took their seats, the marshal announced,