Page 70 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

"I wish you could have seen her, in that coat with a black fur collar."

"Did you take her out?"

"We had dinner." He had not kissed her good night.

Out of the blue, Jacky said: "I like that Maria Summers."

George was startled. "How do you know her?"

"She belongs to the club." Jacky was supervisor of the colored staff at the University Women's Club. "It doesn't have many black members, so of course we talk. She mentioned she worked at the White House, I told her about you, and we realized you two already know each other. She has a nice family."

George was amused. "How do you know that?"

"She brought her parents in for lunch. Her father's a big lawyer in Chicago. He knows Mayor Daley there." Daley was a big Kennedy supporter.

"You know more about her than I do!"

"Women listen. Men talk."

"I like Maria, too."

"Good." Jacky

frowned, remembering the original topic of conversation. "What did Bobby Kennedy say when you got back from Atlanta?"

"He's going to okay the wiretap on Levison. That means the FBI will be listening to some of Dr. King's phone calls."

"How much does that matter? Everything King does is intended to be publicized."

"They may find out, in advance, what King is going to do next. If they do, they'll tip off the segregationists, who will be able to plan ahead, and may find ways to undermine what King does."

"It's bad, but it's not the end of the world."

"I could tip King off about the wiretap. Tell Verena to warn King to be careful what he says on the phone to Levison."

"You'd be betraying the trust of your work colleagues."

"That's what bothers me."

"In fact, you'd probably have to resign."

"Exactly. Because I'd feel a traitor."

"Besides, they might find out about the tip-off, and when they looked around for the culprit they'd see one black face in the room--yours."

"Maybe I should do it anyway, if it's the right thing."

"If you leave, George, there's no black face in Bobby Kennedy's inner circle."

"I knew you'd say I should shut up and stay."

"It's hard, but yes, I think you should."

"So do I," said George.

CHAPTER TWELVE

You live in an amazing house," Beep Dewar said to Dave Williams.

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