Bert

After Bunny finished signing the last document in front of him, he pushed it forward across the table towards Knight. Then he clapped his hands together, "OK, so where's the scotch?"

Later all four men are in another room. It is dark and paneled, with no visible exterior windows. The illumination is from multiple soft lamps. Over the mantle of dark unlit hearth of fireplace is the mounted head of a majestic elk. On the wall are many photographs, so much like a continuous heterogeneous mosaic, of hunters with trophies from various parts of the world---beasts of North America, South America, and Africa.  There are glass cases visible along the wall, but the contents are unseen.

Bunny is relaxing in one of the several soft plush leather chairs, with a drink in hand, on the rocks. Bill is standing by the bar looking at a photograph on the wall. Knight is in another nearby chair. Pres is standing on the other side of the chairs from Bill, by the mantle. He is practicing a golf put.

"Well, my dear brother," Bunny says, staring at the opposite wall with his drink, "did you hear?"

He pauses, "In your absence, Franklin Roosevelt has been elected to president again for a third time."

Bill still looking at the wall photograph, smiles, almost a chuckle.

He lets a beat pass before replaying. "Who could have imagined such a thing, when it started?"

He lets another beat pass. He takes a slow breath. He has a twinkle in his eyes. "What a fantastic opportunity."

"For whom?" Bunny asks, a bit skeptical.

Bill rotates to look at him. "All of us," he says.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to be a Republican."

Bunny looks up at Pres, who is still in his putting pose.

"Pres knows what I'm talking about." Pres looks up from his imaginary putt.

"At least you have to be a Republican too," Bunny says to Pres.

"But that's what comes from living in Greenwich. Imagine you trying to be a Democrat out there."

Pres stands up, dropping his imaginary putter. His face erupts into the most comical expression , as if it is the funniest thing he has ever heard. The two of them, looking at each other laugh at again, and Knight laughs with them in his chair.

When the laughter has subsided, Bill says to Pres "How's your eldest? Almost graduated."

Pres sobers up a bit, but is still red faced from his laughter. "One more year to go. Writing for the school newspaper. Captain of the baseball team most likely. Soccer too. Says he's going to run for president of the student council."

"Very good," says Bill.

And then adds, "Oh, and how's Bert? Haven't talked to him in ages. Still alive and kicking?"

"Oh, yes," says Prescott, who picks up his drink off the mantle where it has been sitting. He leans against the mantle. "Still very much alive."

 "That's good to hear," says Bill.

Pres nods his head. "Indeed," he says, taking a drink of his scotch.