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“Simpson Gives Support to Lincoln!” shouted the headline of the Franklin Observer that sat on the table of the teacher’s lounge. It was now official: Georginia Lincoln would become the thirty-fourth president of the United States. Ken had heard the news the previous evening while he and Josh cleaned up after dinner. They’d expected that the Liberal candidate Elijah Simpson would give his electoral votes to Lincoln, giving her the electoral majority, but hearing it had happened brought about fresh shouts of celebrations, a long kiss, and a postponement of further cleaning as passions took hold. He chuckled inwardly at the memory. Politics didn’t get most people excited in such a manner, but it definitely did in his relationship.

Several other teachers sat around the room. It was lunchtime, and they sat about discussing the current trials of the day and comparing notes on students. Or at least a few were taking part in this normal school-day routine. Several others were discussing the new President-elect.

“I just can’t believe it. A Communalist! A Communalist is going to move into Washington House. I never thought I’d see the day.” Patricia Hershing, one of the English teachers, bemoaned. She didn’t literally wring her hands, but Ken conjured up the mental image as he sat down at the same table, next to his friends Tabitha Sharp and Jeramiah Hampson, who taught U.S. History and math, respectively.

“Oh come on Patty. We all knew it was coming. I even voted for Simpson and I still knew who was going to win.” Tabitha said as she picked up her sandwich to take a bite.

“Exactly. The Communalists were so close last time, and people were so fatigued of the Nationalists. How could she not have won?” Jeremiah asked.

“You all are young. You don’t really remember those days back in the Teens and Twenties when every day we were reminded in the papers of the horrors that the Communalists were doing in Europe.”

Ken chimed in at this point. “Oh come on Patty. Holzian Communalism has been eradicated in Europe for over thirty years! And it never caught on here.”

“Right! My brothers and I all fought Over There in war, and we were fighting with the Europeans against the Prussians, not the other way around.” Jeremiah didn’t often trot out his war record at school. That he did so was a sign he was trying to give serious weight to what Ken had said.

“That just goes to show you that war can make for strange bedfellows. Lincoln and her ilk will destroy the free economy, just like they’ve been doing over in Indiana and Illinois. I wish I hadn’t voted for Simpson, now that he’s gone and given my vote to the Communalist.” Patty shook her head in frustrated disbelief.

“Oh, they haven’t done that. I have a sister that lives in Indianapolis,” Tabitha stated, “and sure they pay higher taxes but there has been a lot of good that the Communalists have done. Healthcare is paid for and so is higher ed. There are a lot of benefits. It’s not perfect, but it’s not the ‘big evil’ that others paint it.”

“Plus,” Jeremiah interjected, “having a female president is beyond amazing, surely even you can recognize that Patty. My eight-year-old daughter has been so excited.”

Patty made a noise of contempt. “There are plenty of better women that can serve as good role models for our girls. But you are right. For the first time in our history, we have a woman president. I can’t ignore that-”

“Or the fact that we were the last country in the North American Union to elect a female leader,” interjected Tabitha.

“Next to last, actually. Hawaii has never had a female prime minister.” Jeremiah chimed in.

“-as I was saying,” Patty continued, “I can’t ignore that it is important. I just wish it had been someone else. Lynne Powell was a good Liberal and the first female VP. She would have been a good choice. And of course Katherine Potter from 6 years ago.”

“Well, it’s done now,” said Tabitha, “and we might as well get used to it. If we survived Nolan and Priest, I’m sure we can manage Lincoln just find.”

Patty rolled her eyes. “That’s not a high bar.”

Just then, Ken looked up at the clock. “Well, it’s about time to head back.” He picked up the remains of his lunch and stood, preparing to head back to his classroom.

“Oh Ken, I meant to ask you how your kids are doing on their ‘Cherokee Nation v. Georgia’ assignment.”

“Not too bad. Most see the connection between the court ruling and the eventual establishment of Gigadohi and the other Native States. How about you?”

“About half and half. It’s clicked with some kids. Others…” she rolled her eyes.

“Well, hopefully, it’ll click before the test in two weeks.”

Tabitha sighed. “We still have to get through the birth of the First Secretaryship between now and then. I can already tell my fourth and fifth periods are going to struggle with that.”

Ken chuckled slightly, as the two of them headed out of the lounge and towards their classrooms. “Well, to be fair, organic government development can trip up college students.”

“I know that!” Tabitha exclaimed. “So why does the state of Ohio insist that fifteen-year-old secondary students know it?”

“They aren’t the only ones. Kentucky and Franklin have it in their standards too,” Ken said as he shrugged, before continuing. “You know it isn’t our job to make the standards. Just follow them, lest we anger the bureaucratic gods.”

Tabitha laughed and stuck out her tongue at him. Then the bell rang, just as they turned the corner and arrived at the short hall where both of their classes were at.

“Right on time, it’s back to work,” Ken said, as he waved a temporary goodbye to his friend.


Two nights later, as he looked over essays while sitting at the kitchen table, Ken realized he’d been too optimistic about his student’s grasp on ‘Cherokee Nation v. Georgia.’ The ones that didn’t draw the connection from this 1831 case protecting the sovereignty of native tribes to the modern existence of Gigadohi, Kanasaw, and Lakota were bad enough. What truly made him sigh though were the essays that had somehow got their wires crossed and spoke of a court case that went against the tribes and allowed the State of Georgia to stomp over Cherokee rights. It was as though he was reading something from one of those counter-history novels that Joshua loved. In a world where the Cherokee and other natives had been stripped of their land and authority, would Hawthorne’s slaver government have been triumphant against the rebel north in the War Between the States? Ken shuddered at the thought, then pushed it out of his mind. Counterfactuals always turned into endless rabbit holes of what-if, and he had better things to do.

In the background, the radio played the latest peppy RagTech song from Matt Kohler, currently at the top of the charts across the nation. Ken listened to RagTech whenever he could when he was alone, as Joshua and his Country music tastes never could pallet the brass and guitars and loud nature of Ken’s music. When the song ended, an announcer came on.

“That was Matt Kohler’s new hit, “American Prince.” It’s just shy six o’clock here in the nation’s capital, and we will be back after this sponsor’s message with the news.”

Ken glanced up at the clock on the wall. Sure enough, it was just a few minutes before six. Josh should be home any minute, so he figured it was time to pack up the grading for the night. The advertisement, an annoyingly catchy diddy preaching the virtues of the latest laundry detergent, chirped in the background. By the time it ended and the announcer came back on, Ken had gathered all the essays into his school bag.

“And now the news. President-elect Lincoln was here in Franklin again today, for more meetings with First Secretary Tyndale to discuss cabinet appointments. It is still early days of speculation, but it is expected that the four Communalist secretaries, Layla Van Holt at Education, Samuel Drake at Treasury, Silas Monroe at Interior, and Alexa Peters at Health, will all be maintained in the new administration. Those four were part of the shake-up two years ago after the House changed hands to the CPUS-Liberal Bloc that made Tyndale First Secretary. The coveted positions of Secretary of State and Secretary of War are still anyone’s guess at this point. It is possible that one of those positions may be offered to the Liberals as part of the continued coalition between the two center-left parties.” The report continued on in it’s speculation, but Ken’s attention was distracted when Joshua walked in.

“Hello gorgeous,” Ken said, as he got up and gave his boyfriend a kiss. “How are things at Headquarters?”

“Insane. The President-elect is set to come by tomorrow or the day after, once she’s done meeting with Tyndale. Rumor has it that she’s going to tap several of the staff members at HQ to join her at Washington House. Possibly even my boss.”

“She’s going to move Jacob over with her? To do what, run the Press Office?”

“That would be the most likely fit. Her old press secretary announced she was retiring once the campaign was over. Jacob worked with her a lot. It makes sense.”

Ken was surprised. “Do you think he will bring you with him?”

“Oh, I have no idea about that. I doubt it.” Josh said with a chuckle as he sat down his briefcase and the bag of take-out food.

“I could see it. He’s told me several times that he relies on you.” Ken said as he grabbed plates from the cupboard.

“Well, I still have my doubts. I’m not the most senior person in our office. I’m sure that Jacob could manage just fine at Washington House without me.”

“You act as though you wouldn’t want to go!” Ken sounded incredulous.

“Well, it would be a huge change. Longer hours. Less time with you.” Josh leaned in for a kiss at that comment, which Ken grudgingly allowed.

“But it’s Washington House! And working for the first Communalist and first female president. You can’t pass that up!”

“I’ll cross that bridge if and when we get there,” Josh said as he sat down to eat. “Now, tell me about your day.”

Ken let out a long sigh, remembering the morass of essays he’d been wading through. As he suspected Joshua took to the counter-factual elements like a fish to water.