SCENE 25 OF "THE WALLS HAVE EARS: A NOVEL OF AMERICA" SERIALIZED BY F. SCOTT SINCLAIR

QUOTE:


Copyright © 2007 by F. Scott Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.


Warning: If you are easily shocked with regard to contrary
points of view, conspiracy theories, offensive language, political
correctness, sex, or anything else that may offend your
sensibilities or lack of open-mindedness, or if you're a minor
(but by no means limited to the aforementioned), please do
not read this novel. It's not for you...

Note: This is a work of fiction. The events described here are
imaginary: the settings, events and characters are fictitious,
and/or are the product of the author's imagination or used
fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events or locales
or persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.


Copyright (C) 2007 by F. Scott Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.



Scene 25 of "The Walls Have Ears: A Novel of America"




Judge Theodore Marsh



I was staying with my running mate Lester Hampton at
his mansion located on Hood’s Canal. Secret Service agents
were combing the area like a pack of hunting dogs. Other
agents and the Coast Guard were continually searching the
beach and shore within a two mile radius, while other Secret
Service agents kept us under constant surveillance. The
morning mist began to evaporate as Lester and I sat out
on the veranda.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Lester said after taking a bite
of French toast into his mouth, the maple syrup dripping
from the corners of his mouth, and says, “an old friend of
yours will be dropping by.”

“I have friends?”

He wiped his greasy lips with a cloth napkin, and said,
“Does the name, Wilber C. Winslow, mean anything to you?”

Startled beyond words, I couldn’t believe my ears. “You’re
saying, Wilber C. Winslow, wants to discuss something
with me?”

“You got it, Judge Marsh.”

“Surely this must be a mistake...”

As he plopped another piece of dripping French toast
onto his tongue, and inhaled--wolfing it down--he says
with a half-smile, “You don’t give yourself enough credit.
A former Supreme Court justice is the ultimate candidate.
Folks are looking for someone with moral integrity, and
I can’t think of a better person: a former Supreme Court
justice, like yourself.”

As I leaned back, slouching in the ornate wrought iron
chair, I said, “Thanks for the vote of confidence. But not
everyone feels that way, I’m afraid. The felonious five on
the Court blew any integrity that may have existed.
Appearances are everything. After we allowed President
Steinhart to win the 2000 election, our reputation was
irredeemably damaged. Americans no longer respect the
Supreme Court, and for good reason, I might add.”

“Just the same, take my advice and don’t be so hard
on yourself. Okay?”

Reluctantly, I nodded, catching an image of my ugly mug
in the glass door that led into the kitchen. I didn’t like
the reflection I saw. Perhaps old age had set in, or the
bags under my black eyes destroyed the elderly
statesman-like image I’d imagined for so long. Needless
to say, time was running out for me. Next stop: the
incinerator, I thought. Pleasant thought...

I turned my black face and flat nostrils towards the
beach, brought the coffee cup to my lips, and said, “Looks
like we’ve got company.”

“And right on time. C’mon now, Judge Winslow won’t
bite you. Follow me, and I’ll make the introductions.”

“Sounds good to me.” That’s precisely what I did. I
followed the leader to the shore, and we wadded up to
our kneecaps in the murky water, helping Judge Winslow
off the 16 foot speedboat.

Judge Winslow limped forward onto the sandy beach,
and then abruptly used both hands to whisk away any
sand that had stuck to his trousers, and then says, “Thanks
gentlemen for the royal treatment.”

“Our pleasure, your Honor,” Lester said. “By the way,
Judge Marsh, meet the Honorable Wilber C. Winslow.”

After we’d introduced ourselves, and became acquaintances
with some customary small talk, we finally reached the veranda.

“Care for something to eat?” Lester asked Judge Winslow.

“No thanks. Ate before we departed Seattle in that tin
can of a speedboat.”

“You won’t turn down a cup of espresso coffee, now will
you?” I said sternly.

Not wanting to offend, I’m sure, Judge Winslow says,
“Absolutely not. I can always use a cup of coffee. I often
sneak a cup or two into the courtroom. You wouldn’t believe
how boring some cases can be.”

Laughing, I answered, “You’re forgetting something,
Judge Winslow.”

Bewildered, his reaction was a blank expression, and
replied, “What’s that...?”

“I’m a judge and can identify with your coffee remarks.
And if I thought long and hard enough, I could no doubt
relate to you on the boredom aspect of being a judge.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Enough niceties and pleasantries for the moment. How
about filling us in on your need for this meeting. If you
recall, you were quite apprehensive about disclosing anything
over the phone. Besides that, you specifically requested
that no Secret Service agents should be within earshot.
Why’s that?” Lester said.

As the hired help brought more coffee, and began pouring
it into our China cups, Judge Winslow didn’t say a word until
the waiter left. “Okay, gentlemen, the reason for my secrecy
is that I’m in charge of all secret trials of detainees caught
in the War on Terrorism in the Pacific Northwest. Anything
I say here must be held in the strictest confidence. Is that
understood?”

We both nodded our heads.

“Good. Now that that little detail is out of the way, I can
get to the meat of my concerns. And they are many, I’m
afraid. The FBI is a loose cannon, and they’ve threatened
me personally if I allow anyone released for lack of evidence,
mistaken identity, you name it.”

My black face almost glowed with disgust, and asked,
“What are the facts and circumstances surrounding this
instant case.”

With furrowed brow and clinched teeth, Judge Winslow
says, “Unbelievable. The guy the FBI is trying to railroad
only dialed a wrong number. And the FBI knows this, but
they still won’t release him.”

“Are they stating the provisions within the Patriot Act
as justification for the continued detention?” Lester Hampton
asked.

A bit paranoid, Judge Winslow turns his head from side
to side, scanning the terrain for possible eavesdroppers.
Finally, he says, “Among other things.”

“Skeletons in the closet?” Lester asked, shifting the weight
of his elbows onto the frosted glass of the round patio table.

“If you’re implying that the FBI is blackmailing me, you’re
probably right.”

“And what does this have to do with us?” I asked.

He shifted uneasily in his chair, and says, “The kind of
blackmail I’m talking about is more damaging than anything
you can imagine. They’ve threatened to arrest me on trumped
up charges, and hold me indefinitely like the detainee, Jake
Jacobs.”

“What’s the detainee’s name again,” I asked, not believing
the words I’d just heard.

“Jake Jacobs.”

“Is he a novelist...?”

Judge Winslow nodded affirmatively.

My heart sank into my belly. An anxious hollow feeling
erupted. From the sound of it, it just had to be the same
Jake Jacobs he knew in Thailand. What was he doing in
America? How come he returned unannounced?

“I know him.”

Both Judge Winslow and Lester shot hard looks in my
direction, both saying simultaneously, “You’re kiddin’?”

“Wish I were... Truly, I wish that were the case.”

“Is that why you came here today, Judge Winslow?”
Lester said, toying with the handle of the China cup.

“Partly. But mostly I want to set the record straight
and destroy this unconstitutional Kangaroo Court I’m in
charge of.”

Leaning forward, I asked, “And how may we help?”

With a glint of moisture in the corners of his eyes,
Judge Winslow whispers, “Someone from the outside
must infiltrate the secret court. And I’m proposing that
you, Judge Marsh, select someone to take my place
while I’m on sick leave.”

“I do know a private investigator whose expertise is
government abuse cases. I tell you what, if this friend of
mine accepts the job, you’re going to have to remain
behind the scenes helping him with the laws and procedures
so his cover isn’t blown.”

“That can be arranged.” He was firm in his response,
folding his arms against his chest—nodding his approval
and conviction.

“Fine,” I said, turning to Lester. “Care to comment...?”

“Can you provide us with an anonymous dossier? We
need one that's cleansed--and untraceable-- just in
case the Secret Service, or anyone else, happens to see
the contents. If they do see the file, it won’t make any
sense to them.”

With a smirk on his lips, Judge Winslow says, “A piece
of cake. Another Da Vinci Code?”

“Something like that,” Lester said. “Care for some more
coffee?”

As our collective eyes melted together, I said, “I’ll be
in touch.”

“And I’ll make all the arrangements,” he said, as we
ended the clandestine discussion and pursued less dangerous
avenues of congenial conversation. My mind drifted off
into deep contemplation, never really focusing on the small
talk that entertained us the remainder of the morning.

All I could think about was getting a hold of Rick Olson.
Our friend, Jake Jacobs, must be pissing in his pants.
My heart burned at what he must be going through
if the rumors of torture by our government were true.

I excused myself and went upstairs. My nerves were
shot and my mind went blank the minute my head hit
the pillow.

**************************************************
QUOTE:

FURNITURE STORES IN THAILAND ARE A DELIGHT TO BEHOLD.

********************************************************
QUOTE:

A WORLD OF INCIDENTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS:
TRULY AMAZING...! AND IT'S UPDATED EVERY
360 SECONDS, I'VE BEEN TOLD. A REALLY PLEASANT
TREAT AND INTELLECTUAL JOURNEY. TRY IT, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT.
**********************************************************
QUOTE:

Late Night Political Jokes - Late Night Jokes Updated Daily

*******************************************************
QUOTE:

A CONVENIENT (I HOPE) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF
F. SCOTT SINCLAIR'S NOVELS

*******************************************************************

THE LOBBY BY PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

QUOTE:

The Lobby

By Paul Craig Roberts

That the vast majority of Americans know nothing of
this is testimony to the power of the Israel Lobby. Continue

****************************************************
QUOTE:

Latin America’s Shock Resistance

By Naomi Klein

In less than two years, the lease on the largest and
most important US military base in Latin America
will run out. The base is in Manta, Ecuador, and
Rafael Correa, the country’s leftist president, has
pronounced that he will renew the lease “on one
condition: that they let us put a base in Miami–an
Ecuadorean base. If there is no problem having foreign
soldiers on a country’s soil, surely they’ll let us have an
Ecuadorean base in the United States.” Continue

**************************************************
QUOTE:

Hillary's Musharraf

By Greg Palast

Mrs. Clinton's forgotten fling with the Killer of Karachi.
Continue

***************************************************
QUOTE:

"The Assassination of Hugo Chavez"

By Greg Palast.

Video Report

In my interview with the president of Venezuela on
March 28, he made Bush the following astonishing offer:
Chavez would drop the price of oil to $50 a barrel,
"not too high, a fair price," he said — a third less than
the $75 a barrel for oil recently posted on the spot
market. That would bring down the price at the pump
by about a buck, from $3 to $2 a gallon. Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

Torturing Palestinian Detainees

By Stephen Lendman

Since the early 1990s, B'Tselem published more than
ten reports on Israelis' use of torture and mistreatment
of Palestinian detainees. This is the latest one in an effort
to raise public awareness and help abolish these abhorrent
practices. Continue

*************************************************
QUOTE:

Lest We Forget

By John Pilger

On Remembrance Day 2007 – Veterans Day in America – the
great and the good bowed their heads at the Cenotaph. Generals,
politicians, newsreaders, football managers and stock-market
traders wore their poppies. Hypocrisy was a presence. No
one mentioned Iraq. No one uttered the slightest remorse for
the fallen of that country. No one read the forbidden list. Continue

******************************************************
QUOTE:

In the Hands of the Military

By Chris Hedges

The last, best hope for averting a war with Iran lies with
the United States military. The Democratic Congress, cowed
by the Israel lobby and terrified of appearing weak on defense
before the presidential elections, will do nothing to halt an
attack. Continue

***************************************************
QUOTE:

Venezuela: Between Ballots And Bullets

By James Petras

History has repeatedly taught that when you put social
democracy, egalitarianism and popular power at the top of
the political agenda, as Chavez has done, and as the vast
majority of the populace enthusiastically responds, the
Right, the reactionary military, the ‘Centrist’ political
defectors and ideologues, the White House, the hysterical
middle classes and the Church cardinals will sacrifice any
and all democratic freedoms to defend their property,
privileges and power by whatever means and at whatever
cost necessary. Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

Entangling Alliances

By Ron Paul

In the name of clamping down on "terrorist uprisings" in
Pakistan, General Musharraf has declared a state of
emergency and imposed martial law. The true motivations
behind this action however, are astonishingly transparent.
Continue

**************************************************
QUOTE:

Iraq War Is A Betrayal Of American Democracy

By Matt Howard

In 2003 I illegally invaded the sovereign nation of Iraq
with 1st Tank battalion 1st Marine Division. My commander
in chief unleashed the world's fiercest fighting force upon
the country and people of Iraq, and now those of us used
and betrayed by him are demanding justice. Continue

*************************************************
QUOTE:

The Grand Delusion

By Joel S. Hirschhorn

Virtually everything that Bush correctly gets condemnation
for could have been prevented or negated by Democrats, if
they had had courage, conviction and commitment to
maintaining the rule of law and obedience to the Constitution.
Continue

******************************************************
QUOTE:

A Nation on borrowed time

By Mike Whitney

On Monday, Asian stock markets took another drubbing on
fears that the credit squeeze which began in the United States
would continue to worsen in the months ahead. Every index
from Tokyo to Sidney fell sharply continuing the “self-reinforcing”
vicious cycle of losses started last week on Wall Street. Continue

*******************************************************
QUOTE:

Mark Weisbrot Memo to Obama:No Rush to "Fix" Social Security

*******************************************************
QUOTE:

FURNITURE STORES IN THAILAND ARE A DELIGHT TO BEHOLD.

********************************************************
QUOTE:

A WORLD OF INCIDENTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS:
TRULY AMAZING...! AND IT'S UPDATED EVERY
360 SECONDS, I'VE BEEN TOLD. A REALLY
PLEASANT TREAT AND INTELLECTUAL JOURNEY.
TRY IT, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT.

**********************************************************
QUOTE:

Late Night Political Jokes - Late Night Jokes Updated Daily

*******************************************************

QUOTE:

A CONVENIENT (I HOPE) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF
F. SCOTT SINCLAIR'S NOVELS

*******************************************************

MIKE WHITNEY DOES IT AGAIN...! GREAT ARTICLE.

QUOTE:

The Last Dead Bull on Wall Street


By Mike Whitney


Whew! What a week for the stock market. On
Wednesday the market took a 360 point nosedive
followed, two days later, by a 220 point belly-flop.
By the time it was over, the trading pits looked
more like a sausage-packing plant than the
world’s financial epicenter. Continue

*************************************************
QUOTE:

Waterboarding Republicans vs. Supporting Our Troops

By Stephen Crockett

For those Republicans (or Democrats) who defend
waterboarding as something less than torture, I have
a proposal. Whenever a Bush Administration official
is called before the House or Senate to testify, they
should be waterboarded the entire time they are
testifying. The technique, according to the Bush
Republicans, elicits honest answers and does not
amount to torture. According to these Bush Republicans,
waterboarding does not cause any lasting damage. Continue

******************************************************
QUOTE:

The Pain of Globalisation

By Jared Bernstein and Josh Bivens

For years Americans have been told that they all
benefit from trade with poorer countries - yet many
now find they are worse off. Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

Solidarity

By Charles Sullivan

We are living in extraordinarily dangerous times, when
evil, rather than justice, prevails. The schoolyard is
terrorized by thugs and punks with names like Bush,
Cheney, Limbaugh, Robertson, Clinton, Rockefeller,
Rice, Rumsfeld, Perle, Kristol and Giuliani—pedigreed
people all. Continue

***************************************************
QUOTE:

Our Man in Islamabad


By Stephen Lendman


Pakistan remains in turmoil under martial law.
Thousands have been arrested including hundreds
of lawyers, opposition politicians, journalists and
students according to independent sources although
the Interior Ministry acknowledges only 1800.
In addition, pitched battles are on the streets, and
all George Bush can say is we'll "continue to work
with (Musharraf and hope) he will restore democracy
as quickly as possible." Continue

**************************************************
QUOTE:

The Pain of Globalisation


By Jared Bernstein and Josh Bivens


For years Americans have been told that they all benefit
from trade with poorer countries - yet many now find
they are worse off. Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

The Neoconservative Agenda to Sacrifice the Fifth Fleet


The New Pearl Harbor


By Michael E. Salla, M.A., Ph.D.


Neoconservatives within the Bush administration are
aggressively promoting a range of military actions
against Iran that will culminate in Iran attacking the
US Navy’s Fifth Fleet with sophisticated cruise
anti-ship missiles. Iran has sufficient quantities of
cruise missiles to destroy much or all of the Fifth Fleet
which is within range of Iran’s mobile missile launchers
strategically located along its mountainous terrain
overlooking the Persian Gulf. Continue

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QUOTE:

The Long Fall A Market Without Parachutes



By Mike Whitney


America is finished, washed up, kaput. Foreign investors
and central banks around the world have lost confidence
in US markets and are headed for the exits. The dollar is
sinking, the country is insolvent, and its leaders are
barking mad. Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

You Have No Choice - You Have Owners


George Carlin - 3 Minute VideoWarning - Some viewers
may be offended by adult language. Continue

******************************************************
QUOTE:

Dean Baker Homeownership:The Fast Path to Poverty

******************************************************
QUOTE:

Frank Rich: The Coup at Home

*******************************************************
QUOTE:

FURNITURE STORES IN THAILAND ARE A DELIGHT TO BEHOLD.

*******************************************************
QUOTE:

Late Night Political Jokes - Late Night Jokes Updated Daily

*******************************************************
QUOTE:


A CONVENIENT (I HOPE) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF
F. SCOTT SINCLAIR'S NOVELS

********************************************************

IT'S NOW OR NEVER, I'M AFRAID. MIKE WHITNEY RAPS UP THE SITUATION HANDSOMELY IN THIS DRAMATIC, BUT POSITIVE ARTICLE

QUOTE:

The Media’s Plan to Ambush Ron Paul

By Mike Whitney

First we stop the killing, and then we restore the
Constitution. These are our two main priorities.
And that’s why I’m voting for Ron Paul. He is the
only candidate (with a chance to win) who’s promising
to do either. And he’ll keep his word. That makes
him the only truly American candidate running for
president. Continue

******************************************************
QUOTE:

The Presidency is Now a Criminal Conspiracy

Special Comment - By Keith Olbermann

Video And Transcript

The presidency of George W. Bush has now devolved
into a criminal conspiracy to cover the ass of George
W. Bush. Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

Sinking Currency, Sinking Country

By Patrick J. Buchanan

The dollar is plunging because America has been living
beyond her means, borrowing $2 billion a day from
foreign nations to maintain her standard of living and
to sustain the American Imperium. Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

Stock Market Mayhem and Bush’s Moral Swamp

By Mike Whitney

The real reason that the subprime swindle mushroomed
into a humongous economy-busting monster is that the
markets are no longer policed by any agency that believes
in intervention. Continue

****************************************************
QUOTE:

Torture By Waterboarding
7 Minute Video

"On Friday's Countdown Keith Olbermann talked to
Newsweek's Richard Wolfe and Former Nixon White House
Counsel, John Dean, about Senators Feinstein and Schumer's
inexcusable caving on President Bush's Attorney General
nominee and an ABC News report that claims former acting
Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin was forced out of
the DoJ when he declared waterboarding to be torture —
after allowing himself to be waterboarded." Continue

*******************************************************
QUOTE:

US Bombed Syria:

Report USAF Struck Syrian "Nuclear" Site

By JPOST.COM STAFF

The September 6 raid over Syria was carried out by
the US Air Force, the Al-Jazeera Web site reported Friday.
The Web site quoted Israeli and Arab sources as saying
that two strategic US jets armed with tactical nuclear
weapons carried out an attack on a nuclear site under
construction. Continue

******************************************************
QUOTE:

Warning... This Film Could Make You Angry

By Robert Fisk

So is truth stranger than fiction? Or is Hollywood waking
up – after Syriana and Munich – to the gross injustices of
the Middle East and the shameless and illegal policies of
the US in the region? Go and see Rendition – it will make
you angry – and remember Arar. And you can take a beautiful
woman along to share your fury. Continue

*************************************************
QUOTE:

Amazing Grace

By Charles Sullivan

It seems inexplicable that so many of the American people can
be so dazed and confused, while moral degenerates ransack
our nation, piss and defecate upon the Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence, and brazenly loot the public
domain, making a mockery of the rule of law and societal
norms; whatever they may be. Continue

****************************************************
QUOTE:

Kucinich Presents Articles Impeachment to Congress

Rep. Dennis Kucinich - November 6, 2007 -
House of Representatives - Video and documents


Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Presents Articles of Impeachment for
Vice President Richard Cheney under the rules of "Privileged
Resolution " in Congress. Continue

******************************************************
QUOTE:

Cuba's Sin

By William Blum

Cuba's sin, which the United States of America can not forgive,
is to have created a society that can serve as a successful
example of an alternative to the capitalist model, and,
moreover, to have done so under the very nose of the
United States.Continue

*****************************************************
QUOTE:

A Vote for Mukasey Is a Vote for Torture

By Amy Goodman

If a U.S. citizen, soldier or official were waterboarded
somewhere overseas, would Americans hesitate for
a moment to call it torture? A filibuster might give
the Mukasey supporters like Schumer and Feinstein
pause to reconsider. Continue

************************************************
QUOTE:

Our Man in Pakistan

By Robert Scheer

So, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, treated ever so respectfully
by George Bush throughout his administration, in which
he became the first Pakistani leader to visit Camp David,
has turned out to be just another crummy dictator. But
he was our dictator, kind of a modern, even westernized
one who could stand up to all those bearded Islamic
terrorists. Continue

************************************************
QUOTE:

Paul Krugman: Wobbled by Wealth?

**************************************************
QUOTE:

Dollar's Fall Collapses American Empire

BY PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

***************************************************
QUOTE:

Late Night Political Jokes - Late Night Jokes Updated Daily

*******************************************************
QUOTE:

A CONVENIENT (I HOPE) TABLE OF CONTENTS OF
F. SCOTT SINCLAIR'S NOVELS

*******************************************************