The case had slowly worked its way through the proper legal channels, Chance losing at each stop. The matter presented enough gray areas in the law that it had eventually been plopped like a big tuna on the doorstep of this place.
The current law said that Chance had, ironically, no chance of winning. The military was virtually immune from suit by its personnel for any damages, regardless of the cause or the element of fault. But the justices could change what the law said. And Knight and Sara Evans were working hard behind the scenes to do just that. The support of Thomas Murphy was critical to that plan. Murphy might not support overturning completely the military’s immunity right, but the Chance case could at least punch a hole in the Army’s wall of invincibility.
It seemed premature to be discussing resolution of a case that had not yet been heard, but in many cases and for many justices, oral argument was anticlimactic. By the time it rolled around, most had already made up their minds. The argument phase of the process was more an opportunity for the justices to showcase their positions and concerns to their colleagues, often by use of extreme hypotheticals. They were akin to mental scare tactics, as if to say, “See what could happen, Brother Justice, if you vote that way?”
Michael stood and looked down at her. It was at his urging that Sara had signed up for another term at the Court. Raised on a small farm in North Carolina and educated at Stanford, Sara had, like all the clerks here, a wonderful professional future waiting once she left the Court. Having a clerkship at the Supreme Court on one’s résumé was a gold key to entry at just about anyplace an attorney would care to put down his briefcase. That had affected some clerks in a negative way, giving them inflated egos that their actual accomplishments did not quite back up. Michael and Sara, though, had remained the same people they had always been. Which was one reason, aside from her intelligence, good looks and refreshingly balanced personality, that Michael had asked her a very important question a week ago. A question he hoped to receive an answer to soon. Perhaps now. He had never been a particularly patient man.
Sara looked up at him expectantly.
“Have you given my question any thought?”
She had known it was coming. She had avoided it long enough. “That’s all I’ve been thinking about.”
“They say when it takes that long, it’s a bad sign.” He said this jokingly, but the humor was obviously forced.
“Michael, I like you a lot.”
“Like? Oh boy, another bad sign.” His face suddenly grew warm.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Probably not half as sorry as I am. I’ve never asked anyone to marry me before.”
“You’re actually my first too. And I can’t tell you how flattered I am. You’ve got it all.”
“Except for one thing.” Michael looked down at his hands as they quivered a bit. His skin suddenly seemed too tight for his body. “I respect your decision. I’m not one of those who thinks you can learn to love someone over time. It’s either there or not.”
“You’ll find someone, Michael. And that woman will be very lucky.” Sara felt so awkward. “I hope this doesn’t mean I’m losing my best friend on the Court.”
“Probably.” He held up a hand as she started to protest. “I’m just kidding.” He sighed. “I don’t mean this to sound egotistical, but this is the first time anybody’s really turned me down for anything.”
“I wish my life had been so easy.” Sara smiled.
“No, you don’t. It makes rejection a lot harder to accept.” Michael went over to the doorway. “We’re still friends, Sara. You’re too much fun to be around. I’m too smart to let that go. And you’ll find someone too, and he’ll be very lucky.” He didn’t look at her when he added, “Have you found him yet, by the way?”
She started slightly. “Why do you ask that?”
“Call it a sixth sense. Losing is a little easier to accept if you know who you lost out to.”