The booth's screen was small, a seven-incher, and definition was poor. Even with that handicap, though, Harker could see the rings around Winstead's eyes. New York's Governor obviously had had little sleep the night before.
"I got your message, Leo. What goes?"
Winstead said, "You know about Thurman and his stand on reanimation, don't you?"
"Of course. Thurman visited the lab yesterday."
"And then proceeded to issue a series of statements blasting your project," Winstead said. The Governor looked like a man about to explode from conflicting tensions. In a tight-strung voice he said, "Jim, we held a caucus on the Thurman situation last night. First let me tell you that the Nat-Libs have decided to issue a public statement praising your outfit and asking for careful consideration of reanimation."
Harker smiled. "It's about time someone said he was on our side."
"Don't break your arm patting your back," Winstead warned. "The Amer-Cons forced our hand. It took all night for us to agree to support you. A lot of us aren't in favor of reanimation at all."
"And a lot of you aren't in favor of anything I'm in favor of," Harker said crisply. "But what's this about Thurman, now?"
"He's killing us! How can we come out pro-reanimation when the elder patriarch of our party is issuing statements condemning it?"
Harker shrugged. "I'll admit you have a problem."