Gabriel Over the White House

President Judd Hammond announces a strict rule that only two people may enter his presence at any time, placing Pendie Molloy as his mistress and Beek as his secretary at the center of his inner circle. This setup foreshadows how power and desire will intertwine throughout the story. The arrangement signals the isolation that will accompany his later transformation.

A reporter asks Hammond whether he will meet John Bronson, whose planned march to Washington aims to restore jobs. Beek explains Bronson's plan while Hammond waffles and refuses to be quoted, revealing a tense, indecisive posture. The exchange hints at the fragility of democracy when faced with mass agitation.

Hammond uses the pen that Lincoln wielded to sign a bill for sewers in Puerto Rico, a moment rich with symbolism and political theater. The act links petty governance to heroic myth, underscoring Hammond's flair for symbolic gestures. It also marks an early display of his power to act swiftly on unrelated issues.

Bronson delivers a persuasive radio speech that stirs the nation while Hammond casually plays with his nephew Jimmie, signaling a chilling divide between public ambition and private distraction. The juxtaposition emphasizes Hammond's growing detachment from the people he governs. The juxtaposition foreshadows the personality split that will define his rule.

Hammond crashes his car and Dr. Eastman pronounces him beyond any human help. A breeze through the curtains and a momentary flood of light accompany his insistence that he will not die. The near-death experience becomes a catalyst for his subsequent transformation into a quieter, more calculating leader.

Weeks later, Eastman reveals to Beek and Pendie that the seemingly comatose president is in fact altered, a gaunt and silent man who reads and thinks alone. He appears less a politician and more a 'ghost' of his former self. His changed demeanor unsettles those around him and foreshadows a harsher rule.

John Bronson is killed in a drive-by shooting, yet the million-man march to Washington continues to gain momentum. Diamond's attempts to corrupt Bronson fail, illustrating the stubborn will of the movement ahead of Hammond's full ascent. The event intensifies the sense that ordinary law and order are buckling under pressure.

In Baltimore, Hammond addresses Alice Bronson, telling her that her father died as a martyr who roused the people to act. He frames the sacrifice to justify his own drive toward sweeping reform. This moment deepens the emotional stakes of political upheaval.

Pendie and Beek discuss that since the accident Hammond has seemed two men: a public figure and a private, more enigmatic force. They wonder if a divine intervention has stepped in to shape his path. The dialogue crystallizes the mythic dimension of his transformation.

Hammond fires the Cabinet and adjourns Congress, declaring a dictatorship anchored in Jefferson's idea of democracy—the greatest good for the greatest number. He unveils sweeping reforms: ending foreclosures, enacting a National Banking Law, aiding farmers, and attacking racketeering, while repealing Prohibition. The move marks a dramatic consolidation of power.

The first U.S. Government Liquor Store is bombed and machine gun fire rakes the White House, wounding Pendie just as she and Beek prepare to confess their love. Hammond appoints Beek as head of the new Federal Police, and the racketeers face a court-martial with execution for those convicted. The violence underscores the price of upheaval.

Hammond broadcasts the power of his Navy of the Air, then signs The Washington Covenant with the Lincoln quill. He collapses as Pendie stays by his side, and a Lincoln-like light floods the room as shadows disappear. Beek and Pendie step out to announce that the President is dead, while the flag is lowered at half-mast and Taps plays.