Leo Wallace had come to Washington once again.
The black, full-size SUV drove off the bridge, crossing the Potomac River.
The wide river separated the hills of Virginia from the plains of the District of Columbia.
The river was deep, its surface reflecting the lights from both banks and the massive, reinforced concrete bridge piers.
This was the nerve center of the United States of America.
Washington's urban layout exhibited an absolute geometric symmetry and the logic of power.
Broad, radial avenues extended in all directions from Capitol Hill, carving up the uniform city blocks.
Clusters of tall, white buildings dominated the core of his vision.
It was a city built purely for the purpose of governance.
It produced no industrial goods, nor did it yield any crops.
It only produced rules, bills, tax rates, and orders for war.
Tens of thousands of politicians, lobbyists, lawyers, and senior aides shuttled between these granite buildings every day.
