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nasty.”
    “Ah, yes, I do miss those days,” Rick said, looking down at the menu.
    “Don’t even bother with the menu,” Ben said. “There’s only one thing to get here.” Ben pointed to the unlimited pizza bar that was Armand’s specialty. “All the pizza you can eat for only four ninety-nine. It’s just about the greatest thing in the city as far as I’m concerned. I can’t believe you never heard about this place.”
    “I clearly missed out,” Rick said, surveying the various pizzas.
    After giving the waiter their order, Ben and Rick walked up to the pizza bar and grabbed three slices each. When they returned to the table, Ben said, “Meanwhile, thanks again for the advice on the
Scott
case. I didn’t realize Hollis was so adamant about ruling for defendants on those.”
    “Our fair justice has never seen a Sixth Amendment case he didn’t like,” Rick said. “By the way, how did that death penalty case turn out?”
    “You know I’m not supposed to tell you that,” Ben said, forcing a slight laugh. “We signed an ethics code—everything’s confidential.”
    “I signed the same agreement,” Rick said, folding up a slice of pizza covered with onion and garlic. “And I’m still bound by it. Believe me, I know what it’s like to sit in those chambers. The responsibility never ends.”
    Ben looked over his shoulder, then leaned over to Rick. “We’re working on the dissent. The justices voted five to four to fry him. It was a heartbreaker.”
    “Hey, don’t let it get you down,” Rick said. “You guys did a great job in setting up that case. You can’t—”
    “I know, I can’t win them all,” Ben said. “I just wish we could’ve saved that guy. He got screwed by the trial court.”
    “He’s not the first, and he’s certainly not the last,” Rick said. “So what else are you working on? What’s happening with the CMI merger? Doesn’t that come down next week?”
    “Actually, it probably won’t come down for another few weeks. Blake and Osterman asked for more time to write their opinions. You know how it is—merger cases always wind up confusing everyone. It takes forever to sort through all the regulatory nonsense.”
    “So who wins?”
    “It was actually pretty amazing,” Ben said, once again checking over his shoulder. “When the justices were voting in Conference, it was five to four against CMI. At the last minute, Osterman took Dreiberg out of Conference and into his chambers. According to Osterman’s clerks, Osterman then convinced her that the regulations ran in favor of CMI, making the merger with Lexcoll completely legal under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Charles Maxwell is going to skip to work when this decision comes down. Rumor says he’s spent well over five million just on legal expenses to get the case up to the Court.”
    “Any idea what made Dreiberg switch?”
    “None. You know how Osterman is. He probably leaned on Dreiberg intellectually and Dreiberg gave in. It’s hard for the newest justice to stand up to the chief justice.”
    “Especially when she’s a woman,” Rick said.
    Surprised by Rick’s comment, Ben said, “I wouldn’t say that. Even if Dreiberg were a man, she’d have a hard time facing Osterman head-on.”
    “I guess,” Rick said.
    “What time is she coming over?” Nathan asked, polishing his shoes on the living-room coffee table.
    “She should be here any minute.” As Ben was working on his own shoes, he noted Nathan’s meticulous rubbing and buffing. “How about I just pay you to do mine?”
    “This is a passing of tradition, boy,” Nathan said. “From father to son. From son to friend. Polishing shoes is a part of life.”
    “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Ben said, rubbing the black polish into the loafer. “I feel like my grandfather. I mean, only old people shine their own shoes. I’m probably aging as we speak.”
    “Age has nothing to do with it,” Nathan said. “I’ve been self-polishing since