22 Till Death Do You Part

Chapter 22 TILL DEATH DO YOU PART Coke and Pep's long nightmare was finally over. Archie Clone was dead, a victim of his own greed and insanity. Dr. Warsaw was dead, a victim of a very high fall from The Infinity Room at The House on the Rock. Mrs. Higgins was, in all probability, in police custody, after foolishly trying to steal the top hat that Abraham Lincoln was wearing on the night he was assassinated. The bowler dudes had flown away in helicopters, but neither of them seemed to have the smarts to mount a serious campaign of terror without the guidance of an inspiring leader. There was nobody left to bother Coke and Pep. When they woke up on the morning of July Fourth, they were both smiling for the first time in a long time. A burden had been lifted. Finally, they could enjoy their summer vacation.

Everyone rushed to get dressed. Aunt Judy's wedding was scheduled for noon on the grass in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The McDonald family had packed their nicest clothes for this occasion, and had waited the whole trip to wear them. Before this year, Pep had never cared much about clothes or what she looked like. But today she was all decked out in a lovely blue skirt with a ruffled white blouse and a necklace with a butterfly on it. Coke hated to wear a jacket and tie, and put up with them as long as it was just for the occasional wedding or funeral. His pants and sleeves were just a little short, because he had grown a few inches in the last year but had refused to go shopping to get new clothes that fit. Dr. McDonald had on the jacket he wore to work every day, with a red, white, and blue tie. Mrs. McDonald wore a conservative flower print skirt. She didn't want to put on anything that might outshine her sister, the bride and star of the show. Everyone in the McDonald family was used to

throwing on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt in the morning. So getting ready took longer this day, fussing with all the ties and buttons and zippers and belts. But in the end, they looked good. The all- American family. People stared at them as they boarded the Metro heading into Washington. The Fourth of July is a special day. It's America's birthday, after all, and everyone wants to go to the party in the nation's capital. People were holding little flags. Red, white, and blue was everywhere. Mrs. McDonald was understandably nervous about the wedding. She had not seen her sister, Judy, in many years. Bridget and Judy had grown up together in California, but after college Judy had moved to Washington to take an entry-level job in the government. For a short time, she worked at the Pentagon. Bridget and Judy had a falling-out when Judy started going out with—and almost married—a boy that Bridget didn't like. He seemed mean and abusive, and she didn't want her sister mixed up with a guy like that. Judy broke up with the boy a

long time ago, but she and Bridget didn't reconnect after that. They had stopped speaking, and neither one wanted to be the first to apologize. Bridget was surprised when she received an invitation to Judy's wedding. Maybe it was a signal that their feud was over. In any case, the sisters hadn't seen each other in ten years. Coke and Pep didn't remember meeting their Aunt Judy when they were very little. The McDonalds were already running late for the wedding, and there was a delay on the Metro that made them even later. They got out at the Foggy Bottom Metro stop and rushed about half a mile toward Potomac Park, where the Lincoln Memorial is located. "I barely remember what Judy looks like anymore," Mrs. McDonald said as they hurried down Twenty-third Street. "She probably looks the same," said Dr. McDonald. "Just a little older and grayer. Like us." "What should I say to her?" "Just say congratulations."

"What if she's marrying some jerk?" "That's her business, not yours," Dr. McDonald advised. "Don't judge her. That's what caused all the problems last time. Besides, how bad could he be?" It was a beautiful day, and lots of tourists were out. The McDonalds were looking for people dressed as a bride and groom. "Over there!" Coke said as they crossed Constitution Avenue. Hundreds of folding chairs had been set up in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The McDonalds grabbed the only four consecutive seats that were empty, in the back. They could barely see the big statue of Abraham Lincoln. It looked like they had arrived just in time. The bride had already walked down the aisle, but the ceremony had not started yet. The Elvis Presley song "Love Me Tender" was playing out of a big set of speakers. Dr. McDonald took some coins out of his pocket and handed Coke a penny. "Notice anything familiar?" he asked.

Coke looked at the penny and turned it over. The image on the back was exactly what he was looking at—the Lincoln Memorial. "You know," Dr. McDonald said, "this is the spot where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech." "I know, I know," Coke said. "Isn't this beautiful?" Mrs. McDonald asked, to nobody in particular, as she fussed with her hair. "I wonder how they were able to get a permit for this space," Dr. McDonald commented. "Somebody must have a lot of dough, or a lot of clout." "Shhhhh, you're spoiling the mood, Ben." "All I'm saying is, you can't just pay somebody a hundred bucks to rent the Lincoln Memorial. Somebody pulled some strings—" "Shhhhhhhhhhh!" "Mom," Pep complained, "I can only see the backs of their heads from here." "Shhhhhhhhhhh! We'll talk to Aunt Judy and her new husband after the ceremony." Mrs. McDonald stood up for a moment to get a