General Thomas Vance stepped out of the staging office holding a heavy leather program folder.

He took off his wire-rimmed glasses and wiped the lenses clean with a square of blue silk.

“The governor’s motorcade just came through the south gate,” General Vance said in his low, commanding voice.

“We’re thirty minutes ahead of schedule.”

“Everything is set in the green room, sir,” I said.

He put his glasses back on and looked down the long corridor, where two honor guard cadets were carrying the heavy wooden academy seal toward the stage.

“Your father got to the security checkpoint ten minutes ago.”