John cracked open his third beer and gestured toward Emmett, who reached for his own. Through the sliding glass doors, they could see Julian pacing and Rodney sitting on the edge of his chair, his lips moving.

"Why's he so freaked out anyway?" John asked. "Didn't he choose his firm specifically so he'd be able to go in front of the Supreme Court?"

"Well," Emmett said. "Did you go into the Air Force thinking you'd be a General some day?"

"Nah," John said. "I never even thought of it. I figured I'd top out at Major, Captain if I got busted down."

"Huh." Emmett took a sip of his beer. "I guess he never actually figured he'd get there. What do you think Rodney's telling him."

"Probably to bludgeon them with his brain."

Emmett snorted. "He already does that. Do you think Rodney's telling him to be subtle?"

John choked on his beer. When he finished coughing, he gave Emmett a dirty look. "I bet he's telling him to know every single thing about the opposition. Every weakness, every hole in their defenses. Rodney's gotten shockingly good at strategy over the years. Either that, or it's left over from all those times he had to defend dissertations in front of hostile committees."

"You think there's anything I can do to help?" Emmett looked kind of thoughtful.

"Yeah," John said. "You should make sure he's relaxed the morning of his appearance."

Emmett took another swig of his beer and grinned at John over the top of his bottle. "Now that, he said, "I can do."