Early Thursday morning, the normally placid pool waters of the Laniakea Y are churning. Stroke-stroke-stroke-breathe! Ssha-ssha-ssha-hoo! Her arms stab the passive water, legs beat the sorry surface, breath by angry breath the swimmer pummels the lane. A glossy-haired man scurries alongside with a towel, waiting, fretting, to no avail. She is stewing, and the water steams with her wrath.

Finally, a good 45 minutes later, a graying head emerges from the water, eyes red from the chlorine, eyes clear with the decision.

She grabs the towel and barks out her command: "Lenny, get Bob on the phone!"

OK, maybe it didn't happen that way.

Maybe it was Bob Awana who offered to fall on his sword, so to speak. Maybe Team Lingle gathered for a big ho'oponopono and Lenny ordered delivery while Duke Aiona offered a prayer.

In any case, Awana's abrupt departure from Gov. Linda Lingle's office says more about her than him, more about what she plans to do than what he might or might not have done.

It speaks to Lingle's ambition, to her aspirations for higher office.

You won't find her employed in a vague but important-sounding position in a consulting company, writing her autobiography for a local publishing house or touring unsuspecting cities promoting a picture book on "sustainable" Honolulu.

After this, she's heading for the big time: Capitol Hill, the White House, the League of Extraordinary Gentlepersons. Lingle will let nothing get in her way, not even her BFF Bob. Stand by her man? That's so yesterday. If you want to ride to the sky on the Lingle plane, you best not be bringing extra baggage.

The twin cases of international intrigue involving Awana are convoluted and unadjudicated. Awana could very well emerge cleanly from both investigations. But where there's this much smoke, something is on fire, and though it may not be Awana, that acrid smell is really hard to get out of your clothes, your hair, your life.

Good for Lingle for making sure none of that stink gets on her. Good for Awana for picking up his personal container of haz-mat and leaving the Capitol. We live in a time of no secrets, especially if there is e-mail involved.

This handling of a messy situation is so unlike the typical deny/obfuscate/cover-up cycle we see in politics. It also gives notice to everyone on or wanting to be on Team Lingle: She is training for that figurative long-distance, rough-water swim and she's not about to let anything or anybody weigh her down.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.