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mirror over the sink. "Here comes the Prez," he murmured. "I won't even vote
for the man, but I'm primping like a schoolgirl." They wouldn't be shaking
hands. Yet the President would look in upon Shaw and Minelli and Reslaw and
Morgan, would see them and that was enough. Edward smiled grimly, then checked
his teeth for food specks.
12
The Secretary of Defense, Otto Lehrman, arrived at seven-fifteen. After
Crockerman had had a half hour alone with him and Rotterjack sufficient time
to gather his wits, Arthur surmised they entered the laboratory around which
the sealed cubicles were arranged, and onto which their windows all opened, a
larger version of the central complex that held the Guest. Colonel Tuan Anh
Phan stood before the isolation chambers' control board.
Crockerman shook the doctor's hand and slowly surveyed the laboratory. "One
more civilian witness and they'd have had to double up with the military,
right?" he asked Phan.
"Yes, sir," Phan said. "We did not plan to incarcerate entire towns." This was
evidently a struggling attempt at humor, but the President was not in a
bantering mood.
"Actually," Crockerman said, "this isn't funny in the least."
"No, sir," Phan said, crestfallen.
Arthur came to his rescue. "We couldn't ask for better facilities, Mr.
President," he said. Crockerman had been behaving strangely since the meeting
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with the Guest. Arthur was worried; that conversation had upset them all on a
deep psychological level, but Crockerman seemed to have taken it particularly
to heart.
"Can they hear us?" Crockerman asked, nodding at the four steel shutters.
"Not yet, sir," Phan said.
"Good. I'd like to get my thoughts in order, especially before I talk to Mrs.
Morgan's daughter. Otto, Mr. Lehrman here, was delayed by his duties in
Europe, but Mr. Rotterjack has briefed him on what we've already heard."
Lehrman took a shallow but obvious breath and nodded. Arthur had heard many
things about Lehrman his rise from microchip magnate to head of the
President's Industrial Relations Council, and only two months before, his
confirmation as Secretary of Defense, replacing Hampton's more hawkish
appointee. He appeared to be a philosophical twin to Crockerman.
"I have a question for Mr. Gordon," Lehrman said. He looked at Arthur and
Harry, standing beside each other near the lab's hooded microbiologicals
workbench.
"Ask away," Arthur said.
"When are you going to authorize a military investigation of the Furnace?"
"I don't know," Arthur said.
"That's your area, Arthur," the President said in an undertone. "You make the
decision."
"Nobody has put the issue to me before now," Arthur said. "What sort of
investigation did you have in mind?"
"I'd like to find the site's weaknesses."
"We don't even know what it is," Harry said.
Lehrman shook his head. "Everybody's guessing it's a disguised spaceship. Do
you disagree?"
"I don't agree or disagree. I simply don't know," Harry replied.
"Gentlemen," Arthur said, "I think this isn't quite the time. We should
discuss this after the President has talked with the four witnesses and we've
all seen the site together."
Lehrman conceded this with a nod and gestured for them to continue. General
Fulton entered the lab carrying a thick sheaf of papers in a manila folder and
sat to one side, saying nothing.
"All right," Crockerman said. "Let's have a look at them."
Eunice's voice came over Edward's intercom speaker: "Folks, you're going to
meet the President now." With a hollow humming noise, the window cover slid
down into the wall, revealing a transparent panel about two meters wide and
one high. Through the thick double layers of glass, Edward saw President
Crockerman, two men he didn't recognize, and several other faces he knew
vaguely from television.
"Excuse me for intruding, gentlemen and Ms. Morgan," Crockerman said, bowing
slightly. "I believe we know each other, even if we haven't been introduced
formally. This is Mr. Lehrman, my Secretary of Defense, and this is Mr.
Rotterjack, my science advisor. Have you met Arthur Gordon and Harry Feinman?
No? They're in charge of the presidential task force investigating what you've
discovered. I suspect you have a few complaints to pass on to me."
"Pleased to meet you, sir," Minelli said. Crockerman changed his angle. Edward
realized they were all facing into the central laboratory. In the farthest
window, at the opposite end of the curved wall, he could see Stella Morgan,
face pale in the fluorescent lighting.
"I'd shake your hands if I could. This has been hard on all concerned, but
especially hard on you."
Edward mumbled something in agreement. "We don't know what our situation is,
Mr. President."
"Well, I've been told you're in no danger. You don't have any...ah, space
germs. I'll level with you, in fact you're probably here more for security
reasons than for your health."
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Edward could see why Crockerman was called the most charming of presidents
since Ronald Reagan. His combination of dignified good looks and open manner
however illusory the latter was might have made even Edward feel better.
"We've been worried about our families," Stella said.
"I believe they've been informed that you are safe," Crockerman said. "Haven't
they, General Fulton?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ms. Morgan's mother has been giving us fits, however," Crockerman said.
"Good," was Stella's only comment.
"Mr. Shaw, we've also informed the University of Texas about you and your
students."
"We're assistant professors, not students, Mr. President," Reslaw said. "I
haven't received any mail from my family. Can you tell me why?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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