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〃Operating？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I'll be damned。 What are you going to do with it？〃
〃Implement our new program； Mr。 Chaney。 The Indic report has bee an integral part of the program in that it offered several hard guidelines for a survey of the future。 We are now ready to initiate the second phase； the field explorations。 Do you see the possibilities； sir？〃
〃You're going to get in that thing； that vehicle； and go somewhere？ Go into the future？〃
〃No； sir。 You are； the team will。〃
Chaney was shocked。 〃Don't be an idiot！ The team can do what they damned please； but I'm not going anywhere。 I didn't volunteer for your program； I wasn't a willing candidate； I oppose peonage on humanitarian grounds。〃
He quit the surf and stalked back to the beach chair； not caring if the woman followed him。 Gulls shrieked their annoyance at his passage。 Chaney dropped into the chair with another muttered imprecation of stiffnecked bureaucrats； a scurrilous declaration couched in Hebraic terms the woman wouldn't understand。 It mented on her employer's relations with jackasses and Philistines。
TDV。 A furious stimulant to the imagination。
The gulls； the tide； the salt spray； the descending sun were all ignored while his racing imagination toyed with the information she had given him。 He saw the possibilities…some of them…and began to appreciate the interest his Indic report had aroused in those people possessing the vehicle。 A man could peer forward… no； leap forward into the future and check out his theories； his projections of events to e。 A man could see for himself the validity of a forewarning； the eventual result of a prefiguration； the final course of a trend。 Would sixteen…year…olds marry and vote？ Would city and county governments be abolished； relinquishing authority to local state districts？ Would the Eastern seaboard plex break down and fail to support life？
TDV。 A vehicle to determine answers。
Chaney said aloud： 〃I'm not interested。 Find another demographer； Miss van Hise。 I object to being ambushed and sold across the river。〃
A man could inspect…personally inspect…the Great Lakes to determine if they had been saved or if the Lake Reconstruction program had e too late。 A man could study the census figures for a hundred years to e and then pare them to the present tables and projections to find the honesty of those projections。 A man could discover if the recently inaugurated trialmarriage program was a success or failure…and learn first…hand what effect it was having on the birth rate； if any。 It would be good to know the validity of earlier predictions concerning the population shifts and the expected concentration of human mass along the central waterways。 A man could…
Chaney said aloud： 〃Give the team my regards； Miss van Hise。 And tell them to watch out for traffic cops。 I'll read about their adventures in the newspapers。〃
Kathryn van Hise had left him。
He saw her tracks in the sand； glanced up and saw her putting on the shoes near the weedy border of the beach。 The delta pants stretched with her as she bent over。 The mail Jeep was again visible in the distance； now ing toward him and servicing the boxes on the other side of the beach road。 The interview had been pleted in less than an hour。
Chaney felt the weight of the book in his lap。 He hadn't been aware of the woman placing it there。
The legend on the red dustjacket was as familiar as the back of his hand。 From the Qumran Caves： Past； Present； and Future。 The line of type next below omitted the word by and read only： Dr。 Brian Chaney。 The bright jacket was an abomination created by the sales department over the inert body of a conservative editor； it was designed to appeal to the lunatic fringe。 He detested it。 Despite his careful explanations； despite his scholarly translation of a suspect scroll； the book had stirred up twice the storm he'd expected and aroused the ire of righteous citizens everywhere。 String up the blasphemer！
A small card protruded from the middle pages。
Chaney opened the volume with curiosity and found a calling card with her name imprinted on one side； and the address of a government laboratory in Illinois written on the other。 He supposed that the ten fifty…dollar bills tucked between the pages represented travel money。 Or a shameless bribe added to the blouse； the pants； and the perfume worn on her breast。
〃I'm not going！〃 he shouted after the woman。 〃The puter lied…I'm a charlatan。 The Bureau can go play with its weights！〃
She didn't turn around； didn't look back。
〃That woman is too damned sure of herself。〃
Elwood National Research Station
Joliet； Illinois
12 June 1978
A hair perhaps divides the false and true；
Yes； and a single Alif were the clue
could you but find it） to the treasure…house；
And peradventure to the Master too。
… Omar Khayyam
TWO
Two steps ahead； the military policeman who had escorted him from the front gate opened a door and said： 〃This is your briefing room； sir。〃
Brian Chaney thanked him and went through the door。
He found the young woman critically eyeing him； assessing him； expecting him。 Two men in the room were playing cards。 An oversized steel table…the standard government issue…was positioned in the center of the room under bright lights。 Three bulky brown envelopes were stacked on the table near the woman； while the men and their time…killing game occupied the far end of it。 Kathryn van Hise had been watching the door as it opened； anticipating him； but only now did the players glance up from their game to look at the newer。
He nodded to the men and said： 〃My name is Chaney。 I've been…〃
The hurtful sound stopped him； cut off his words。
The sound was something like a massive rubber band snapped against his eardrums； something like a hammer or a mallet smashing into a block of pressed air。 It made a noise of impact； followed by a reluctant sigh as if the hammer was rebounding in slow motion through an oily fluid。 The sound hurt。 The lights dimmed。
The three people in the briefing room were staring at something behind him； above him。
Chaney spun around but found nothing more than a wall clock above the door。 They were watching the red sweep hand。 He turned back to the trio with a question on his lips； but the woman made a little motion to silence him。 She and her male panions continued to watch； the clock with a fixed intensity。
The newer waited them out。
He saw nothing in the room to cause the sound； nothing to explain their concentrated interest； there was only the usual furniture of a government…appointed briefing room and the four people who now occupied it。 The walls were bare of maps； and that was a bit unusual； there were three telephones of different colors on a stand near the door； and that was a bit unusual； but otherwise it was no more than a windowless； guarded briefing room located on an equally well…guarded military reservation forty…five minutes by armored train from Chicago。
He had entered through the customary guarded gate of a restricted installation enpassing about five square miles；