Herb was dubious. “How can we be sure this is true?”

“Ask any veteran,” said Jasper.

“It’s hard to credit.”

Jasper was right and Herb knew it, but Herb was anxious about taking such a strong line. However, Jasper judged he was ready to be talked round. “Look,” said Jasper. “It’s now four years since we sent the first ground combat troops to South Vietnam. Throughout that period, the Pentagon has been reporting one victory after another, and This Day has been repeating their statements to the American people. If we’ve had four years of victory, how come the enemy can penetrate to the heart of the capital city and surround the U.S. embassy? Open your eyes, will you?”

Herb was thoughtful. “So, Jasper, if you’re right, and Sam’s wrong, what’s our story?”

“That’s easy,” said Jasper. “The story is the administration’s credibility after the Tet Offensive. Last November Vice President Humphrey told us we’re winning. In December General Palmer said the Vietcong had been defeated. In January Secretary of Defense McNamara told us the North Vietnamese were losing their will to fight. General Westmoreland himself told reporters the Communists were unable to mount a major offensive. Then one morning the Vietcong attacked almost every major city and town in South Vietnam.”

Sam said: “We’ve never questioned the president’s honesty. No television show ever has.”

Jasper said: “Now’s the time. Is the president lying? Half America is asking that.”

Everyone looked at Herb. It was his decision. He was silent for a long moment. Then he said: “All right. That’s the title of our report. ‘Is the President Lying?’ Let’s do it.”

• • •

Dave Williams got an early flight from New York to San Francisco and ate an American breakfast of pancakes with bacon in first class.

Life was good. Plum Nellie was successful and he would never have to take another exam for the rest of his life. He loved Beep and he was going to marry her as soon as he could find the time.

He was the only member of the group who had not yet bought a house, but he hoped to do so today. It would be more than a house, though. His idea was to buy a place in the country, with some land, and build a recording studio. The whole group could live there while they were making an album, which took several months nowadays. Dave often recalled with a smile how they had recorded their first album in one day.

Dave was excited: he had never bought a house before. He was looking forward eagerly to seeing Beep, but he had decided to take care of business first, so that his time with her would be uninterrupted. He was met at the airport by his business manager, Mortimer Schulman. Dave had hired Morty to take care of his personal finances separately from those of the group. Morty was a middle-aged man in relaxed California clothes, a navy blazer with a blue shirt open at the neck. Because Dave was only twenty he often found that lawyers and accountants condescended to him and tried to give him instructions rather than information. Morty treated him as the boss, which he was, and laid out options, knowing that it was up to Dave himself to make the decisions.