“Come on, Jake,” Tomlinson urged. “There’s a lot to be done, and I need you to help me do it. MHD, the environment, NASA’s budget … science is going to be an important part of my job, and I need the best scientific information I can get. That means you, Jake. I need you.”

They were all staring at him: Tomlinson, Amy, Rogers, Tim Younger, and Glynis. I can’t go to Washington, Jake told himself. I can’t just pull up stakes at the university and trot off to Washington. He’ll be in the Senate for six years, at least.

“What do you say, Jake?” Tomlinson asked, almost gently.

“I … this is kind of a surprise,” Jake temporized. “I’ll have to think about it.”

Tomlinson gave him a dazzling smile. “You think about it, then.” Turning to Amy, he went on, “And you find him an apartment in D.C.”

*   *   *

Jake nodded numbly and slipped out of the broom closet as quickly as he could, his mind spinning. The party was ebbing, people were drifting toward the doors. A dance combo was still playing soft music, but the oompah band was packing up its brass instruments.

Tomlinson’s father stalked by, looking nettled. “Have you seen my son?” he demanded of Jake. Without waiting for a reply he stamped past, muttering, “CBS News wants to interview him and he goes into hiding on me.”

Jake held back an impulse to laugh. It’s all so funny, he thought. Tomlinson’s going to be our new senator. He’s going to marry Amy and get out from under his father’s thumb. Glynis is all wrapped up with Tim. And Tomlinson wants me to go to Washington with him.

I can’t go to Washington, he repeated to himself. I can’t. I don’t know anybody there. I’ve never been out of this state in my life; all my friends are here.

All what friends? Jake asked himself. Bob Rogers? Tim? Glynis?

“Jake.”

It was Dr. Cardwell’s soft voice. Jake turned and saw his mentor smiling gently at him.

“Hello, Lev.”

“Quite an evening, isn’t it?” said Cardwell.

“Yeah.”

“You did a fine job, Jake. I’m proud of you.”

Ordinarily that would have made Jake’s day. Instead, he heard himself say, “He wants me to work on his staff. In Washington.”

Cardwell beamed. “That’s wonderful! You’ll be science advisor to a United States senator. Wonderful!”

“I can’t go to Washington.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve got my job at the university.…”

Cardwell waved a hand in the air. “Oh, the university will give you a leave of absence. It’ll be quite a feather in their caps to have a member of the faculty on the staff of the state’s new senator.”

“I don’t know anybody in Washington.”

“So you’ll make new friends. You won’t be lonely for long.”