“Pain level climbing sharply,” Nicole said. “Point-six-two. Point-eight-eight. Now it’s steadying.”

“He’s fighting for control.” Travis’s voice was tinged with awe. “I can’t believe he can endure that and just stand there.”

Nicole thought of an eagle clawing the air for its freedom, and dropped her eyes to the monitor, unable to watch any longer. The tension was as tangible as a steel cable stretched to the breaking point.

“He’s reaching inside the case.”

“What’s he going for?”

“I can’t tell with his back to us.”

“Point-eight-four,” Nicole said in a hoarse whisper. “Pointnine-two. One-point-four!”

“That’s impossible!” Travis shouted. “How can he still be on his feet?”

“Blackout!” Nicole cried. She looked up just in time to see Eric’s knees buckle as he toppled forward across the case. His fingers clutched desperately at the top of the glass, but he couldn’t find a grip, and he slipped slowly to the floor.

“Look!” Travis said. “It was the M-1 rifle he was after.” The muzzle of the rifle projected out of the back of the case about six inches.

“Well, he didn’t get it,” the Major murmured, obviously pleased.

“What now?” Nicole asked. “Shall we send Clayne in to get him?”

“No,” the Major said quickly. “No, he should come out of it in a moment or two. Let’s see what happens.”

When Eric finally stirred and got slowly to his feet, he looked like a toy robot whose battery had run down. His head hung down, and his movements were jerky and trancelike. The four of them watched in silence as he made an attempt to push the rifle back into place, then gave up and let the screwdriver slip out of his hand and bounce noisily on the floor.

He turned so he was half facing the camera, then shuffled slowly out of the room.

“Tell Clayne he’s coming out,” Travis said to Shirley. He turned to watch the flashing light on Nicole’s monitoring screen as she flipped a switch, and the screen that had carried the television signal went dark. The Major also turned in his chair to watch Eric’s slow progress toward the front door of the museum.

“Do you want me to have Clayne pick him up?” Travis asked.

“Wait a minute,” Nicole said. “He’s stopped again.”

“He’s near the front door.” Travis pointed to the floor plan superimposed on her screen.

“That’s a pay phone there,” Nicole said, touching a small square on the grid plan. “He’s stopped at the telephone.”

“Patch us into Dr. Cameron’s phone,” the Major commanded. “Quickly!”

Nicole typed a command on her keyboard, then leaned over to the control panel and flipped a switch. For a brief moment a dull hum came over the speaker, and then a click sounded, followed by a sharp buzz and then another.