“Charley, don’t mess with a tired old man,” was the answer. “I’ve never processed so many airplanes in this short a time, even in combat. I know you didn’t come by to shoot the breeze. So what do you want?”

“There’s this place up in the hills,” Charley began. “It’s going to be a refuge for people trying to get out of this tragedy. I need some surplus tents, and field gear—cots, sleeping bags, field kitchens, oil stoves, rations, and mess kits. You know the drill.”

“For how many people?”

“Maybe a thousand. Can you do it?”

“It’ll cost you, good buddy, but I can do it.”

“Great,” Charley said. “Now, you get your autograph.” He turned to Dave. “Dave Busby, meet Master Sergeant Tony O’Reilly, United States Air Force. Please sign a piece of paper, ‘Dear Tony.’”

They all laughed when Tony O’Reilly opened a metal cabinet, pulled out a brand-new official NBA basketball, and said, “No paper, Dave. Just sign right here!”

As Dave scrawled his name across the basketball, a female corporal stuck her head into the office. “Sarge, there are five people outside who survived the meteor last night. A marine Osprey picked them off a mountain. General Gladstone sends word that they’re to get VIP treatment until the secretary of defense talks to them.”

Tony O’Reilly followed the corporal to the lobby and greeted Manuel Quintana and his family. They handed him a letter from General Gladstone, which he opened and read. Then they told him just a bit of their story.

“I’ll be glad to help you folks any way I can,” he said. “No designer jeans, I’m afraid, but I can get you some air force fatigues right now if you’ll give me your sizes. Also, some toilet kits.” He thought a minute. “You must want to buy your own stuff. This letter is a blanket authorization from the general. I can get the disbursement section to give you two thousand dollars before you leave. Then you can get what you want—and have some spending money left over.”

Within minutes, Charley and Dave joined them in the lobby. Tragedy or no tragedy, an NBA superstar was still big news to the three boys. They crowded around Dave Busby. After a round of introductions, Charley asked Manuel the question he had been thinking about since he first heard their story: “Why were you on Mount Wilson yesterday?”