"I'm afraid I can answer that one," Gabe said, not bothering at this point to recount his experience with the scientists in Lily's nanotech laboratory. "The fullerenes are coated with antibodies specific to neuroproteins or neurotransmitters—maybe those in the thalamus, the basal ganglia, and the caudate nucleus. Maybe other places in the brain as well. The fullerenes float through the bloodstream until they encounter those specific proteins; then they just latch on until some signal or other tells them to open up by breaking the chemical bonds that had kept them perfectly round."

"But the state of the science isn't remotely close to that level of sophisticated biotechnology," Ferendelli said.

"It is. Trust me. It is. Jim, listen, do you have any idea how the fullerenes are commanded to open?"

"Sound. They have a transmitter of some sort that must send out a specific frequency—the signal for the fullerenes to open up. Perhaps the transmitters send out different frequencies for different drugs. Lily said that chemicals had been placed in my brain stem over time and also the president's brain stem as well that could stop our heart or our breathing, or both, with just the press of a button from a transmitter. Like opening a garage door or—or changing a television channel. She actually showed one to me. Then she said I should just go about my business and nobody would be hurt—especially not the president."

"But you didn't buy that."

"Once I began to sense what she wanted, I couldn't believe the president wasn't going to be harmed anymore. So I took off. At the very least I knew what she had done. I didn't think Lily and her people would do anything to harm the president as long as I was on the loose and hadn't said anything to anyone about her."

"What did she want you to do?"

"I don't know for certain, but from pieces of what she said, I had the feeling that at some time in the near future they were going to ask me to invoke the Twenty-fifth Amendment and spearhead the movement to replace Drew because of his mental illness."

"Oh, man. But why? Do you think Bradford Dunleavy could be behind this?"

"Possible, I suppose."

"How about Tom Cooper?"

"I don't know. He seems sincere enough, and he's been a loyal vice president, but I also know he's very ambitious, and we're talking about the presidency of the United States."

"Very folksy, but very smart. I agree. A couple of days ago he came by the office and pumped me for information on Drew's mental health."

"Did you tell him anything?"

"No, no, I certainly didn't. Jim, why did you stay around D.C.?"

"I've been waiting."

"For what?"

"For you—for this meeting. I don't trust anyone, Dr. Singleton—anyone, that is, besides you."

"Explain."