"You have no orders to prevent me from entering the bogey, do you?"

Rogers thought that over. "No, sir."

"I'd like to do that."

"It's not difficult, sir," Rogers said.

"Only difficult if you're the first one in, right?"

Rogers smiled faintly.

"I'll have your lead to follow. Tell me what I need to know, and what sort of equipment will be necessary."

PERSPECTIVE

AP News Network in Brief,

November 17, 1996,

Washington, D.C.:

Representative Dale Berkshire, R-V., recommended before the full Congress today that the House Judiciary Committee begin hearings on President-elect Crockerman's actions with regard to the Death Valley spacecraft. "There is strong sentiment among my people for impeachment," Berkshire said. "Let the process begin here and now." Berkshire and numerous other congressmen have reportedly asked the House and Senate to delay the President-elect's inauguration ceremonies. No action on a delay has been taken at present.

Chapter 30

30

November 17

Mary, the duty officer, greeted them over the intercom with a smile in her voice. "Rise and shine," she said. "You're getting out today. I just heard it from Colonel Phan."

Edward had been awake for hours. He had not been able to sleep much the last couple of days. The cool clean plastic smell of cubicle air filled his entire body; he could not remember what real air tasted like. Minelli had been worse than usual, babbling sometimes, weeping, and Edward's anger had curled up inside him, helpless, hot, yet anesthetic, slowing him down rather than pushing him to action. Action resulted in nothing.

"You're a liar, Mary, Mary," Minelli said. "We're prisoners for life." An Air Force psychologist had spoken with Minelli and concluded the man was suffering from "extreme cabin fever." So were they all.

"We're not security risks anymore?" Reslaw asked.

"I guess not. You're healthy and the President's announcement makes the rest pretty unnecessary, don't you think?"

"I've been thinking that for days," Reslaw said.

At ten A.M. Colonel Phan appeared with General Fulton. The isolation chamber window covers were withdrawn and Fulton greeted them all solemnly, apologizing for the inconvenience. Minelli said nothing.

"We've announced your release," Fulton said, "and made arrangements for a press conference at two this afternoon. We have new clothes for you and all your confiscated personal effects."

"A cheap suit and ten bucks in pocket," Minelli said.

Fulton smiled grimly. "You're free to say whatever you want. There's no sense our stonewalling; we've had perfectly good reasons for everything we did. I hope, even now, that you can see those reasons. I don't expect sympathy."

Edward bit his lip gently, eyes focused on Fulton's cap. Then he looked in the direction of Stella's window and saw her standing in the white fluorescent light, gaunt, almost ghostly. She had lost a lot of weight. So had Reslaw. Minelli, strangely, had become almost plump.