“Whether and to what degree the United States will let the USSR share in this astonishing discovery remains to be seen. So does what the USSR will do if its demands are refused,” Reasoner said. “On that, at the moment, depends the future of the world, and whether the world has a future. Thank you, and good night.”

More commercials. Jerry turned off the TV. He finally did pick up Have Space Suit—Will Travel. As he did, he wondered what Heinlein thought of today’s news—and how much of it he already knew.

When Jerry went down for breakfast, Major Bronstein sat in the lobby reading The Washington Post. SPACESHIP THREATENS WORLD PEACE! the headline shouted. For a moment, Jerry wondered how the Russians knew where he was. But somebody could have tailed him as he walked to the parking lot. Somebody could have followed him back to the hotel.

Bronstein saw him, too. The Soviet officer put down the paper and came over with his hand out. “Good morning, Mister Stieglitz.”

“Good morning.” Ruefully, Jerry added, “Guess my tradecraft wasn’t all it could’ve been last night.”

“You got here. You completed your mission. And now, will you eat with a friendly adversary?”

“Sure. Will you tell me your name and patronymic? I’m Jerry Gymanovich.” Jerry pronounced his father’s name Russian style; without the H sound, the Russian language substituted a G for it.

“You know our customs,” Major Bronstein said with a smile. “I’m Yakov Moiseyevich.” A lot of Jews in the USSR wore Russified names. Not Bronstein. Jerry wondered how much harder that had made his life.

A black attendant poured coffee for both of them. Jerry ordered bacon and eggs. Yakov Bronstein got ham and eggs. They smiled the wry smiles of Jews who didn’t keep kosher. Jerry said, “Is it really going to be that bad?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Bronstein plainly chose his words with care. “It may be that bad. We do not aim to be closed out of learning from the Midlothian object. The ambassador has made that very clear to your secretary of state. So has Foreign Minister Gromyko. Anatoly Fyodorovich told me Kissinger told him the foreign minister had never before spoken to him that bluntly. So where we go from here is up to the United States.”

“Is Kissinger still saying it belongs to us because we found it in international waters?” Jerry asked.

“He is. He seems less insistent than he did yesterday—he has discovered we are serious,” the major said. “He has also discovered we have put our military forces on alert and are beginning necessary preparations for whatever may come.”

Jerry was saved from answering when their breakfasts came. He ate for a little while. Then he said what was still on his mind: “Good Lord!”

“Is this not the effect you wanted to create?”