Reversion - A Novel Part 14

aI donat know what kind,a I said with a smirk, placing a hand on her narrow waist, abut he has the main accessory of a spy.a aWhatas that?a aA sultry blonde secretary.a aOh, you!a A grin flickered on her lips as she punched my shoulder lightly. aThis is very serious.a aI know it. I was just acting smart. Weall find out soon enough what sort of trouble Professor Dell is in.a We stood in the middle of the room, her hand on my shoulder, mine on her waist, our faces almost touching. Were she not twice my age and more it would have been a compromising posture. But her cotton blouse was b.u.t.toned to the neck and her golden hair coiled atop her head like a schoolmistress. The casual observer would not have suspected my c.o.c.k was half hard or that I desired to bury my face in her healthy bosom.

On three occasions I had spent the night with this lovely woman, but that was fifteen years in the future. I recalled how she had discarded her primness the moment the bedroom door shut behind us, how she had shocked me with unexpected wantonness. Now it seemed as if time had stopped in the office with our hands on each other, although seconds had pa.s.sed. Her lips, lush with ruby tint, were too close to resist. I quickly kissed them as if in play.

aTimmy!a she exclaimed in surprise and stood straight, though we continued to touch. aYouare being naughty today.a aI stole a kiss!a I bragged with a huge grin and let my hand drop from her waist. I looked shyly at the floor and murmured, aYouare so beautiful I couldnat help it.a In an instant I thought of Claraas ladybug. Did she have one following me around? Well, I had promised not to f.u.c.k without permission. Nothing was said about kissing. In that instant I resolved on a campaign of seduction: I would lure this lovely blonde with the bait of an adoring adolescent, a cutely impetuous, delightful and illicit toy.

aThatas very sweet,a she cooed, moving her hand from my shoulder to cheek. aYouare a favorite of mine too, only we mustnat be caught kissing.a I was still a little boy to her, s.e.xually uninteresting. But I noticed a glint in her eye. Or was it the slight movement of one corner of her upper lip that betrayed an interest of her own, one she did not yet fully comprehend?

aWhy not?a I asked. aWhoas to see?a I caught her around the waist with both arms and pulled our lips together. She sniffed and stiffened but failed to withdraw. I thought, In for a penny, in for a pound, and stuck out my tongue. Her lips parted for it, but she allowed only a secondas probing.

Pulling back, she frowned. aTimmy, do you have any idea what youare doing?a aYou know what Iam doing, Margie.a aYes, I know.a She laughed slightly. aBut this isnat why you came here today.a aWhy are you hanging around?a I countered. aI was always Dellas last appointment.a She looked at me curiously. aThat was unusual, you know. He told me once he meant to get the secret from you.a aSecret?a I shrugged playfully and grinned. aHe shouldave asked you to get it.a aSome secret!a She chuckled deep in her throat. aWhat youare after now is easy to guess.a aThatas true,a I agreed, stroking her hairless forearm, so delightfully feminine. aIf Buckholz doesnat arrive until tomorrow, I repeat: why are you hanging around?a Her eyes glittered. aWhy indeed?a She took keys from her purse and locked her desk, then donned scarf, heavy coat and fur hat from the coat tree. aLetas go.a She indicated the door.

She turned off the lights and followed me out, locking the door behind her. Keys returned to purse and out came mittens. We departed the building into the thickly falling snow of the quadrangle, I half a step behind her. Nothing was said about our destination.

She took my glove in her mitten and I felt her thumb stroke my palm through the leather. Snow fell heavily around us from the windless sky. We encountered no one, but Iam sure we appeared to be quite innocently together in any case. I dared to hope I had hooked her. Whether I would land her as early as that same afternoon was another question.

She laughed. I turned inquiringly.

aTerry used to do that,a she remarked.

aDo what?a aCatch snowflakes on his tongue.a She winked. aHe also had a nice long tongue.a She shook her head. aI tried it. Itas tasteless. Why do you do it?a aTasteless?a Leering, I wiggled my tongue at her suggestively.

aI mean snowflakes,a she corrected with a snort. aWhy do you taste snowflakes?a I answered readily, aIt amuses me to think of water drops crystallizing in the air and falling unknown thousands of feet just to melt on my tongue a" a few out of the trillions that otherwise gather in the anonymity of a snow bank. And youare wrong. Theyare not quite tasteless. They have a hint of spice, rather as that other good tongue attractor. Who is Terry?a aHe died on Saipan.a aMany did,a I noted sympathetically, sorry I asked. Presumably Terry was one of the three she would tell me about in 14 years.

She led me past the Quadrangle Club, where I had once been feted on the occasion of wining a n.o.bel Prize. Two doors beyond we entered the building and ascended to a second floor apartment that overlooked 59th Street. Unlike Rosalindas place, which smelled of girl, Margeryas household aroma was that of furniture polish. It was delightfully warm inside.

Her first words after she closed the door were promising. aWill you be missed? Is someone waiting for you: your aunt, perhaps?a I shook my head. aI have a couple hours.a aThen letas take off that coat.a She did it for me and tossed it onto a chair along with her own. aI bet youare cold,a she suggested, looking into my face thoughtfully. Vigorously she rubbed my upper arms while fondling my shoulders. Her expression changed subtly. Perhaps she was registering that I was far more than half grown. She cleared her throat. aI think you need a hot bath.a aThat would be nice,a I agreed, aif youall join me.a aOh, Iam warm enough already!a With a chuckle she urged me toward the hallway.

The windowless bathroom was already warmer than the rest of the apartment. I stood beside her as she knelt and ran the water, testing it repeatedly with her hand. My fingers stroked the back of her neck and slipped under her collar to ma.s.sage her shoulders. She s.h.i.+vered and goose-b.u.mps appeared on the extended arm.

When she approved of the temperature she stood up. aUndress and soak yourself. Iall get you a fresh bath towel.a She left but did not close the door completely. I disrobed jubilantly and stepped cautiously into the hot bathwater. It felt splendid. I slid down until it lapped at my chin, although I could not fully extend my legs, the knees remaining exposed to the roomas suddenly cool air. Margery returned carrying a large, pale blue bath towel.

aDonat be embarra.s.sed,a she said gaily as she knelt beside the tub. aI used to bathe my two kid brothers.a She took a bar of soap from a niche in the wall and splashed it in the water. aSit up and Iall wash your back.a I soon saw that hygiene was not her only concern. She stroked my back languidly with a soapy hand as she fondled a bare shoulder with the other.

aItas curious how some boys your age have raised nipples,a she murmured with her face close to mine while slippery fingers excited one of them. aMine felt almost the same at your age.a She grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. aIsnat it strange that a cute young guy like you could possess such an awesome brain?a aYou think itas awesome?a aWhat do I know? But Dell surely thought so.a Her voice was that of an admiring older sister. I began to doubt my initial a.s.sessment of her and feared she was not s.e.xually interested in me. A way to test that theory occurred to me. Staring into her pretty face, I caught her hand in my wet one and pulled it slowly down my body into the water until it nudged my erection.

aMy, you are a naughty one!a She squealed gaily and gave my member a playful pinch. aBut below the neck youare all boy.a It was not said contemptuously, but still the boy rankled.

She rose to her feet and held the bath towel open for me. aLetas get out now. You canat stay there all day.a I stood without hesitation and turned my rigid five-incher toward her. She displayed no embarra.s.sment. She gazed at it pointedly before looking me up and down with head slightly tilted and lips forming a gentle smile.

aCome,a she urged me, shaking the towel.

I climbed from the tub and she wrapped it around me tightly, pinning my arms to my sides.

aNow I have you, you beauty,a she announced cheerfully. She put her arms around me and kissed my lips. This time I felt her tongue and sucked it into my mouth.

She laughed and pulled back but c.o.c.ked her head. aDid you know your mouth is sweet, Timmy?a aSweet!a I repeated incredulously.

aAnd your breath. Does your aunt make you brush very often?a I had begun to leave personal hygiene pretty much up to Claraas nan.o.biots, along with the wasps. But Margery would never ask a new man such a question. I protested childishly, aIam not a baby,a and struggled to free my arms.

aOf course you arenat, Timmy,a she cooed and gave me another kiss. aBut youare not a man yet either.a aMan enough,a I suggested, staring into her eyes.

She did not respond at first. She unfolded me from the towel and sat on the toilet seat, one hand holding me in place before her. With casual pats and swipes of the terrycloth she presumed to dry my midriff and thighs. My hard organ was just inches from her mouth. I moved forward slightly in an unmistakable gesture. She shook her head. aHow do you know about such things, Timmy?a I suppose it was a good question. Her mouth saved me from answering. She leaned forward and engulfed the entire offering. For a moment I felt suction and her tongue enclosed the glans. She withdrew to look up thoughtfully into my face. aI think Dell was right about your mind, though except for the fate of snowflakes Iave seen little evidence of it this afternoon.a I sniffed. aDid you bring me home with you to discuss the natural world?a She tossed her head. aI brought you home because I was curious about Dellas ideas.a aAnd now you agree with him?a She sniffed. aMaybe, but if so, itas a shame such a brilliant mind can be ruled by such a small thing.a I scowled at her, taking a backward step.

aDonat be offended,a she hastened to add. aI did not mean to insult you. It will grow large very quickly. In three years or so it will be fully adult.a aLittle good that does me now.a Her eyes sparkled. aOh, I wouldnat say that! Actually I am flattered that you want me, Timmy.a Her mouth worked. aSuch a firm interest!a Did she struggle to avoid laughing aloud?

aI thought you might be interested,a I said with a sigh.

aI am! Playing with you beats listening to the radio any snowy afternoon!a Gently her hand closed on my c.o.c.k. aWe can give each other s.e.xual pleasure. And I donat fear you would ever tell anyone. But this pretty thing offers me no particular satisfaction. I need a more, ah, dramatic man to please me.a aYou mean better endowed,a I groused.

aIam not a delicate woman, Tim. I have a remarkable capacity.a She stood. aCome on into the bedroom.a I followed her but paused to reconsider at her bedroom door, which she left open. I had two adoring females at home who were always eager to satisfy me. I didnat need to humiliate myself for a piece of a.s.s. But the memory of Margeryas unbridled wantonness led me into the bedroom. She was the only woman I had ever known to experience a powerful o.r.g.a.s.m during a.n.a.l intercourse.

Which was not in the cards this time. When she was naked, showing me a firmer version of the shapely body I recalled, she fell back on the bed and drew up separated knees. aIf youare so smart, you know exactly what I want, Timmy.a That was obvious enough. Her powerful aroma filled my nostrils as I knelt before it. Under my experienced tongue she reached a heaving o.r.g.a.s.m in less than minute. I ceased licking, waiting for her cool thighs to unclamp from my ears, but when they did, she surprised me. Pressure on the back of my head forced my face again into her crotch. I brought her off three more times, the last one causing her to scream, before she released me completely.

I clambered up her body to position myself but her hands caught my hips. aYou squirt, donat you?a she demanded between gasps.

I admitted it.

aI donat have a rubber that will stay on you. Come up and sit on my b.o.o.bs.a It was an ample seat. With nostrils flaring for breath her lips closed over me again. I didnat try to last. When I came, her mouth relaxed but retained me until she had swallowed every drop. In my previous life I had learned of her s.e.xual skills but todayas expert performance surprised me. Before the pill did women routinely obtain contraception from f.e.l.l.a.t.i.o? I certainly didnat recall it that way!

I slid off her body to lie beside her and kissed her with probing tongue while one hand kneaded her breast. When our lips parted, she opened her eyes to stare. aTimmy, you never cease to amaze me.a aWhat now?a aI donat think a man ever kissed me after I, ah, did that for him.a She smiled. aYour juice is sweet too. Maybe boys have their advantages.a aYou didnat think so a few minutes ago.a She shook her head. aYouare no boy a" except below the neck.a As I dressed she offered advice. aLook out for Buckholz. His old secretary said heas a stickler for rules and precedent.a aWhich rules donat I obey?a She chuckled wryly. aThe better question is, do you obey any? But note this: I looked it up. The youngest person ever to be awarded a doctorate from Chicago was 20.a That night Clara and Alice forgave my philandering because Iad had no chance to obtain their prior approval. They joined me in hoping that a submissive Margery might become a valuable ally against a disdainful dean. But Alice claimed not to understand how Professor Dellas arrest would precipitate a seduction scene with his secretary. aDid she seem more vulnerable to you?a In fact I suppose she did.

One thing is verified. Clara needs no bird or beetle to keep up with Alice and myself. We have been infiltrated by cell groups of her programmable DNA, capable of recording everything our set of five senses reports in the last several hours and radioing the data to her in a high-speed dump while our heads are close together.

She had already warned us. No longer do we have the illusion of privacy.

Two days after my tryst with Margery I returned to the deanas office accompanied by Alice. We had been summoned by the new dean, Millard Buckholtz, who also occupied the William A. Holesworth Chair of Philosophy. Because of Margeryas warning I was prepared for a nasty confrontation.

Margery looked up from her desk when we entered the office without betraying our brief intimacy. aYouare five minutes late,a she said in a stern voice that belied her naturally sweet demeanor.

I was about to reply flippantly but thought better of it. Alice examined the secretary intently, perhaps measuring her meager self against the buxom woman whom she considered a rival. Margery faltered under that appraising gaze and became flushed. She turned abruptly toward the door of the inner office, muttering, aThis way,a over her shoulder in a voice that cracked. She cleared her throat as she opened the door, standing aside for us to enter the deanas lair.

aTheyare finally here,a she announced and closed the door behind us.

Buckholtz sat at a large, strewn desk with a sheet of paper in his hand pretending not to notice our presence. He was a jowly fellow in the late fifties with a florid face as smooth as mine. He finally peeked up from the paper to look at us. aSit down,a he growled, then continued reading briefly. He slapped the item to the desk, glanced at Alice and stared at me.

aMr. Kimball,a he said, ado you have any idea what a university is? This pet.i.tion of yours suggests not.a So that was it, I thought. This is where we join battle with Buckholtz. I had only yesterday presented a format pet.i.tion requesting that Alice and I be permitted to pa.s.s out of all course work and seminar requirements through oral or written examinations and that our dissertations, which we were prepared to complete within a month, be accepted for immediate consideration. I had meant to do as much for Dell but somehow never got around to it.

aThe pet.i.tion seems reasonable enough, sir,a I responded. aBoth of us are capable of achieving what I suggested. It would save a lot of time.a He glared at me. aWhy would the University of Chicago be at all interested in such a proposal? We donat advertise quick degrees on the back pages of comic books or similar periodicals. Weare not engaged in the sort of commerce that awards sheepskins to lucky guessers in exchange for a fee.a aWe donat propose to aguess,aa I retorted dryly. aWe already possess sufficient knowledge to satisfy the universityas degree requirements, and that includes a volume of original research from each of us.a aYou two are full of ideas, arenat you?a he sneered, aideas that have not been tested through interaction with other students and the faculty. Thatas the most valuable aspect of an education, you know, and itas something you must approach with a good measure of humility. You seem to deny that the intellectual atmosphere of this university offers anything of value to you, and, I must say, you have also demonstrated an unwillingness to contribute to that interchange of ideas, which is the essence of a university.a aWe intend to share our knowledge,a I protested. aBut why must we endure the tedium of this academic routine? We want to get on with our lives, lives in which we shall make great contributions once weare free of the present restrictions.a aSuch arrogance!a he shouted and sat back in his chair to glare at us for some seconds before snarling, aIf you have so much to offer as it is, why bother to acquire degrees?a aIam surprised to hear you ask that,a I noted.

aWhatas your answer?a aWe need the credentials, of course.a He stared then marginally softened.

aWe all earn our degrees, and I emphasize that verb. Some have an easier time of it than others, but we all go by the rules. If you intend to receive, that is, to earn, a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, you shall have to do likewise. Perhaps you should discuss this with your aunt, Mr. Kimball. She might correctly conclude that you and your cousin are not yet sufficiently mature for the regimen of this university.a He rose to his feet in a dismissive gesture.

aWeave already matriculated!a Alice spoke up. aWe wonat withdraw voluntarily and you canat throw us out!a He sighed. aThat is unfortunately true, little girl, but I can insist that you two meet every requirement for the degree. If you are as brilliant as you presume, you can still rush through the process in about two years. Now please excuse me. I have other matters to attend.a Alice and I stood. I pulled on her arm before she could say anything more and led her to the door. We had to accept the manas decision. In fact my pet.i.tion was asking for special dispensation. Without Buckholtzas support it was hopeless.

The gravity seminar continued to meet even during the summer, though not as often. aEinstein gave us a solid clue to it,a I told my skeptical fellows one day, aand as far as I can tell, itas the only clue ever to have any real meat.a My friendly seminarians snickered. aWhat do you know about real meat?a one asked, clutching his groin. That got a real laugh. Sophisticated this crowd was not.

The instructor, an a.s.sistant professor younger than some of us, sneered. aTell us Einsteinas meaty clue, Tiny Brain.a That sobriquet for me, bestowed by the whole cla.s.s, was not the insult it might seem.

aHush,a muttered another. aThe rich boy is about to speak.a They had noticed and misinterpreted my suited shadows, but in fact they did all hush.

I explained patiently, aBrinson, you were a fighter pilot. Sitting here in that chair your a.s.s is feeling a one-G force that we call gravity. In your fighter plane a few years ago, during an inside loop, your a.s.s sometimes felt one G when the plane was upside-down. It felt the same to your a.s.s, didnat it? Einstein said you canat tell any difference at all between acceleration a" that is, a change of velocity a" and gravity.a aSo?a aSo thatas a powerful clue. We know where the force came from in your inside loop. What we need is a genius who can say how it is that you feel one G just sitting there.a I shook my head, looking down my nose at him. aBut that ainat you.a They laughed, with me for a change, all except Brinson. His face screwed up. aSomething about ma.s.s causing a curve in s.p.a.ce-time?a aYes,a I agreed. aGo on. How do we straighten it out?a He blinked. aItas a natural law.a I laughed. aThatas what they told the Alabama legislature too. And about 1930, when they needed another crane in the port of Mobile, it came within one vote of repealing the law of gravity to save money.a aWhat? What?a The exclamation was repeated all around. aThatas bulls.h.i.+t, Tiny!a aToo bad,a I agreed with a grin.

aSo whatas the point of Einsteinas clue?a asked Brinson when order was restored.

I had an opinion on that too. I had parted my lips to respond when the door opened with a crack. We all looked up of course. It was FBI agent Smith.

He came around the table to me and said quietly, aGet your stuff. We have to go now.a He looked a little tense. I didnat hesitate to stack my book on my clipboard. aMore Russians?a I asked.

aIall tell you on the way.a I stood up. aOn the way where?a aWas.h.i.+ngton.a He blinked and looked around at the several fascinated faces. I may not have mentioned it, but Smith isnat very bright. Not even Alice has bothered with him.

But he hustled me out of the room. aWas.h.i.+ngton?a I demanded. aWhat Was.h.i.+ngton?a aD.C., of course. Come on.a aWait a minute!a I protested, hanging back.

aI have my orders,a he declared, reaching like a snake to grab my arm. w.i.l.l.y-nilly I exited the building with his ham hand clamped on my triceps.

It was full summer, s.h.i.+rt-sleeve weather. June 24. aAh!a I exclaimed. aThe Russians have blockaded Berlin.a He hurried me across the quad. aI donat know about that. What I do know is youave got to be at the Munic.i.p.al in half an hour.a aMunic.i.p.al Airport?a aWhat else? Itall be a lot easier on you if you cooperate just a little.a Oh, no! I didnat care for the sound of this but could only stagger along behind him. He had retained his grip on me.

In the yellow pages I had located one or two of the new martial arts houses a" who had refused to talk to me after the first sight. Nevertheless I still remembered a few dirty tricks learned 45 years ago or 15 years from now, depending on how you look at it. Smith was leading me by my upper arm. Just as he lifted his rearward heel, I kicked it sideways against the other foot and in the same motion darted behind him. He tripped, spun around, and went down, releasing me to save himself as I had hoped. Instantly I leapt away to the side, pumping my legs for all I was worth.

Still lying in the gra.s.s, the son of a b.i.t.c.h pulled out his pistol and fired!

aWhy is this lad in handcuffs?a asked Supervisor Raimer. He and my two females were waiting in a private hangar at Munic.i.p.al Airport.

aBecause he tried to escape,a muttered Smith reluctantly.

aTried, h.e.l.l!a I snorted.

aWhat does that mean?a aI did escape a" until this fine, upstanding protector of American citizens took a shot at me!a aShut up!a Smith snarled. aI shot over your head.a aOh, s.h.i.+t,a muttered Raimer. aWho saw it?a aI donat know,a was the sullen answer. aLots of students, I guess.a Raimer thought for a moment. aWell, itas in the parameters. Smith, donat worry about it. Take the day off. Halleck and Iall manage from now on.a I stared at him. aSo weare to arrive in Was.h.i.+ngton dead or alive, is that it?a aNo, of course not.a Raimer shook his head in wonder. aWhy did you try to escape?a aBecause I didnat like his manner. Because I prefer not to be kidnapped by anyone, even the FBI.a aThis is not a kidnapping!a he a.s.serted.

aNo? Then remove these handcuffs.a His eyes narrowed. aAre you going to try to escape again?a aNo, because youare about to give us a ride home.a He laughed hollowly and shook his head again. aIn that case, Tim, you leave me no choice. You three are under arrest as material witnesses. Handcuff the females, Halleck.a Clara looked at me and shook her head sadly. aThey said it was important, Tim.a Helplessly I watched the steel go around their delicate wrists. aI hope youall learn eventually never to believe a government.a She nodded. aIam learning.a * * *

The airplane was a four-engine transport. I recognized it as a DC-4 in military paint and insignia, which made it a C-54. We climbed rolling stairs to its rear door and moved forward to take bucket seats along the side, where Halleck strapped us in and removed the handcuffs. At takeoff the engines were surprisingly loud, worse even than jets. I had not flown in piston-engine craft in a h.e.l.l of a long time!

At alt.i.tude the pilot throttled back. Now you could hear someone yell. Raimer sat beside me after a while and yelled.

aWhat did the government do to you in your other life that made you distrust it so? I want to point out that this is not exactly the same government.a aIsnat it?a I yelled back. aBending the law to compel particular behavior sounds like every other government to me.a aAmericans trust their government!a he declared defensively.

aI know they do, for the most part, despite all the suspensions of liberty in World War Two. The trouble is, their government doesnat trust Americans.a aWhat do you mean?a aIt arrests people who have done nothing whatsoever to warrant it.a He stared at me. aI could claim you are aliens.a aNot just we. Four years ago the federal prisons were full of such people.a aThat was wartime.a aYeah. To the government itas always wartime.a He swallowed and finally asked me his real question. aWill the U. S. truly go to war again on June 25, 1950?a I grinned at him. aIn two years and one day? Whatas it to you, Raimer?a He took a breath. aMy headstrong little brother just signed up for four years in the navy.a I studied him. aFor you Iall answer. He should be all right. Itas almost exclusively a land and air war.a His eyes searched mine. aAre you sure?a I shrugged. aTold you: the futureas not fixed.a I laughed hollowly. aIf your bosses donat force something out of us that changes everything, your little brother will get through this next war all right.a A smile flickered before his face paled.

The flight to Was.h.i.+ngton National lasted almost four hours. After landing, while taxiing to the terminal the handcuffs went back on. As we left the plane I saw a clock that indicated three p.m. 45 minutes later we were across the Potomac and waiting at a side door of the White House.

A fit fellow in a gray suit looked at us then at Raimer. aWhatas with the cuffs?a aThey are under arrest as material witnesses.a aA woman and two children? Have you searched them?a aNo. We left in too much hurry to round up a female agent.a The man shook his head. aHandcuffed people are not allowed to remain in this building.a aWho are you?a I demanded, though I guessed he was Secret Service. This was in the days before government agents wore nametags.

He ignored me and said to Raimer, aEither the cuffs go off or they do.a aAre you going to behave?a the FBI agent asked me.

I declared shrilly, aWeave been kidnapped!a The SS manas face screwed up. aWhat?a Halleck moved up beside me and whispered, aShut up!a aYou see the problem?a asked Raimer.

The SS man shook his head. aIam sorry. I just told you the rules.a Raimer held up his hand. aAll right, just a minute. My orders are to deliver them to the cabinet meeting in progress already. Do your precious rules allow witnesses to be led by the arm?a The man sneered. aYou expect to get anything useful out of such witnesses as that?a Raimer shook his head vehemently. aThatas not my problem.a The man shrugged. aLong as they arenat wearing cuffs. And since this morning theyave got to be searched. Take off the cuffs and bring them into the west anteroom. Iall have a woman meet you there. One moment and Iall search this boy myself.a While Halleck and Raimer removed the handcuffs from the females, I endured Secret Service hands under my arms, around my waist, down my legs and finally in my crotch, lifting. I stepped back with a sneer but the man continued to ignore me.

He c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at Raimer. aThis boy is clean. Since when did the FBI start handcuffing children?a Raimer opened his mouth to answer but snapped it shut. He jerked my wrists to him roughly and removed the cuffs. He held on tightly to an arm and pushed me ahead of him. aLetas go.a In the foyer Raimer and Halleck had to surrender their pistols to the SS man, who slid them into a drawer. All the men and I waited on a long settee while two uniformed females conducted my women into the adjacent room for their searches. Raimer maintained his grip on my arm at first.

aI work out every day and you donat,a he said, releasing me. His eyes glittered. aIall bet I can catch you before you reach that door. And if you make me do it, I predict youall get sick suddenly and puke all over your shoes. Want to try for it?a I doubted Oriental martial arts had made much inroad into federal government training by 1948, but what was the point? He still had my women. Nevertheless I grinned ferally at him and warned, aYou might be surprised.a Raimer looked up at the interested SS man and shook his head. aThis isnat going to work.a aBut thatas not your problem,a the man responded sagely.

The women were not detained very long. When they appeared, Claraas cheeks exhibited the red spots I had seen before. Aliceas pale lips made a thin line.

The larger policewoman stood before the SS man. aThese people donat belong here, Dan.a aWhat did you find?a She shrugged. aThe usual. Fingernail files. A couple of bugs in her purse was the only thing peculiar. But these girls ainat gonna cooperate with anybody.a The man shook his head. aThatas not our call. Bugs, you say?a aYeah. Looked like ladybugs. Thatall give you the idea. I asked her how they got in there. She said they were friends who didnat work for the government.a The SS man laughed sourly. aBelieve it or not, Hoover wants them to testify before the man. Hoover knows what to expect.a He turned to Raimer. aDoesnat he?a The FBI man shrugged and stood up, again taking my arm. aCome on. Whereas the meeting?a The whole lot of us, including the two uniformed women, proceeded along several corridors hung with portraits until we reached a ma.s.sive door before which two more suits stood with folded arms. Our SS man leaned close and whispered something to one of them.

aTake him,a Raimer told Halleck. I found both my arms pinioned from behind. I almost used one of the ducking throws I once had down pat, but I could just imagine the ruckus that would follow if an oddly belligerent kid got loose in the White House. It would likely make the papers. Besides, the three Secret Service agents had to be armed. They would probably shoot me.

Raimer and one of the gray suits vanished through the huge door. I had a glimpse of many men seated around a large table. We waited. The SS guards studied us curiously. The new women, whose uniforms identified them as aCapitol Police,a presumably a branch of the Secret Service, restrained my women by the arms in Halleckas manner.

Alice looked at me. aWhat do you want to do? Is it smart to defy them?a aIs it smart not to?a I asked.

She sighed. aIall leave it up to you, Tim.a aShut up!a ordered her woman and Halleck simultaneously. I grinned around at him and said deliberately, aI havenat heard such harmony since I asked if that was Grandpa who farted.a Whap! Colored lights flashed in my head. He had slapped me stingingly. For a moment I was dizzy but I understood when he hissed at me, aYou think you can get away with anything, donat you, you little b.a.s.t.a.r.d!a Clara said calmly, aIf you strike him again Iall scream loud enough to bring down that chandelier.a aThen let him keep his foul mouth shut.a aAre you man enough to tell your boss you gave that order?a Halleck flushed.

aTake it easy,a warned Claraas woman.

We waited a bit longer. The door finally opened. Raimer and our conductor came back out. aFollow me,a said the latter.

We marched farther down the hall. Raimer dropped back a step and looked me over. aWhat happened to you?a aYour storm trooper slugged me.a I saw the hand rise again but Raimer grabbed it. aWhatas the matter with you, Halleck? Are you trying to get us both fired? You know better than to leave such a mark.a I sneered. aHe left his rubber hose at home.a Raimer sneered back. aAnd you left your good sense. Why donat you learn to shut up?a I grinned snidely. aHow interesting that everyone suddenly wants me to shut up!a We waited in another room, seated on plush couches, we three outsiders still restrained by an arm each. A huge, wall-mounted, larger-than-life portrait of a man formally dressed in a turned-up collar reached nearly from the floor to the high ceiling. I didnat recognize him.

Our SS conductor asked Raimer in a low tone, aWhat can a woman and two kids know about the Berlin crisis?a aThatas cla.s.sified,a snapped Raimer.

The SS man chuckled. aSure it is.a He winked at me. aThey donat look much like Stalinas kin.a Raimer blinked. aLike what?a aThatas the scuttleb.u.t.t.a He said to me in fluent Russian, aWhat is your advice to man of steel?a I responded in the same language, aBeware of melting.a It was his turn to blink. He smiled slowly and declared in English, ah.e.l.l, maybe they are. Even so, why Stalin would tell them anything is another good question.a Raimer glared at me. aWhat did you just say?a I smiled. aThatas cla.s.sified.a The SS man laughed outright. Raimer flushed and gritted his teeth. His hand tightened on my arm like a tourniquet.

I looked around at it. aWhat are you trying to do, pinch it off?a Raimer took a deep breath and released me, letting me slouch back on the couch. My arm tingled as blood rushed back into it.

He said to the two policewomen, aLet go of the witnesses, but if they try to make a break, give them a case of airsickness.a aHow?a asked the woman holding Clara.

aWith the end of your truncheon.a aYes sir,a the woman agreed, turning a menacing look on my woman. aYou better keep your seat.a She released Clara but detached the short club from her belt and held it in her hand.

aAirsickness!a I said to Raimer in pretended admiration, aAnd you donat even have an accent!a aWhat accent?a I asked him in German, aDid you ever meet Reichminister Himmler personally?a His eyes narrowed at the name of Himmler. But finally he demonstrated that he didnat suffer from Halleckas limitations. Instead of flying off the handle, he asked quietly, aWhat are you trying to accomplish with your baiting, Tim?a All right, I could play that game too. I said, aTo let you down easy.a He understood me. He shook his head and declared as if needing to convince himself, aThatas not my problem.a I said to Alice in German, aIam concerned about the long term effects of this.a aFor us,a she asked, aor the world?a aFor us. How should we behave so that they release us?a She thought about it. aIgnorant.a Halleck interrupted. He asked Raimer excitedly, aYou gonna let them get away with this? Theyare plotting right in front of us!a aDonat worry,a advised the Russian-speaking SS man. aHe asked her what they should do to make you guys let them go. She said to play it dumb.a aRussian and German!a I remarked to the SS man. aHow is it youare only a cop?a He sniffed. aHow is it youare only a kid?a A penetrating question indeed! But I grinned at Raimer. aTell him.a Raimer responded automatically, aThatas cla.s.sified.a The SS man and I exchanged grins.

We sat silently after that. About ten minutes later the double doors opened without a prior knock. Three men filed into our room, led by J. Edgar Hoover in a light gray suit. He was slimmer than I remembered from TV, but his glowering countenance was easily recognized. One of his a.s.sociates wore the uniform of a three-star army officer, a alieutenanta general. I have always wondered why a two-star is given the higher-sounding rank of amajor general.a Perhaps this one would tell me.

Both Raimer and Halleck jumped to their feet. aGood afternoon, director,a intoned Raimer.

ah.e.l.lo, Bob,a said Hoover. That the great man was on a first name basis with a Chicago-office supervisor surprised me until I recalled the latteras trip to Mexico. I wondered if Hoover was a believer in Reversion.

But he obviously knew all about it. He scanned around at my women and me. aSo these are the two kids and their mother?a aYes, sir.a Hoover studied the three of us, particularly Alice and myself. aI have a little test for you, kids. Who are the two men behind me?a Clara answered him immediately. aMr. Arleigh Cranston, second a.s.sistant Attorney General for investigation, and Gen. Roger Erwill, liason for Gen. Lucius Clay.a How many peopleas pictures could she hold in her head? Put another way, just how large could this DNA storage of hers be? I had asked her that once before and been told it was aslightly less than infinity.a Of equal if not greater importance was the a.s.sociative addressing: that is, look-up by content, afforded by the ma.s.sively parallel biological structure. For a moment I was stunned by a realization of how much her era had progressed in computer science too!