Footfall

Pyatiggrskiy nodded agreement. “Their telescopes are much better than those we have here.”

“I will ask,” Bondaiev said. And perhaps get an answer, perhaps not. Reports from the Soviet space station were closely guarded. Often Bondarev did not get them for months.

“We should see their photographs,” Pyatigotskiy said. “Instantly when they come in. And you should be able to call Rogachev and tell him where to point his instruments.”

“Perhaps,” Bondarev said. He looked significantly at his subordinate. Andrel Pyatigorskiy was an excellent development scientist, but his career would not be aided by criticizing policy in front of Boris Ogarkov. Boris probably would not report this, but he would remember…

“It is vital,” Andrei continued. He sounded stubborn. “If aliens are coming, we must make preparations.”

“Is it not likely that they know in Moscow ?” Ogarkov asked.

“Perhaps they have heard from Kosmograd, and already know.”

“I think not.” Bondarev said quietly. “It is of course possible. They know much in Moscow . But I think we here would have heard, if not what they know, that they have learned something of importance. In the meantime, it is vital that we look at our own photographs. If this object shows, then we know it is no hoax.”

He looked thoughtful. “No ordinary hoax, at all events.”

“So that’s that,” Richard Owen said. “They hadn’t seen it.” He walked over to the window overlooking the road up Mauna Kea .

“Or said they hadn’t,” Jeanette said.

“Yeah, that’s right.” He glanced at his watch. “Next thing is a press conference.” He looked at her defiantly.

She shook her head. “Richard, there’s nothing I can do to stop you I think you’re wrong, though.”

“Don’t the people have a right to know?”

“I suppose so.” she said. “Do you think the Russians believe you?”

“Why shouldn’t they?” Owen demanded.

“They don’t often believe anything we say. They see plots everywhere,” Jeanette said.

“Not Bondarev,” Owen protested. “I’ve known him a long time, He’ll believe me.”

“Yes. But will his superiors believe him? Anyway, it’s not my problem…”

“Sure about that?”

“What?”

“There’s a mess of cars coming up the road,” Owen said. “State police, and an Army staff car. I never saw anything like that up here before…”

Lieutenant Hal Brassfield was nervous. He couldn’t have been more than twenty years old, and he wasn’t sure who Jeanette was. Small wonder, she thought.

“Captain,” he said, “I don’t really know any more than that. The orders said to get you to Washington by first available transportation, highest priority, and we arranged that. A chopper will meet us down at the five-thousand-foot level. He’ll get you to Pearl . There’s a Navy jet standing by there.”

Jeanette frowned, “Isn’t that a bit unusual?”

“You bet your sweet — yes, ma’am, that’s unusual. Leastwise I never did anything like this before.”

She looked at the sheet of orders. They’d been hastily typed from telephone dictation, and looked nothing like standard military orders. She’d never seen anything like them. Come to that, she thought, not very many officers had. At the bottom it said “By order of the President of the United States ,” and below that was “For the President, James F. Frantz, Chief of Staff.”

“Those came in about an hour ago,” the lieutenant said. “And it’s all I know. We’re a training command, Captain.”

“All right, Lieutenant, but someone will have to go to my hotel. I have things there, and the bill has to be paid.”

“Yes, ma’am, Major Johnston said I’d have to take care of that. I’ll send your bags on to you, only I don’t know where to send them.” He chuckled. “I wouldn’t think the White House would be the right address for a captain. But that’s the only place listed on those orders.”

Jeanette nodded, more to herself than to the lieutenant. Whenever she was in Washington , she stayed at Flintridge with her aunt and uncle, so that was no problem. Only it was probably a “hurry up and wait” situation. There wasn’t any need for her at the White House. Not that urgently, and probably not at all. The President would want to confirm the sighting, but before she could get to Washington he’d have a dozen others to tell him about the mysterious — what? She giggled.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Richard Owen said.

“What do we call it?” she asked. “UFO? But it isn’t flying.”

Lieutenant Brassfield looked puzzled. “UFO? All this is over a flying saucer?”

“Yes,” Jeanette said.

“Hey, now wait a minute …”

“It’s all true,” Richard Owen said. “We’ve spotted an alien spaceship. It’s on its way to Earth. Captain Crichton called the Army.”

“Maybe I better not know any more about this,” Brassfield said.

Jeanette thought of Richard Owen’s upcoming press conference and laughed. “It won’t hurt. Lieutenant, do you have anyone in Kona? Or somebody who can get there fast?”

“Yes, ma’am.”