"And the Russians get the Moon to themselves."
"And all of us—including you. Kinsman—get trans- ferred to the Strategic Defense Initiative Office. Since you're grounded, you won't even get to play with the spaceplane. You'll sit at a desk here in the Pentagon for the rest of your life." Murdock smiled slyly.
"It's wrong."
"It's decided. You heard the Deputy Secretary. Your job is to convince McGrath. Otherwise, forget about Moonbase."
"We shouldn't be throwing the Moon away," Kinsman insisted.
"Then get McGrath to vote in favor of the base. Get him to swing the minority vote on the committee. Put Durban to work on him. Do whatever you like."
"Durban's in the hospital."
Murdock shrugged.
"Dammitall!" Kinsman exploded. "I don't want this! I don't want any part of it. I want to be flying, not crawling around these goddamned corridors like some roach!"
"Listen to me, hotshot," Murdock snapped back, his face reddening. "You're grounded. Understand? You'll never fly another Air Force plane or spacecraft again. Never! We should never have let you back on flying duty after you killed that Russian."
Kinsman could not answer. His voice choked in his throat.
"You want the Moon so goddamned much," Murdock was yelling now, "you better get your friend McGrath to vote the right way! Because the only way you're ever going to get off the ground, mister, is as a passenger!"
Kinsman's pulse was thundering in his ears the way it had 204 so long ago, when he had let his temper run away and lead him to murder.
But Murdock was smiling triumphantly at him now. "I know you. Kinsman. I know what makes you tick. You want to get to the Moon and leave us all behind you. Fine! I'm all for it. But you'd better make sure there's a base up there for you to go to; otherwise, you'll be flying a desk for the rest of your life."
"McGrath," Kinsman croaked, "will never go for it. Never."
"I've sweated blood over you," Murdock went on, ignoring Kinsman's words. "You always thought you were so goddamned superior. Hotshot flier. You and Colt. a couple of smartasses. Well, you just goddamned better do the job you're assigned to do or you'll be shuffling papers at a desk until you drop dead!"
For a moment Kinsman said nothing. It took every effort he could muster not to get up from the chair and punch the fat leering face gloating at him.
Finally he said, "I could resign my commission. I could quit the Aerospace Force."
"And do what?" Murdock asked smugly. "Get a Job with NASA? Or one of the aerospace corporations?"
"You don't think I could?"
