Harriman gulped at his drink. "That bad?"

"It won't be arm-wrestling."

"Damned fools."

A thought struck Kinsman, and he almost smiled. "Hey, if we're ordered to seal our half of the base from all foreign nationals, what the hell are we going to do with you? Brazil still hasn't come through with your papers, have they?"

"Of course not, the bastards. It's been almost two years now. I'm officially a stateless person. Another few months and I won't be able to stand up straight on Earth. They've got me by the balls—invite me up here with their sociology team and then revoke my citizenship."

"Cheer up. Socrates got hemlock." 309

"It's a rough world for us philosophers," Harriman said with a sigh.

"You mean gadflies."

"Whatever. You know who they put in my chair at Sao Paulo? A dimwitted colonel. A colonel in the fucking army is the chairman of the philosophy department in the largest university in Brazil! A colonel!"

"Something to look forward to when I retire."

"You should live so long."

"That's not funny, Hugh. Not tonight."

Harriman stared at him for an instant, mouth open and ready for his next reply. But when he realized what Kinsman meant he said, "Yeah. They're closing down all the schools. Luxuries, you know."

He walked away. Kinsman turned and looked outward again, feeling the numbing cold of infinity seeping into him despite the heated curtainwall, watching the tantalizing beau- ty of Earth hanging there, out of his reach. Seven billion people getting ready to destroy themselves.

A hand on his shoulder. Diane.

"You're supposed to be having fun, whether you like it or not."

"Oh, yes. I forgot."

"I think there's some kind of grand unveiling coming up." She gestured back toward the pool.

Kinsman saw a huge package at poolside, covered by a blue plastic tarpaulin. It had an odd shape. Kinsman could not make it out.

"They sent me here to bring you back," Diane said.

She had changed back into her slacks and sweater. Kinsman noticed her absently rubbing the fingertips of her left hand and realized that it had been a long time since she had played a guitar.

"I can think of better places for us to go," Kinsman said.

Diane smiled but said nothing. They walked together through the crowd that was clustering around the mysterious package. It was almost as tall as a man and much wider than his arms could stretch. The crowd's chatter and murmurs faded to an expectant hush as Kinsman and Diane ap- proached.

Piotr Leonov was standing beside the veiled shape, grinning broadly. Everyone was silent now.

"Ah,"said Leonov, "the guest of honor approaches. The magic hour has arrived."