"You don't believe that, Chet, and neither do I."
"It could happen."
"When?"
"Once this Earthside business is finished. I'll be back in time for New Year's Eve, I bet. We'll celebrate the new century together."
Diane's smile warmed. "The new millennium."
"And I'll make a New Year's resolution," he joked, "never to leave the Moon again. How's that?"
"It would be wonderful," Diane said. "Especially if you could keep it."
Frank Colt wore dress blues as he leaned back in the plush reclining chair of the jetcopter's passenger compart- ment. The seats were arranged two by two, facing each other. Sitting beside Colt was a Major, ten years his senior, now serving as his aide. Facing them was a pair of civilians, one from the State Department and the other from the Internal Security Agency.
"We have cleared visas for all of the foreign visitors and American citizens who want to emigrate to Moonbase," the State Department man was saying. He was a professional bureaucrat, businesslike and knowledgeable. "They will begin arriving in New York on Thursday morning. The lunar delegation can meet most of them at the reception being given that evening."
The ISA agent was small, paunchy, balding. He nodded, poker-faced. "That should allay any suspicions the Luniks might have. Then we'll stash the foreigners at Kennedy Spaceport, tell them there are technical difficulties, and keep them incommunicado."
"While the troops take off in their place and seize the space station," the Major finished. "All very neat."
"Timing's critical," Colt said, "No room for screw-ups," "Everything is worked out to the second," the Major replied smugly,
"Then work it out to the millisecond," Colt snapped. "I'm meeting the President tonight, and I want to be able to assure him that those stations will be in our hands when the new year begins."
The Major nodded, his lips pressed together and his cheeks going a blotchy red.
The State Department man traced a well-groomed fin- 516 gernail down the crease of his trousers as far as the knee. "There is one additional item."
"What is it?" Colt asked.
"Our situation analysts have run this entire plan through the computer one additional time, to see if there are any loopholes to be plugged."
"And?"
"And they have come up with an elegant suggestion. They think that you, Colonel, should be in New York with this Kinsman character when the troop shuttle takes off."
Colt controlled his surprise with a reflex clamp-down on his emotions. He kept his voice noncommittal. "Why?"
