"Yes, sir." The visitor crossed his legs and put his funny hat on his knee.
The President leaned toward him and lowered his voice. "You really think you can get the whole human race in a box? Everybody? How you gone talk them into it?"
"They'll want to do it. And besides, consider the alternative."
"The world is really gone be busted up?"
"That's what the aliens told me. They didn't say by what."
"How long have we got?"
"They showed me the Earth going around the sun, and then waved their arms and legs twice. They've got six of them, so I think they meant twelve years."
"Six legs, huh? That isn't much time."
"I know it. Maybe I didn't understand, or maybe they were lying about that. Maybe we've got thirty years, but I wouldn't take any bets over five bucks. That's why I came to you, Mr. President."
"Well, you done right, you done right. Now, I understand Senator Givens and Congressperson Yamada are gone to introduce a bill to establish a international corporation, is that right?"
"Yes, sir, and the Senator tells me we'll have the votes."
"All right. Now, I'll want to sleep on this, and talk it over with Mrs. Tennafly, but I believe what I might do is declare a state of national emergency. That way we can get things done quicker, you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"But there's just so much one country can do, even if it's the US of A. You're gone to have to run around to all the other countries and line them up too."
"Where would you suggest I go first, Mr. President?"
"Well, I'd say the best thing would be, try Germany. I get along pretty good with old Heinz. If you convince him, why, he'll probably give you a big boost with the rest of the EF. Then you've got all them little Slavo countries, and Russia, and China, that's a biggie."
"How are your relations with China, sir?"
"Pretty punk. They're not getting along too good with anybody but India right now. Well, look here. Suppose you get into Japan through Germany, then they could give you India, and India could give you China. See what I mean?"
"Yes, sir. I really appreciate it."
"And, hell, we haven't even talked about Brazil yet, or Africa. Fifty little countries in Africa."
"That's right, sir. It's a big job, I know that."
"Well, son, I wish you luck. We're having a little barbecue in the Rose Garden Saddy after next. Sure would admire to have you there."
It was Tuesday morning. Ed Stone and five senators and congresspersons were sitting at a marble conference table in Senator Givens's office.
"Now, one thing," the Senator said, "there will have to be hearings on this bill, and you'll be asked to appear before a joint committee. The hearings will be holovised, of course."
"Senator, I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"It isn't? Why not?"
"See, when I tell people about this I can make them believe me, but I can't do it over holovision. They'd think I'm some kind of a phony."
"Now, Ed, let's be reasonable. The only reason we've got is that you've told us what the aliens told you. If we don't have you to back us up, what have we got?"
"Well, there's my suit and hat, and my fillings."
"The clothes could have come from a costume shop," said Representative Yamada. "I don't know about the fillings."
"Well, then there's this ring. "
"Morrie, you're the expert. Do you still carry a jeweler's whatchamacallit?"
"Sure I do. May I see the ring, please?"
Stone handed it over. Senator Fine took a loupe out of his pocket and screwed it into his eye, bending over the ring. "Hm," he said.
"What do you see?"
"Well, this is unusual. It's a man's dress ring in a style that I'd say belongs to the thirties or early forties, but a ring like this would normally be made of gold, maybe platinum. I don't know what this is. It might be some kind of stainless steel. Then the setting is empty, and not only that, there's no sign that this was ever made to hold a gemstone."
"Suppose we could get the metal analyzed?"
"Hey, you can't do that," said Stone. "Give it back." He took the ring and put it firmly on his finger. The lawmakers looked at him.
Givens said, "Maybe the only thing to do is get a lie detector test. Would you do that, Ed?"
"To find out if I'm telling the truth? Sure."
"Okay, then, we can say, 'Here he is, he's wearing these clothes and he's got this ring ... ' "
"And my driver's license." Stone took out his wallet and passed the card across the table.
"Expires nineteen thirty-two," said Givens. "Good. All right, and then we say, 'This man has passed a lie-detector test with flying colors, and we believe he's telling the truth. We can't afford not to believe him. We must believe him and act, for the survival of the human race. Something like that. Now, I think that would play, don't you?"
"Sure, Senator."
In the echoing hall outside the Joint Hearing Room, Senator Givens drew Stone aside. "Ed, there may be some trouble with Senator Arbuthnot. He's been away for three weeks-just got back last night-says he hasn't got time to meet you before the hearings."
"So I can't shake hands with him."
"Right, and I think he's hostile. So, just answer his questions the best you can. And don't lose your temper."
"Oh, I won't do that."
"Good for you. All right, we'd better go in now."
CHAPTER 14
After the opening statements, which consumed an hour and a half, the first questioner was Senator Arbuthnot.
"Mr. Stone, I understand that you have spoken to these alien creatures, and so on, but I'm not quite clear in my mind what it was all about. Now I wonder if you could just tell me, what was the aliens' purpose in coming here?"
"I don't know. I guess just exploring, and, you know, collecting specimens. They showed me all kinds of stuff they picked up, plants, trees. They had an elephant, but I think they were going to take it apart."
"They were? Why would they do that?"
"For parts, I guess."
Senator Arbuthnot blinked. "Mr. Stone, let me ask you this. Why don't these aliens show themselves? Why don't they come down here and meet with our elected leaders? Doesn't the fact that they haven't done that suggest to you that they have something to hide?"
"I guess they can't stand the gravity, and maybe they're shy. They're little aliens, and they're not very strong."
Senator Arbuthnot scribed a note. "What exactly did they tell you about the world coming to an end?"
"They didn't really tell me, they showed me pictures. It looked like, the aliens come down and pick up the box, and then the Earth goes all dark. "
"And this is supposed to happen twelve years from now?"
"I think that's right, Senator."
"Do you realize, Mr. Stone, that if we took this seriously, government would grind to a halt? We wouldn't be able to make any commitments more than twelve years ahead, we wouldn't be able to sell Treasury bonds, every program would have to be scaled back. That would be a catastrophe for government, wouldn't it?"
"I guess it would, Senator. "
"You guess it would. Mr. Stone, is the alien spaceship out there right now?"
"I guess so."
"Why haven't our astronomers seen it?"
"Maybe they haven't been looking in the right place."
"That's possible. Where should they look?"
"I don't know. "
During the lunch break, four of Stone's supporters sat together at a comer table in the Senate Dining Room.
"One thing that does seem to provide some corroboration," said Senator Whelk, "the Hubble Telescope stopped transmitting in two thousand, you remember that? NASA sent up a repair mission, and they found out that the circuits were fused. They replaced the circuit boards, but all they ever got was about a half-hour of transmission. Then the Congress cut the appropriation, so they never did send another shuttle up, and we don't know what happened.''