"But we dropped Project Mastodon entirely almost three years ago. It's been all of ten years since we stopped the research. It was twenty-five years ago that Hudson--" "That makes no difference, sir. They're convinced we dropped the project publicly, but went underground with it. That would be the kind of strategy they could understand." The President picked up a pencil and doodled on a pad. "Who was that old general," he asked, "the one who raised so much fuss when we dropped the project? I remember I was in the Senate then. He came around to see me." "Bowers, sir," said the JCS chairman. "That's right. What became of him?" "Retired." "Well, I guess it doesn't make any difference now." He doodled some more and finally said, "Gentlemen, it looks like this is it. How much time did you say we had?" "Not more than ninety days, sir. Maybe as little as thirty." The President looked up at the JCS chairman. "We're as ready," said the chairman, "as we will ever be. We can handle them--I think. There will, of course, be some--" "I know," said the President. "Could we bluff?" asked the secretary of state, speaking quietly. "I know it wouldn't stick, but at least we might buy some time." "You mean hint that we have time travel?" The secretary nodded. "It wouldn't work," said the CIA chief tiredly. "If we really had it, there'd be no question then. They'd become exceedingly well-mannered, even neighborly, if they were sure we had it." "But we haven't got it," said the President gloomily. X The two hunters trudged homeward late in the afternoon, with a deer slung from a pole they carried on their shoulders. Their breath hung visibly in the air as they walked along, for the frost had come and any day now, they knew, there would be snow. "I'm worried about Wes," said Cooper, breathing heavily. "He's taking this too hard. We got to keep an eye on him." "Let's take a rest," panted Hudson. They halted and lowered the deer to the ground. "He blames himself too much," said Cooper. He wiped his sweaty forehead. "There isn't any need to. All of us walked into this with our eyes wide open." "He's kidding himself and he knows it, but it gives him something to go on. As long as he can keep busy with all his puttering around, he'll be all right." "He isn't going to repair the time unit, Chuck." "I know he isn't. And he knows it, too. He hasn't got the tools or the materials. Back in the workshop, he might have a chance, but here he hasn't." "It's rough on him." "It's rough on all of us." "Yes, but we didn't get a brainstorm that marooned two old friends in this tail end of nowhere. And we can't make him swallow it when we say that it's okay, we don't mind at all." "That's a lot to swallow, Johnny." "What's going to happen to us, Chuck?" "We've got ourselves a place to live and there's lots to eat. Save our ammo for the big game--a lot of eating for each bullet--and trap the smaller animals."