We took the pneumatic to headquarters and let me tell you, stuff began to fly, but high! Before we were there ten minutes, three companies were reported ready for duty. It seemed to satisfy the controller, but it didn't satisfy me. I said: "Three's not enough. Make it five." "Five hundred men? You're mad." I said: "I wish it could be five thousand. Look, we've knocked our brains out digging through a thousand years for this clue. Now that we've got it I don't want us to muff the chance." The C-S said: "Make it five." "But I don't think we've got that many unmarried men in the service." "Then get all you can. Get enough so they can stand close together in the cordon--close enough so no one can wander through. Look--this isn't a case of us hunting down a crook who knows we're after him. We're trying to pick up a couple who are perfectly innocent--who may wander through the cordon. We're trying to prevent an accident, not a crime." They got four hundred and ten all told. The whole little regiment was mustered before headquarters and the C-S made a beautifully concocted speech about a criminal and a crime that had to be prevented and hoopus-gadoopus, I forget most of it. Naturally we couldn't let them know about the Prog Building any more than we could the citizens--and I suppose you understand why the secret had to be kept. You don't, eh? Well, for the benefit of the hermit from the Moon I'll explain that, aside from the important matter of Stability, there's the very human fact that the Prog would be besieged by a million people a day looking for fortunetelling and hot tips on the races. Most important of all, there's the question of death. You can't let a man know when and how he's going to die. You just can't. There wasn't any sense keeping the news from the papers because everyone around Central Park was going to know something was up. While the C-S was giving instructions, I slipped into a booth and asked for multi-dial. When most of the reporters' faces were on segments of the screen, I said: "Greetings, friendlies!" They all yelled indignantly because I'd been out of sight for three days. I said: "No more ho-hum, lads. Carmichael sees all and tells all. Hot-foot it up to the north end of Central Park in an hour or so. Big stuff!" The _Journal_ said: "Take you three days to find that out?" "Yep." The _Post_ said: "Can it, Carmichael. The last time you sent us north, the south end of the Battery collapsed." "This is no gag. I'm giving it to you straight." "Yeah?" The _Post_ was belligerent. "I say Gowan!" "Gowan yourself," the _Ledger_ said. "This side of the opposition is credible." "You mean gullible." I said: "The word this time is sensational. Four hundred police on the march. Tramp-tramp-tramp--the beat of the drum--boots--et cetera. Better get moving if you want to tag along."