” ’They also serve who only stand and wait.’ ”

“Right. Stand, and wait, and meet with power-mad crazies like Gordy Rolfe, or self-centered bags of wind like Milton Glover. Don’t you ever long for the old times, when if you did just one thing well, at the end of the day you could feel satisfied with your efforts?”

“You mean your days on the Mars expedition?”

“That’s what I was thinking of.”

“You were young then. Look at it realistically. You spent a few years locked up in a metal can, you flew back home, and then half of your crew died.”

“Nick, you’ve got the soul of a sausage maker.” Celine stood up. “No trace of romance.”

“I could give you the names of fifty people less than five miles from this room who’d tell you different. But that would be gross indiscretion and betrayal.” Lopez stood up, too, towering over Celine. “I’ll go tackle Mr. Hekmat and his Socinist friends. But I’d rather not meet Milton Glover if I can avoid it.”

“No argument there. You go out the other door and I’ll direct Hekmat around to you. First, though, I’ve got to call Gordy Rolfe and make a date, then tell Claudette to arrange a flight to Houston—”

“No. Gordy’s not at The Flaunt today. He doesn’t go there much — doesn’t go anywhere.”

“Then where is he?”

“At his underground facility in Virginia. I told you, he’s getting stranger and stranger. Anybody who wants to see him now has to go there.”

“I don’t know where it is.”

“You do, actually — better than most people. The Argos Group underground location is where the old Legion of Argos had its headquarters. It’s the place where you were held prisoner when you returned from Mars. It’s the place where the commando team captured the Eye of God, Pearl Lazenby.”

“Hell and damnation.” Celine flopped down again onto her padded chair with its special back support.

According to the physicians, the bone loss from the long Mars trip had been completely restored, but her back had its own opinion. “That’s a place I never expected to go again, and never wanted to.”

“Better than standing and waiting. But I agree with you. I’ve been to Gordy’s hideaway, and I must say I didn’t like it one bit.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“You’ll see. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.” Lopez gripped Celine’s hand briefly and headed for the door. “Good luck with Gordy. Call me as soon as you get back. I can’t wait to hear what he says. And let me know what you think of his underground habitat.”

After he had gone, Celine sat for a long time and stared at the wall of her office. Had she been conned? Conned into visiting Rolfe? Maybe it was a necessary act. But Nick Lopez’s voice, on his final remark, suggested that he already knew very well what she would think of Gordy’s underground home.

By midday Celine was eager to leave. Gordy Rolfe had agreed to a meeting easily. In her view, too easily, but Nick Lopez was not available for questions. He had spirited Jahangir Hekmat and his Socinist contingent away — to where, Celine neither knew nor cared.

One gone. The only other unavoidable meeting was with Milton Glover of the Trust In Government coalition, and that just might turn out to be an unexpected pleasure.

Celine had hopes as soon as she picked up her briefing folder and read the two notes inside. They came in response to her own one-word question, Nevada?, after the last meeting with Milton Glover.

1. Trust In Government interest in leasing federal lands in Nevada stems from their stated desire to have access to old Comstock mine. Forty years ago, the mine had underground tunnels and chambers extending for many miles.

2. A recent classified survey indicates that the Comstock mine and associated deep drillings and excavations were filled in by floods and land subsidence at the time of the Alpha Centauri supernova, and all tunnels remain inaccessible.

The Trust In Government group might be unaware of the contents of that second note. But why weren’t they more cautious? Was there some other reason for their willingness to purchase?

When the door of her office slid open and Milton Glover walked in with his old-fashioned white suit and insincere smile, Celine couldn’t wait.

She cut off Glover’s usual florid greeting before it could begin. “Milton, I’m delighted to tell you that your request to lease the Nevada federal properties has been approved. As soon as you sign on behalf of TIG and thereby provide legal commitment, rights to the lands will belong to your organization for the next fifty years.”

“Why, Madam President, that is splendid news.” But Glover’s face was puzzled.

“Why don’t I bring in witnesses, and we can sign the papers?” Celine buzzed her outer office. “Claudette? Would you and Frederick come in, please.”

“Wonderful!” Glover laughed, but his pale blue eyes were not smiling. Instinct told him that something was not quite right. “However, I think we must let our lawyers take a look and approve before I actually sign anything.”

“But they have already seen the documents, and they have approved. See? Their legal opinion is attached.” I guess Trust In Government lawyers and Trust In Government geologists form nonintersecting sets. “The Secretary of the Interior has already signed also.”

“So he has.” Glover spoke slowly. He stared around the room, first at the two people who had just entered and then at the window.

No escape for you that way. Celine held out a pen. “Milton, you already know Claudette Schwinger, and this is Frederick Wollaston. They will serve as witnesses. If you would like to sign first?”

“Well, I still think—”

“I have one question for you, just out of curiosity. What led you to choose the Nevada site? Did you have private information available to you?”

Glover grabbed the pen out of her hand and pulled the first copy of the document toward him. “No, no, not at all. No special information. Just good, competent, old-fashioned analysis.”

Who was it said that a man would die rather than appear to be a fool? Will Rogers, over a century ago. But Celine couldn’t ask Milton Glover for assistance on that quotation; he was too busy signing.

She added her signature below his on each of the seven copies, and passed them on to the witnesses.

“I’m sure the members of the Trust In Government coalition will be as pleased as I am when they examine the Nevada lands and see the results of all your work.” Celine signed the last copy and handed it to Claudette. “I’m afraid I can’t stay for any kind of celebration. I have to head for southwest Virginia just as soon as I can.”

Celine was out of the room before he could ask a question — or she could burst. There were moments, few and far between, when slimy bastards like Milton Glover got their comeuppance. Old Miltie was in for an exciting few hours when he and the other Trust In Government bigots took a close look at Nevada and learned what they had actually leased. Someone had sold them bad data concerning the Nevada mines.

It would be nice to meet with and personally shake the hand of the person who had sold the data to old Miltie, but that was too much to hope for. One treat a day was all that a President could reasonably expect.