‘They slice off one leg, a bit at a time, until I'm down to exactly one twenty-six. Spacemen don't need feet.'

‘Woodrow, you always were a naughty boy. You would need feet on the Moon.'

‘One is enough there. One-sixth gravity. Hey, there's that big, ugly man they got watching me! He's coming this way.'

George Strong came over and bowed. ‘Dear lady! I see you have met our Moonship captain. And our relief pilot, Bill Smith. May I join you?'

‘Mom, do you know this character? Did they hire you to watch me, too? Say it ain't so!'

‘It ain't so. George, your relief pilot is my son, Woodrow Wilson Smith.'

Later that night George and I had a chance to talk privately and quietly.

‘George, my son tells me that he must get his weight down to one hundred and twenty-six pounds in order to qualify as relief pilot. Can that be true?'

‘Yes. Quite true.'

‘He hasn't weighed that little since his junior year in high school. If he did get his weight down to that and if Captain LeCroix fell ill, I suspect that Woodrow would be too weak to do the job. Wouldn't it make more sense to adjust weights the way they do with race horses? Add a few lead weights if Captain LeCroix flies; take them out if the relief pilot must go?'

‘Maureen, you don't understand.'

I admitted that I did not.

George explained to me just how tight the weight schedule for the ship was. The Pioneer was stripped down to barest essentials. She carried no radio - only indispensable navigational instruments. Not even a standard pressure suit- just a rubber acceleration suit and a helmet. No back pack - just a belt bottle. Open the door, drop a weighted flag, grab some rocks, get back in.

‘George, this doesn't sound to me like the way to do it. I won't tell Woodrow that - after all, he's a big boy now' - assumed age, thirty-five; true age, fifty-three - ‘but I hope Captain LeCroix stays healthy.'

Another of those long waits in which George pondered something unpleasant - ‘Maureen, this is utter, Blue Star secret. I'm not sure anyone is going to fly that ship.'

‘Trouble?'

‘Sheriff trouble. I don't know how much longer I can hold off our creditors. And we haven't anywhere else to rum. We've pawned our overcoat so to speak.'

‘George, lei me see what I can do.'

He agreed to live in my apartment and look after Princess Polly while I was away - okay with Princess Polly, as she was used to him. I left for Scottsdale in the morning, to see Justin.

‘Look at it this way, Justin. How bad will the Foundation be hurt if you let Harriman Industries collapse?'

‘The Foundation would be hurt. But not fatally. We would be able to resume full subsidy in five years, ten at the outside. Maureen, one thing is certain: a conservator of other people's money must never throw good money after bad.'

Eight million was the most I could squeeze out of him, and I had to guarantee it. Half of it was in CDs some of which had due dates as long as six months away. (Bui a certificate of deposit can always be used in place of cash, although it may cost you points.)

To accomplish that much I had, first, to tell Justin that he would never get another ‘Theodore' tip out of me if he didn't produce the money, and, second, that if he laid the money on the table, I would place beside it a full and complete transcript of those notes I had taken in the middle of the night on 29 June 1918.

In the Broadmoor the next morning George would not accept the money from me but took me to Mr Harriman, who seemed detached, barely able to recognise me, until I said, ‘Mr Harriman, I want to buy some more participation in the Lunar launching.'

‘Eh? I'm sorry, Mrs Johnson; there is no more participation stock for sale. That I know of.'

‘Then let me put it this way. I would like to lend you eight million dollars as a personal loan without security:

Mr Harriman looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. He had grown gaunt since the last time I had seen him and his eyes burned with fanatic fervour - he made me think of those Old Testament prophets.

He studied me, then turned to George. ‘Have you explained to Mrs Johnson what a risk she would be taking?'

George nodded glumly. ‘She knows.'

‘I wonder. Mrs Johnson, I'm cleaned out and Harriman Industries is a hollow shell - that's why I haven't called a directors' meeting lately. I would have to explain to you and to the other directors the risks I've been taking. Mr Strong and I have been trying to hold things together on jawbone and sheer nerve, long enough to get the Pioneer off her pad and into the sky. I haven't given up hope... but, if I take your money and I am forced into bankruptcy and my senior company into receivership, my note to you could not be in a preferred position. You might get three cents on the dollar; you might not get anything.'

‘Mr Harriman, you are not going to be bankrupt and that tall ship out there will fly. Captain LeCroix will land on the Moon and return safely'

He smiled down at me. It's good to know that you have faith in us.'

‘It's not just faith; I'm certain. We can't fail now for the lack of a few pennies. Take the money and use it. Pay it back when you can. Not only will Pioneer fly, you also will send many ships after her. You are manifest destiny in person, sir! You will found Luna City... freeport for the Solar System!'

Later that week George asked me if I wanted to be in the blockhouse during the launching - Mr Harriman had said to invite me. I had already considered it, knowing that I could demand it if I cared to push it.

‘George, that's not the best place to watch the lift-off, is it?'

‘No. But it's the safest. It's where the VIPs will be. The Governor. The President if he shows up. Ambassadors.'

‘Sounds claustrophobic. George, I've never been much interested in the safest place... and the few VIPs I've met struck me as hollow shells, animated by PR men. Where are you going to be?'

‘I don't know yet. Wherever Delos needs me to be.'

‘So I figured. You are going to be too busy to have me hanging on your arm -‘

‘It would be a privilege, dear lady, But -‘

‘- you are needed elsewhere. Where is the best view? If you weren't busy, where would you watch it?'

‘Have you visited the Broadmoor Zoo?'

‘Not yet. I expect to. After the lift-off.'

‘Maureen, there is a parking lot at the zoo. From it you would have a dear view to the east from the spot about fifteen hundred feet higher than Peterson Field. Mr Montgomery has arranged with the Hotel to place some folding chairs there. And a radio link. Television. Coffee. If I weren't busy, that's where I would be.'

‘So that's where I will be.'

Later that day I ran across my son Woodrow in the lobby of the Broadmoor. ‘Hi, Mom! They got me working.'

‘How did they manage that?'

‘I didn't read my contract carefully enough. This is "educational and public communication activity associated with the Moonship" - meaning I have to set this thing up to show people how the ship works, where it will go, and where the diamonds are on the Moon.'

‘Are there diamonds on the Moon?'

‘We'll let you know later. Come here a sec.' He led me away from the crowd in the lobby into a side hall by the barber shop. ‘Mom,' he said quietly, ‘if you want to do it, I think I have enough bulge around here to get you into the blockhouse for the lift-off'

Is that the best place to sec it?'

No, it's probably the worst. It'll be hot as a June bride, because the air conditioning isn't all that good. But it's the safest place and it's where the high brass will be. Visiting royalty. Party chairmen. Mafia chiefs.'

‘Woodrow, where is the best place to watch? Not the safest ‘

‘I would drive up Cheyenne Mountain. There is a big paved parking lot outside the zoo. Come back into the lobby; I want to show you something.'