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He turned and walked back against the flow of the crowd toward the station exit。 Right across the street from the exit was a Roy Rogers。 He paid for a cup of coffee and found a seat near the atrium window where he could watch the gray people bent against the wind and the raindrops sliding down the glass。
The euphoria he had felt when he talked to Vice Admiral Henry this morning was pletely gone。 Now he had a job。。。 a paperwork job； going to endless meetings and listening to reports and writing remendations and trying to keep from going crazy。 A job in the bureaucracy。 A staff job； the one he had fought against； refused to take； pulled every string to avoid； all these years。 In the puzzle palace； the place where good ideas go to die。
It could have been worse； of course。 He could have been assigned to design the new officer fitness report form。
Like many officers who spent their careers in operational billets； Jake Grafton loathed the bureaucrats； held them in a secret contempt which he tried to suppress with varying degrees of success。 In the years since World War II； the bureaucracy had grown lush and verdant here in Washington。 Every member of Congress had twenty aides。 Every social problem had a staff of paper pushers 〃managing〃 it。 The military was just as bad。 Joint mands with a staff of a thousand to fifteen hundred people were mon。
Perhaps it happens because we are human。 The people in the military endlessly analyze and train for the last war because no one knows what the next one will be like。 New equipment and technologies deepen the gloom which always cloaks the future。 Yesterday's warriors retire and new ones inherit the stars and the offices； and so it goes through generations； until at last every office is filled with men who have never heard a shot fired in anger or known a single problem that good； sound staff work； carefully couched in bureaucratese； could not 〃manage〃 satisfactorily。 Inevitably the gloom bees Stygian。 Future war bees a profound enigma that workaday admirals and generals and congressmen cannot penetrate。 So the staffs proliferate as each responsible person seeks expert help with his day…to…day duties and the insoluble policy conundrums。
Another war would be necessary to teach the new generation the ancient truths。 But in the Pax Americana following World War II； Vietnam accelerated the damage rather than arrested it。
In its aftermath Vietnam appeared to many as the first inadvertent； incautious step toward the nuclear inferno that would destroy life on this planet。 Frightened by the new technologies and fearful of the inprehensible political forces at work throughout the world； citizens and soldiers sought…demanded…quantifiable truths and controls that would prevent the war that had bee unthinkable； the future war that had bee； for the generations that had known only peace； the ultimate obscenity。 Laws and regulations and inprehensible organizational charts multiplied like bacteria in a petri dish。 Engineers with pocket calculators became soothsayers to the terrified。
All of this Jake Grafton knew； and knowing it； was powerless to change。 And now he was one of them； one of the faceless savants charged with creating salvation on his desk and placing it in the out basket。
Over on the beach it was probably raining like this。 The wind would be moaning around the house and leaking around the windowpanes。 The surf would be pounding on the sand。 It would be a great evening for a walk along the beach under a gray sky； by that gray sea。 Suddenly he felt an overpowering longing to feel the wind in his hair and the salt air in his nostrils。
Oh； to be there and not here！ Not here with the problems and the hassles and the responsibilities。
His eye fell upon the bag that the clerk had placed the F…I17 model in。 He ripped out the staple and slid the box from the bag。 The artist had painted the plane black。 It had twin vertical stabilizers； slanted in at the bottom； and flat sides all over the place； all of which he suspected were devilishly expensive to manufacture。 The intakes were on top of the fuselage； behind the canopy。 How would the engines get air when the pilot was pulling Gs； maneuvering？ He stared at the picture。 No doubt this plane was fly…by…wire with a flight control puter stabilizing the machine and automatically trimming。 But what would it feel like to fly it？ What would be the weight and performance penalty to get this thing aboard ship？ How much were they going to cost？ Could these machines ever be worth the astronomical sums the manufacturers would want to charge？ The politicians would decide。
Jake drained his coffee and threw the cup in the trash can by the door。 He pulled the bag up over the box and rolled the excess tightly； then pushed the door open and stepped out into the evening。
〃Hi； darling；〃 Callie said brightly when she came home and found Jake assembling the model on the kitchen table。
〃Hey； beautiful。〃 Jake looked up and grinned at her； then resumed his chore of gluing the landing gear into the wheel wells。
〃So how was the first day back at the office？〃
Jake laid the plastic model on the diagram and leaned back in his chair。 He stretched。 〃Okay； I guess。 They didn't tie me to the wooden post where they shoot traitors； and nobody said anything about a court…martial； so I guess I'm still in the navy。〃 He winked at her。 〃It's going to be all right。 Don't sweat it。〃
She poured a cup of coffee and blew across it gently； then took an experimental sip。 She stood looking at him over the rim of the cup。 〃Where will you be working？〃
〃It's a little shop； some cubbyhole that belongs to NAVAIR。 I'll be working on the new Advanced Tactical Aircraft。〃
〃Oh； Jake。〃 She took the seat beside him。 〃That's terrific。〃 For the first time in months； her voice carried genuine enthusiasm。
〃That's about all I can tell you。 The project is classified up the wazoo。 But it's a real job and it needs doing； which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of the jobs they have over there。〃
He shouldn't have added that last phrase。 The muscles around her eyes tightened as she caught the edge in his voice。 〃After all you've done for the navy； they owed you a good job。〃
〃Hey； Callie； it doesn't work like that。 You get paid twice a mouth and that's all they owe you。 But this is a navy job and Lord knows how it'll all turn out。〃 Perhaps he could repair the damage。 〃I'd rather have a navy job than be president of a bank。 You know me； Callie。〃
Her lips twisted into a lopsided smile。 〃Yes； I guess I do。〃 She put her cup on the coffee table and stood。
Uh…oh！ Here we go again！ Jake took out his shirttail and used it to clean his glasses as she walked into the kitchen。 You'd better be cool now； he decided。 Help her along。 He called out； 〃What say we go get some dinner？ I'm hungry。 How about you？〃
4
The ringing of the telephone woke Jake Grafton。 As he groped for the receiver on the stand by the bed he blinked mightily to make out the luminous hands of the alarm dock： 5 A。M。 〃Grafton。〃
〃Good morning； Captain。 Admiral Henry。 I wanted to catch you before you got started this morning。〃
〃You did； sir。〃
〃How about meeting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial about oh…seven…hundred in civilian clothes。〃
〃Aye aye； sir。〃
〃Thanks。〃 The connection broke。
〃Who was that？〃 Callie asked as Jake cradled the phone and loosed his eyes。 The alarm wouldn't ring for half an hour。
〃One of my many bosses。〃
〃Oh；〃 she mattered。 In less than a minute be heard her breathing deepen with sleep。 He wondered what Tyler Henry wanted to talk about that couldn't be said at the office。 After five minutes he gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed。 He tiptoed for the bathroom。
By the time the alarm went off he had showered and shaved。 He had picked out dark gray slacks and a tong…sleeved 3W shirt。 Over this he had added a tie； an old sweater and a blazer。
〃Good morning；〃 he said as he pushed the lever in on the back of the clock to silence it。
〃e hug me。〃 She smelled of warm woman and sleep。 〃It's so nice having you here to give me my morning hug。〃 She pushed him back so she could see his face。
〃I love you； woman。〃 He cradled her head in his hands。 〃You're going to have to quit trying to analyze it and just accept it。 It's true。〃
〃Hmmm。〃 She flashed a smile and became all business as she moved away from him and got up。 〃Why the civilian clothes？〃
〃I'm playing hooky with the boss。〃
〃And it's only your second day on the job。 Lucky you；〃 she said as she headed for the bathroom。 With the door closed she called； 〃How about turning on the coffeepot and toasting some English muffins？〃
〃Yeah。〃 He headed toward the kitchen； snapping on the lights as he went。 〃You're a real lover； ace。 One look at your sincere puss and they tighten up like an IRS agent offered a ten…dollar bribe。〃
Vice Admiral Henry was sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when the taxi deposited Jake in front。 He came down the steps as Jake approached and joined him on the wide sidewalk。 〃Morning； sir。〃
The admiral flashed a smile and strolled to the curb。 As he reached it a gray Ford Fairmont sedan sporting navy numbers on the door pulled to a stop。 Henry jerked ope