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fing at the staff meeting。〃
Colonel Winfield nodded and left。 Elizabeth turned 。to leave； but the President stopped her。
〃Elizabeth； I've lost track of Sandy's schedule。〃
〃The first lady is in Atlanta； Mr。 President。 We have no word about Atlanta。〃
〃Thank you； Elizabeth。〃
When Elizabeth left； the President was staring out the dark window and twisting the paper clip crank around and around。
17。 SCIENCE ADVISOR
The morning I arrived in Singapore the heavens filled the street with fishes。 When the fish stopped falling the Chinese ond the Malays gathered them up； most returning home with an overflowing basket。 A most unusual introduction to a most unusual country。
…Francois de Castelnou； February 16；1861
Washington； D。C。
POSTQUILT： SUNDAY； 5：13 A。M。 EST
There was a phone beeping in Nick Paulson's ear。 Nick's head was paralyzed from fatigue but he managed to roll his eyes ninety degrees toward the clock radio。 The numbers waved before his eyes for a few seconds and then coalesced into a fuzzy pattern that resembled 5：13。 The two glowing globs in the cor…net were too blurry to read； but they had to say A。M。 The phone beeped again and Nick began to wish for the good old days when phones jangled。 A jangle can energize you and take you from stage four sleep all the way to consciousness。 But a beep just doesn't have the necessary power to blast you from delta waves to alpha waves。
On the second try； Nick palmed the receiver and heard a voice respond to his groggy hello； but it didn't make any sense。 Finally he recognized it as belonging to Elizabeth Hawthorne； the President's chief of staff。 Elizabeth Hawthorne was a human jangle。
〃Elizabeth 。 。 。 Elizabeth 。 。 。 start over please。 I've only been in bed a couple of hours。〃
〃I said； we're calling an emergency Security Council meeting at seven this morning and you are to be there。 It would help if you could e in as soon as possible and review some of the reports we have。 The President will want your assessment。〃
Nick was not sure he understood her。 Nick had never sat with the Security Council； and he couldn't imagine the kind of emergency that would require a science advisor。 Emergencies usually need only two kinds of people； those who can negotiate and those who can kill。 Nick was sure he couldn't do the first； and pretty sure he couldn't do the second。
〃Elizabeth； can you tell me the nature of the emergency？〃
〃Not on this line。 Dr。 Paulson； be here within the hour。〃 Elizabeth hung up。 Good…byes were superfluous to her。 It was then he noticed his heart was pounding。 Only two things made Nick's heart pound； sex and fear。 Since Kathy had moved out over two months ago； that left only fear。
Twenty minutes later he was directing his Volvo through the empty streets。 The rain had stopped and the streets were shiny and slick。 Nick ran an electric razor over his face as he drove； clearing away the stubble。 He finished grooming by running his fingers through his thinning blond hair。 He decided to check the radio for news； hoping to pick up some clue to what the Security Council was meeting to discuss。 There was nothing but music on the FM stations； but on AM he picked up part of a news broadcast。
〃Bill； how are the people of New York handling this latest blackout？〃
〃Well； so far； Maria； we have no reports of looting。 As our listeners know from past blackouts； some people take advantage of unfortunate circumstances like these。 We can only hope that the governor…〃
Nick went back to twisting the dial。
The meeting could have something to do with the New York situation； but blackouts normally don't require a meeting of the Security Council。 Now if the blackout was caused by terrorist action you might call such a meeting。 But why invite the science advisor？ It couldn't be a nuclear attack。 Nick wasn't on the nuclear response team。 Besides； a nuclear blast would certainly have made the newscasts by now。 Nick spun the dial looking for more details and rested briefly on a talk show。
〃I'm telling you； Gene； this is what I saw。 The road is gone； the trees are gone； the old candle factory is gone； everything is gone。 Gone； gone； gone！ Can't you hear what I'm telling you？〃
〃Ken 。 。 。 Ken； I can hear fine。 But do you hear what you're saying？ Do you？ You want me 。 。 。 and my listeners 。。。 to believe that you turned your back for a second； just a second； and when you looked back everything was snowed in？ Ken； it can't snow that fast。〃
〃I didn't say it snowed…〃
〃Ken 。。。 let me finish 。 。 。 suddenly； without warning； on a sixty…degree night； it snows thirty or forty feet。 。 。 enough to cover a factory？ I'm not buying it； Ken。 Time to refill your prescription。〃
〃Well why don't you e out here and I'll take some of that imaginary snow and shove it…〃
Nick was sorry the line went dead。 Ken was about to tell the talk show host something Nick had always wanted to say to a talk show host。
〃Naughty； naughty； Ken。 We must please the FCC now； mustn't we 。。。 you butthead。 We've got Coop from Carlton； Oregon； on line three。 Go ahead； Coop； you're on Night Talk。〃
〃Gene； I got another improbable indecipherable for you。 There was a supersonic percussion a couple of hours ago from the direction of Portland。 I just got back from taking a little reconnaisance ride。 I could only make about ten clicks。〃
〃And what did you see on your reconnoiter？〃
〃It's what I didn't see。 Portland。〃
〃You didn't see Portland？ It's a good thing you got lost； Coop。 Once you've seen the big city you'd never be happy on your farm again。〃
〃I'm no agricultural entrepreneur； and I didn't get lost。 Portland did。 It's not there anymore and where it used to be there's a forest。〃
〃Coop； what do they drink out there in Carlton； or should I say how much？〃
Nick could not believe what he was hearing。 Someone was on the radio reporting a missing city and sounding serious。 The idea of a missing city was odd enough； but the caller made it seem even stranger。 It was something in the way he spoke about it。 For one thing the caller sounded excited； not depressed； not bewildered； not even sad。 Certainly if a city full of people had disappeared it would be a disorienting experience。 But the caller sounded downright enthused。
〃I don't imbibe while on duty； Gene； and I consider myself on duty until this emergency is over。 I'm a reserve police officer and proud of it。〃
〃I have reservations about police officers too。〃
'That's not all of it； Gene。 When I was looking through my optical assistance device I spotted a dinosaur。〃
〃A dinosaur？ You mean one of those extinct creatures that hasn't existed on earth for a few million years or so？〃
〃What else could it be？ It was either a dinosaur or the only ten…foot lizard I've ever seen。 I'm getting ready now to head back and see if I can apprehend the trespassing lizard。〃
〃You do that； Coop； and be sure to call back and let us know when you catch it。 Meanwhile I'll alert my listeners to be on the lookout for a missing city。〃 The line was cut and then Gene added； 〃Bob； let's start screening these calls。 Is there a full moon tonight or what？〃
Then Gene punched up line one from Sioux City； Iowa。
〃Gene； I should of taken your advice。〃 The caller had clearly been drinking。
〃What advice was that； Sioux City？〃
〃You told me to get rid of my wife。 We was having trouble 。 。 。 she was cheating on me。 You told me to take her stuff； throw it out of the house and her with it。〃
〃I remember； Sioux City。 So what happened？〃
〃She took the farm。〃
〃The farm equipment？〃
〃No； damn it； she took the whole…beeeeep…farm。〃
〃Watch your language； Sioux City。〃
〃We had a big fight and I stomped out and jumped into my pickup to go get a beer。 I got about halfway down the driveway when I got knocked off the road by a humpin' big noise。 I still can't hear so good。 When I looked back the place was gone。 I got no house； no barn； no stock； no nothing。 But I got plenty of nothing。〃
〃You wouldn't happen to have a relative living in Oregon would you？〃
〃I ain't got nothing no where。〃
〃Well； that brings us to the news on the hour 。 。 。 thank God。 I'm gonna turn it over to Jim Jenkins with all the latest on m