d blow or the bell would ring, the specialist would wince
as though he were pinched. Kellner stood over his shoulder saying at
intervals, "What do you get? What do you get?" Kellner finally got it.
The specialist stood up, swore in Platt-deutsch, some at Kellner and
some at me and some at his machine, and left in all directions. The
gist of it was that he was too important and too busy to have jokes
played on him. Kellner just wagged his head and walked out.

The Old Man said, "You're not one bit different from anyone else."

"Sure," I said. "I could have told you that long ago. It shouldn't
take a doctor."

"Miller, what in blazes are we going to do with you?"

I didn't know. I'd done my share. "Where do we go from here?"

The Old Man looked out the window. The sun was going down. "Someone
wants to see you. He's been waiting for Kellner to finish with you. We
leave tonight."

"For where?" I didn't like this running around. "Who's 'he'?"

"For Washington. You'll see who it is."

Washington, more than just a sleeper jump away. Washington? Oh, oh....
Well, let's get it over with. We did. We left for the capital that
night.

We slipped in the back door, or what passed for the back door. Pretty
elaborate layout, the White House. Our footsteps rang as hollow as my
heart on the shiny waxed floors.

The Old Man did the honors. "Mr. President, this is Mr. Miller."

He shook hands. He had a good grip.

"General Hayes, you know. Admiral Lacey, Admiral Jessop, Mr. Hoover
you know, General Buckley. Gentlemen. Mr. Miller."

We shook hands all around. "Glad to know you." My palms were slippery.

The President sat, and we followed suit. The guest of honor, I felt
like my head was shaved, and I had a slit pants leg. You don't meet
the President every day.

The President broke the ice. It was thin to begin with. "You have
within yourself the ability, the power, to do a great deal for your
country, Mr. Miller, or would you prefer to be called Pete?"

Pete was all right. He was older, and bigger. Bigger all around.

"A great deal of good, or a great deal of harm."

No harm. I'm a good citizen.

"I'm sure of that. But you can understand what I mean, by harm."

Likely I could, if I really wanted to. But I didn't. Not the place
where you were born.

"Naturally, Pete, it makes me feel a great deal better, however, to
hear you say and phrase it just like that." The light of the lamp
glittered on his glasses. "Very, ve