ce. If they talked about Helen any
more I was going to throw something. The President saw how I felt.

"Now, Mr. Miller--Pete. Let's get back to business. You were
saying--?"

Yes, I had an idea. "Put me on an island somewhere, the further away
the better. I wouldn't like being around things without being able to
be in the middle. Better put me where I can't weaken, where I can't
sneak out a window or swim back." Everyone was listening. "Keep the
uniforms away from me, out of sight." The Brass didn't like that, but
they heard me out. "Feed me a case of beer once in a while and a few
magazines and some books and right boys to play euchre. I guess that's
all I want."

The gold pencil turned over and over. "That isn't very much, Pete."

"That's all. If I'm going to do the Army's and the Navy's work they
can leave me alone till they need me. If I can't live my life the way
I want, it makes no difference what I do. My own fault is that all my
family lived to be eighty, and so will I. Is that what you wanted to
know?"

The gold pencil rolled off the table. "Yes, yes, Pete. That's what I
wanted to know."

I tried once more. "There isn't any way I can just go home?"

A slow shake of his head, and finality was in his voice. "I'm afraid
there isn't any way." And that was that.

The President stood up in dismissal, and we all rose nervously. He
held out his hand. "Sorry, Pete. Perhaps some day...."

I shook his hand limply and the Old Man was at my elbow to steer me
out. Together we paced back through the dark hall, together we stepped
quietly out into the black Washington night. Our footsteps echoed
softly past the buildings of the past and the future. The car was
waiting; Stein, the driver. The heavy door slammed, and the tires
hissed me from the pavement.

The Old Man's voice was gentle. "You behaved well, Peter."

"Yeh."

"I was afraid, for a moment, that you were going to kick over the
traces. The President is a very important man."

"Yeh."

"You are, too. Right now, probably the most important man in the
world. You took it very well."

"Yeh."

"Is that all you have to say?"

I looked out the window. "Yeh," and he fell quiet.

Stein got us to the airport, and there was waiting an Army ship for
the three of us. I might have been able to see the Monument or the
Capitol when we were airborne. I don't know. I didn't look.

Later I asked Stein where we were going. He didn't know. I prodded the
Old Man ou