"That's a big order. And in return?"

"Your staff stays alive."

Flatly. There was no question Musto meant what he said.

"That means I'll have to talk with the governors of six states,"
Bennington temporized.

"That's your worry."

The general sighed. "All right, you've got Message Center. Connect
this phone with the outside. Remember, this is going to take a while."

"That don't worry us, general. Add up how much time we've got coming
due over here. It's all you need and then some."

* * * * *

Bennington lifted the phone on the desk and waited. He could see an
irregular flickering, like a cigarette lighter, in the Message Center
Room. Then the familiar buzzing sounded in his ears.

Once more he dialed "0". "Operator? This is Warden Bennington of Duncannon
Prison. Please arrange, with top priority, a person-to-person conference
line with this prison and the governors of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New
York, Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut. Yes, call me, when the
connection is completed."

"And don't forget, we'll be listening," came simultaneously from the
intercom and the telephone.

"I expect you to," Bennington said promptly and hung up. At the same
time, he switched off the intercom.

He leaned back in his chair and, for the first time in years, found
himself aware of a long-forgotten feeling. The center of his forehead
tingled as if it were being brushed by a silky feather.

He knew the sensation, had felt it before. Someone had a gun on him.
And that someone was a mere thirty yards away.

The general turned his chair toward Thornberry, felt that feather
tingle along the nerves of his scalp. The psychologist was sitting
stiffly erect, his hands firmly clenched together in his lap.

"Tell me what happened after I left you," Bennington said. He kept a
wary eye on his assistant warden. The man seemed in the civilian
equivalent of battle shock.

Thornberry sat at attention, as if he were delivering a formal report.
"The guards lined up the prisoners in columns of twos and marched them
to the mess hall. There they split the column. The left half went to
the south door, the right half went to the north door. I followed the
line to the north door. They seemed to be piled in fast. When most of
them were in on my side, I squeezed by the rest and went to the back
of the hall. Rayburne and Householder, of course, stayed outside."

Thornberry's hands were slowly unclenchi