Read Online Our Children's Children by Clifford D. Simak - Free Book Online Page B

international setup, but a thing like that takes time and we haven’t got the time. To start with, at least, it has to be a national action.”
    â€œHave you talked to any of the other nations?”
    â€œBritain and Russia,” said the President. “Some of the others later. But not about this. Once we get an idea or two shaped up, we can see what some of the others think. Pool our ideas, trade them back and forth. But we can’t take much time. Whatever we do we’ll have to get started on almost immediately and work as fast as we can.”
    â€œYou are sure there are people from up ahead who can explain these tunnels? Well enough so that our scientists and engineers can understand the principles involved and the technology well enough so it can be done—hell, Mr. President, this is sheer insanity. American labor building time tunnels! This must be all a dream. Or a bad joke.”
    â€œI’m afraid,” said the President, “it is neither. We’re in a mess, Terry. I don’t know how bad a mess. I imagine it will be a day or two before we have the full story and know what we really face. All I ask right now is that you think about it. Get a few ideas together. Figure out what you can do. I’ll let you know about coming down. No use coming now. We have to get a few things sorted out before we can talk. I’ll be in touch as soon as I know a little more about it.”
    â€œAny time, Mr. President,” said Roberts. “You let me know and I’ll be there.”
    The President hung up and buzzed Kim. “Ask Steve to come in,” he said when she opened the door. He tilted back in his chair and locked his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Less than five hours ago, he thought, he’d stretched out for a nap, looking forward to a lazy Sunday afternoon. He didn’t get many lazy afternoons and when they came he treasured them. He’d no more than shut his eyes than the world had fallen in on him. Christ, he asked himself, what am I to do? What can I do? What’s the wise thing to do? Without half trying, a man could make a mistake or a number of mistakes and he sensed that in a situation such as this, he could not afford mistakes.
    Steve Wilson came in the door. The President took his hands from behind his head and tilted forward in the chair.
    â€œHave you had the press in, Steve?”
    â€œNo, sir, I haven’t. They’re pounding on the door, but I haven’t let them in. I didn’t have the guts to face them with the little that you gave me. I had been hoping.…”
    â€œAll right, then,” said the President. “Your hope paid off. You can give them all of it with two exceptions. You can’t tell them why we have the guns planted. That still has to be simply normal precautions. And there must be no hint of Gale suggesting we go back in time with them.”
    â€œI can’t tell them, then, about why they’re leaving the future. Nothing about the aliens?”
    The President shook his head. “Simply say that this point has not been sufficiently clarified and needs more study before anything can be said of it.”
    â€œThey won’t like it,” said Wilson, “but I guess that I can manage. How about the TV? I have alerted the networks you may want time this evening.”
    â€œHow about ten o’clock? That’s a little late, I suppose, but.…”
    â€œIt would be all right.”
    â€œThen you set it up. Tell them only ten or fifteen minutes or so.”
    â€œI’ll draft up something for you to look at.”
    â€œYou have your hands full, Steve. I’ll ask Brad and Frank to put it together.”
    â€œThey’ll want to know if you’ve talked with anyone.”
    â€œI talked with Sterling in London and Menkov in Moscow. You can tell them Menkov has talked with the Russian equivalent of our Gale and has substantially the same story we got.