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rom you； or thrown you into the sea； or kidnapped you and ran away to Israel…anything。〃
She smiled again； perhaps at the memory of the beach。 〃But that would have acplished nothing； Brian。 The Arab Federation overran Israel and drove the people into the sea。 We wouldn't have escaped anything。〃
He uttered a single word and then had to apologize again； although the woman didn't understand the epithet。 〃The Major certainly jumped into the beginning of hell。〃
She corrected him。 〃The Major jumped into the end of it； the wars had been underway for nearly twenty years and the nation was on the brink of disaster。 Major Moresby came forward only in time to witness the end for us； for the United States。 After him； the government ceased to be。 After twenty years we were wholly exhausted； used up； and could not defend ourselves against anyone。〃
The old woman spoke with a dry weariness； a long fatigue； and he could listen to her voice and her spirit running down as she talked。
The wars began just after the Presidential election of 1980； just after the field trials into Joliet。 Arthur Saltus had told her of the two Chinese railroad towns blown off the map； and suddenly one day in December the Chinese bombed Darwin； Australia； in long…delayed retaliation。 The whole of northern Australia was made uninhabitable by radiation。 The public was never told of the first strike against the railroad towns but only of the second： it was painted an act of brutal savagery against an innocent populace。 Radioactivity spread across the Arafura Sea to the islands to the north； and drifted toward the Phillipines。 Great Britain appealed to the United States for aid。
The re…elected President and his Congress declared war on the Chinese Peoples' Republic in the week following his inauguration； after having waged an undeclared war since 1954。 The Pentagon had privately assured him the matter could be terminated and the enemy subdued in three weeks。 Some months later the President mitted massive numbers of troops to the Asian Theater： now involving eleven nations from the Phillipine Republic westward to Pakistan； and to the defense of Australia。 He was then pelled to send troops to Korea； to counteract renewed hostilities there； but lost them all when the Chinese and the Mongolians overran the peninsula and ended foreign occupation。
She said tiredly： 〃The President was re…elected in 1980； and again for a third term in 1984。 After Arthur brought back the terrible news from Joliet； the man seemed unable to control himself and unable to do anything right。 The third…term prohibition was repealed at his urging； and some time during that third term the Constitution was suspended altogether 'for the duration of the emergency。' The emergency never ended。 Brian； that man was the last elected President the country ever had。 After him there was nothing。〃
Chaney said bitterly： 〃The meek； the terrible meek。 I hope he is still alive to see this！〃
〃He isn't； he wasn't。 He was assassinated and his body thrown into the burning White House。 They burned Washington to destroy a symbol of oppression。〃
〃Burned it！ Wait until I tell him that。〃
She made a little gesture to hush him or contradict him。 〃All that and more； much more。 Those twenty years were a frightful ordeal； the last few years were numbing。 Life appeared to stop； to give way to savagery。 We missed the little things at first： passenger trains and airliners were forbidden to civilian traffic； mail deliveries were cut back to twice a week and then halted altogether； the news telecasts were restricted to only one a day and then as the war worsened； further restricted； to only local news not of a military nature。 We were isolated from the world and nearly isolated from Washington。
〃Our trucks were taken away for use elsewhere； food was not brought in； nor medicines； nor clothing； nor fuel； and we fell back on the supplies stored on station。 The military personnel were transferred to other posts or to points overseas； leaving only a token crew to guard this installation。
〃Brian； that guard was pelled to fire on nearby townspeople attempting to raid our stores： the rumor had been spread that enormous stockpiles of food were here； and they were desperately hungry。〃
Katrina looked down at her hands and swallowed painfully。 〃The twenty years finally ended for us in a shocking civil war。〃
Chaney said： 〃Ramjets。〃
〃They were called that； once they came into the open； once their statement of intent was publicized： Revolution And Morality。 Sometimes we would see banners bearing the word RAM； but the name soon became something dirty…something akin to that other name they were called for centuries： it was a very bitter time and you would have suffered if you had remained on station。
〃Brian； people everywhere were starving； dying of disease； rotting in neglect and misery； but those people possessed a leadership we now lacked。 Ramjets had efficient leadership。 Their leaders used them against us and it was our turn to suffer。 There was revolution but little or no morality； whatever morality they may have possessed was quickly lost in the rebellion and we all suffered。 The country was caught up in a senseless savagery。〃
〃That's when Moresby came up？〃
A weary nod。
Major Moresby witnessed the beginning of the civil war when he emerged on his target date。 They had chosen the same date for the outbreak of the rebellion…they had selected the Fourth of July as their target in a bid for independence from white America and the bombing of Chicago was intended to be the signal。 Ramjet liaison agents in Peiping had arranged that： Chicago…not Atlanta or Memphis or Birmingham…was the object of their greatest hatred after the wall。 But the plan went awry。
The rebellion broke out almost a week earlier…quite by accident…when triggered by a riot in the little river town of Cairo； Illinois。 A traffic arrest there； followed by a street shooting and then a wholesale jail delivery of black prisoners； upset the schedule： the revolt was quickly out of control。 The state militia and the police were helpless； depleted in number； their reserve manpower long since spent overseas； there was no regular army left standing in the United States except for token troops at various posts and stations； and even the ceremonial guards at national monuments had been removed and assigned to foreign duty。 There was no remaining force to prevent the rebellion。 Major Moresby climbed out of the vehicle and into the middle of the holocaust。
The agony went on for almost seventeen months。
The President was assassinated； Congress fled…or died while trying to flee…and Washington burned。 They burned many of the cities where they were numerically strong。 In their passion they burned themselves out of their homes and destroyed the fields and crops which had fed them。
The few remaining lines of transportation which were open up to that moment ceased entirely。 Trucks were intercepted； looted and burned； their drivers shot。 Buses were stopped on interstate highways and white passengers killed。 Railroad trains were abandoned wherever they stopped； or wherever the tracks were torn up； engineers and crews were murdered wherever they were caught。 Desperate hunger soon followed the stoppage of traffic。
Katrina said： 〃Everyone here expected the Chinese to intervene； to invade； and we knew we could not stop them。 Brian； our country had lost or abandoned twenty million men overseas； we were helpless before any invader。 But they did not e。 I thank God they did not e。 They were prevented from ing when the Soviet turned on them in a holy war in the name of munism： that long； long border dispute burst into open warfare and the Russians drove on Lop Nor。〃 She made a little gesture of futility。 〃We never learned what happened； we never learned the oute of anything in Europe。 Perhaps they are still fighting； if anyone is left alive to fight。 Our contact with the Continent was lost； and has never been restored to our knowledge。 We lost contact with that military group in Virginia when the electricity failed。 We were alone。〃
He said in wonder： 〃Israel； Egypt； Australia； Britain； Russia； China…all of them： the world。〃
〃All of them；〃 she repeated with a dull fatigue。 〃And our troops were wasted in nearly every one of them； thrown away by a man with a monumental ego。 Not more than a handful of those troops ever returned。 We were done。〃
Chaney said： 〃I guess the mander came up at the end…seventeen months later。〃
〃Arthur emerged from the TDV on his target date； just past the end of it： the beginning of the second winter after the rebellion。 We think the rebellion had ended； spent and exhausted on its own fury。 We think the men who assaulted him at the gatehouse were stragglers； survivors who had managed through the first winter。 He said those men were as surprised by his appearance； as he was by theirs； they might have fled if he had not cornered them。〃 Katrina laced her fingers on the tabletop in familiar gesture and looked at him。 〃We saw a few armed bands roaming the countryside that second winter。 We repaired the fence； stood guard； but were not again molested： Arthur put out warnings