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collapses； only to rise again。 Or perhaps the structure was placed there deliberately to travel to the past…to Nick's present？ Would future scientists be able to predict the time displacement that accurately？
A knock interrupted his thoughts； irritating him。 〃e in！〃
Elizabeth came through again； this time acpanied by Samuel Cannon。 Nick had exchanged pleasantries with the CIA director on occasion； but never had closer contact。 He and Elizabeth pulled chairs up close to Nick's desk and leaned forward； talking in low voices。 As usual Elizabeth's face was impassive； but Cannon's look told Nick this meeting would be all business。 With her usual bluntness； Elizabeth jumped right to the problem。
〃Nick； the President is going ahead with Gogh's plan。 The cruise missiles have been armed and the terrain mapped。 They are going to launch as soon as the timing is right。〃
〃What about the site selection？ Aren't they going back to the Security Council to consider sites？〃
Elizabeth and Samuel Cannon exchanged glances； and then Cannon answered in a subdued voice。 〃There is nothing to be considered。 The site has been selected。 It's the Portland site。 They can't confirm the dinosaur report in Alaska； and the glacier site is too near the Canadian border。 Besides； the glacier might be from the Ice Age。 We have no way of knowing。〃
Nick knew what he meant。 Everything suggested the time displacements were all from the Cretaceous period； but if the glacier was from the Ice Age there might be people somewhere there。 It was unlikely that killing them would alter the present； and if it did who would know？ Nick understood the danger； however。 Severing a lifeline in the ancient past would kill all succeeding generations。 Who might be eliminated from history by such an act？ While you might want to eliminate Hitler or Stalin； you would also risk Jesus； Gandhi； and Einstein。 But if you killed Einstein； would we have nuclear weapons at all？ Perhaps Hitler would have developed them first and won World War II。 And if we didn't have the bomb； how could we drop it to kill Einstein in the first place？ Nick's mind reeled for the second time in a few minutes。 He understood why they were avoiding the Alaskan site…still； risking the population of Portland for an untested theory was immoral。
〃But Portland is a city。 Can't you convince the President to wait for confirmation on the glacier site？〃 Nick argued。
〃Nick； the President is only listening to Gogh。 Gogh is telling him what he wants to hear； and what he wants to hear is that he can get his wife back。 Nick； do you think this will work…this bomb theory？〃
〃I've been monitoring the debate over Gomez's…Gogh's theory； and only one in ten physicists support it。 The rest are suggesting modifications or outright doubt about its validity。 No one is supporting Gogh's idea that simultaneous nuclear detonations will return things to normal。 It's also not clear that the explosions will actually take place in the past。 Those bombs could be delivered to our present。〃
Elizabeth exchanged glances with Cannon again； and when she gave him an encouraging look； he nodded reluctantly。 〃There's something else you should know；〃 Cannon continued。 〃This is classified； you understand？ We sent a team into Atlanta to try to locate and recover the first lady。 They never came back。〃
〃What？ How did you do it？〃
〃The first attempt was an air drop。 We sent up an aircraft that orbited the Atlanta site until they got a good solid image of the city below them。 Then they parachuted in。 We monitored the descent from the ground and from the aircraft。 Everything went normal； their chutes opened and they descended into the city。 Then the city was gone again and we never heard from them。 We've been trying to contact them ever since。〃
Nick's concern made his voice quaver。 〃Sorry about your men； but that could partially support Gogh's theory。 If we deliver the warheads when the past is 。。。 present 。 。 。 then the warheads may go off in the past 。 。 。 but of course that would be in this present 。 。 。 or would it？〃 He berated himself。 He had only confused them and embarrassed himself。 Changing the subject； he asked about the other incident。
〃The ground team monitoring the drop had a good vantage point and reported that as the parachutists dropped into the city they saw that kind of fuzzy transparent look the city has。 The crazy thing is the ground team reported that from their vantage point the city appeared off in the distance； but the aerial shots showed the ground team's position as in the city。 Since we had radio contact with the ground team； we sent them toward the heart of the effect…Atlanta…and told them to maintain radio contact。 We had positive contact until； suddenly； they were gone。〃
〃We get nothing now；〃 Elizabeth added； her voice uncharacteristically tremulous。
Nick was puzzled。 Dinosaurs； like the ankylosaur in Montreal； were ing out of the displaced segments into Nick's present； but apparently the people from the present made only a one…way trip。 Nick wondered whether the dinosaurs could go back。 Could movement be only from past to the future？ That would be consistent with time's arrow。 If so； then was Atlanta displaced to the future； and was that why Cannon's people could not e back？ But what of inanimate objects？ Would they have the same restrictions？ Probably； Nick realized。 He was thinking in terms of the human disruption that could occur if one traveled to his or her own past。
Like most people； Nick was psychologically unwilling to meet himself in the past。 But in one sense people were nothing more than organized chemicals。 Would chemicals from the future meeting themselves in the past cause disruption？ Not likely； but if the disruption occurred in a forward direction； then Gogh's bombs could be carried into the future。 That is； if the effect was not disrupted by the blast。 He resisted speculating out loud again。 Elizabeth and Cannon came to him for his expertise。 It's disquieting to people when experts act human。
〃I'll put this information on PresNet。 Maybe someone can make sense of it。〃
When Elizabeth and Cannon looked as if they wanted more； Nick wasn't sure what to give them。
〃This means the timing is crucial；〃 he added。 〃If the bombs are delivered when the present is…present； then the bombs will go off over Portland。 If the past is present； then everything in the present will be intact。 Of course the past will be incinerated。〃
Nick meant it to be reassuring。 There was nothing more he could do。 And apparently Cannon and Elizabeth had lost their influence。 What Nick needed was sweet lemon rationalization。 No matter how sour things turned out he was going to make the best of it。
〃Tell him the rest； Sam。〃
〃The timing is the problem。 Gogh thinks the effect will be disrupted； but he isn't sure of the oute。 He thinks each segment will return to its own time； but he admits there is a chance the explosions will freeze the displaced sections in whatever time they are in。 The problem is the oscillations for various locations are different。〃
Nick saw where Cannon was going； and a horrible thought formed in his mind。 Cannon had been looking Nick in the eye…but now Nick's expression made the CIA director drop his head to study his shoes。
〃Mr。 Cannon； have they timed the oscillations in Portland？〃
〃They're working on it； but the data from out west is ing in slow。 It won't matter though。 They're going to use the Atlanta oscillations for the timing。〃
〃They can't do that。〃
〃The President can； and he's ordered it。〃
〃They could kill everyone in Portland。〃
〃Elizabeth and I argued that。 The President sees it as a lesser of two evils。 Lose everyone in all the affected locations； or risk the residents of Portland。〃
〃He could minimize the risk by waiting for the oscillation analysis。〃
Cannon had no heart for arguing the President's position and slumped back in his chair； just as Elizabeth leaned forward。
〃This isn't about saving anyone but the President's wife；〃 she said urgently。 〃He's going to time the blast to freeze Atlanta in the present。 We think it's a mistake。〃
〃It is； it's a deadly mistake。〃
〃We want you to e with us。 We're going to talk to the President one more time。 We need you to handle Gogh。〃
The President was in the Oval office； his back to his desk； staring out the window； his fingers involuntarily twirling a paper clip。 Gogh and Natalie Matsuda were there too。 As usual； Elizabeth ignored them and took charge of the meeting。
〃Mr。 President； I think you need to reconsider this plan to bomb Portland。〃
The President whirled around in his chair and threw the paper clip onto the desktop； it bounced onto the floor at Elizabeth's feet。
〃Elizabeth； I told you before； we're not going to bomb Portland！ We're going to detonate nuclear explosions in the distant past to return things to normal。 If it works； and I'm confident that it will； Portland； and every other city in this country 。 。 。 and everywhere in the world； will return to normal。〃
The President spoke with venom。
〃A decision had to be made；〃 he added； 〃and I made it。 The longer we wait the less chance there will be of it working。 Isn't that right； Arnie？〃
〃The effect is stabilizing；〃 Gogh