"A goodbye like this one should be said alone. You go up. I'll give you fifteen minutes and then call for you."
Dee's eyes were misty. "You're so understanding. Oh, why couldn't we have—"
Frank grinned. "Come on, angel. Heads up. Eyes bright."
They walked up the street, others around them going quietly about their business. The people were very calm.
The conference of astronomers and scientists realized their ghastly blunder at 11:59 a.m. For a long moment, there was stunned silence in the room. None of them could believe that such a progressive series of errors could have been passed from man to man and been added to by each. Through every mind went the dread of what would come out of this. In the future it would be called the greatest hoax of all time. There would be gigantic investigations. Possibly a goat would have to be found. The world would never believe the truth.
"We might as well make the announcement," someone said.
"You make it," another scientist said. "I'm leaving for the North Pole."
Frank Allison heard the announcement from a loudspeaker in a store window on his sixth trip around the block. He'd been walking slowly, deep in his own thoughts and regrets—giving Dee a little more time with her mother. Then—