"That's very interesting." The doctor leaned forward across his desk. "What made you think that?"
"I just remembered it that way, that's all."
"Ah. You have an unusual mind, Fred. No, I mean it. And just to show you this is not fooling, I have a call here for you from the President."
"From Jake?"
"From President Jackson, yes."
Dr. Sprinnell pressed a green button on the video control on his desk. The wall panel lit and President Jackson's familiar face looked at Fred Williams.
"Mr. Williams," said the President. "The nation has called you to an unusual task. On your complete cooperation and absolute discretion in not mentioning to anyone—to anyone at all—what you may now learn depend matters of the utmost consequence to us all. I wish you good luck and Godspeed."
The panel went dark and the doctor switched off.
"That was Jake himself," Fred Williams said. "Talking to me."