I ignored him. I realized all right. Hagen's project boss and has laid the law down plenty on the question of what he considers unnecessary calls—but how can a scientist operate if he can't call up others in his specialty when he gets the glimmerings of a new idea?
Miami answered and I asked for General Schoener at Patrick Air Force Base. Priority. I've top secret clearance and I put my marked I.D. card on the pick-up, too.
Abruptly a brush-mustached frozen military face regarded me. "So you're Robert Mitchell of UNACMEA/WAGS," the face growled. "Well, make it short."
"It's about your daughter, General," I said.
The face became human.
"But what can you know about Elaine? You're in Wisconsin, aren't you?" And, at my nod, "Well, she vanished from here when we activated HOAGS. Don't—don't tell me—"
"Yes, she was here," I said. "Just a few minutes ago. Said that HOAGS exploded."
His twitching brows drew down. "It didn't explode. There was a defect in the ring and particles of anti-matter we haven't yet named escaped. That was just before we missed Elaine! Now, Mitchell, are you sure she was there? Can you describe her?"
I felt that my descriptive detail was rather good, coming as it did from a confirmed bachelor whose attention had theretofore been devoted to scientific tomes and atom-smashers.
He nodded perplexedly as I finished. "Well, how do you account for it?"