He waited hopefully.
“Because I’ve been close to the Life Continuation people?” asked the senator.
Lee nodded. “If there’s anything to know, you know it, senator. You headed the committee that held the original hear-ings on life continuation. Since then you’ve held various other congressional posts in connection with it. Only this morning you saw Dr. Smith.”
“I can’t tell you anything,” mumbled the senator. “I don’t know anything. You see, it’s a matter of policy—”
“I had hoped you would help me, senator.”
“I can’t,” said the senator. “You’ll never believe it, of course, but I really can’t.”
He sat silently for a moment and then he asked a question: “You say all these people you mention were continuators. You checked, of course, to see if their applications had been renewed?”
“I did,” said Lee. “There are no renewals for any one of them—at least no records of renewals. Some of them were approaching death limit and they actually may be dead by now, although I doubt that any of them died at the time or place announced.”
“Interesting,” said the senator. “And quite a mystery, too.”
Lee deliberately terminated the discussion. He gestured at the chessboard. “Are you an expert, senator?”