nd let's all turn in. We can talk some more in the morning."

* * * * *

Steve Ames phoned at five o'clock in the morning. Rick had been
sleeping lightly, his rest broken by nightmares that he couldn't
remember when he awoke. He got to the phone in the hall. "Just a
minute," he said. "Let me get downstairs to the switch."

The entire family was close on his heels as he went into the library.
He threw the scrambler switch, then asked anxiously, "Yes, Steve?"

"Just had word, Rick, so I called in spite of the hour. Your father is
safe inside the compound at Los Alamos. He's all right. And just as a
precaution, he'll spend most of his time in a shielded area where no
radio signal can penetrate. Now go on back to bed and get some sleep."

Rick thanked him gratefully. Los Alamos! That was one of the two main
atomic energy weapons laboratories. No place in the United States was
more closely guarded. Now he could be sure his father was safe as
anyone could be.

He repeated the conversation to his anxious family. "Now," he said,
echoing Steve's advice, "let's get back to bed. Perhaps we can really
sleep for a change."

He did sleep. It was nearly noon before he awoke. He got up sleepily
and found Scotty had just barely preceded him and was now taking a
shower.

Downstairs, things were apparently normal. Mrs. Brant and Mrs.
Morrison were at work on lunch, but since an hour was too long to
wait, Rick had a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk. He was careful
not to choose Crummies. Scotty settled for three doughnuts and milk.

"Where are the girls?" Rick asked. "Still asleep?"

"They've gone swimming," Mrs. Morrison replied. "They should be back
soon, though. They've been gone over an hour."

"I could use a swim myself," Rick admitted.

"Not me," Scotty said. "Wait until afternoon and I'll join you. That
cold water would shock me into a state of galloping goose pimples the
way I feel now."

Rick had forgotten how cold the water was. "Okay. We'll wait. Let's go
over to the lab and take down the lights. I want to clean up the trash
cans, too."

They walked leisurely over to the laboratory and stopped for a moment
to chat with Joe Blake. Then, before starting on the lights, they
walked around behind the lab building.

The laboratories were built on a promontory that sloped inland toward
Pirate's Field, which was just above sea level. The raised area ran
around the seaward side of the i