at's got the high brass
very high._

II

President Wesley Adams and Secretary of State John Cooper sat
glumly under a tree in the capital of Mastodonia and waited for
the ambassador extraordinary to return.

"I tell you, Wes," said Cooper, who, under various pseudonyms, was
also the secretaries of commerce, treasury and war, "this is a
crazy thing we did. What if Chuck can't get back? They might throw
him in jail or something might happen to the time unit or the
helicopter. We should have gone along."

"We had to stay," Adams said. "You know what would happen to this
camp and our supplies if we weren't around here to guard them."

"The only thing that's given us any trouble is that old mastodon.
If he comes around again, I'm going to take a skillet and bang him
in the brisket."

"That isn't the only reason, either," said President Adams, "and
you know it. We can't go deserting this nation now that we've
created it. We have to keep possession. Just planting a flag and
saying it's ours wouldn't be enough. We might be called upon for
proof that we've established residence. Something like the old
homestead laws, you know."

"We'll establish residence sure enough," growled Secretary Cooper,
"if something happens to that time unit or the helicopter."

"You think they'll do it, Johnny?"

"Who do what?"

"The United States. Do you think they'll recognize us?"

"Not if they know who we are."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"Chuck will talk them into it. He can talk the skin right off a
cat."

"Sometimes I think we're going at this wrong. Sure, Chuck's got
the long-range view and I suppose it's best. But maybe what we
ought to do is grab a good, fast profit and get out of here. We
could take in hunting parties at ten thousand a head or maybe we
could lease it to a movie company."

"We can do all that and do it legally and with full protection,"
Cooper told him, "if we can get ourselves recognized as a
sovereign nation. If we negotiate a mutual defense pact, no one
would dare get hostile because we could squawk to Uncle Sam."

"All you say is true," Adams agreed, "but there are going to be
questions. It isn't just a matter of walking into Washington and
getting recognition. They'll want to know about us, such as our
population. What if Chuck has to tell them it's a total of three
persons?"

Cooper shook his head. "He wouldn't answer that way, Wes. He'd
duck the question or give them some diplomatic