an array of twenty television monitors mounted against one wall。 One of the guards rose from a console and approached the counter。
〃Sir？〃
〃I have an appointment with Dr。 Mooney。〃
The guard scanned a visitor list。 〃Yes； sir； you must be Thomas Judge。 May I see some identification； please？〃
Hagen showed him his driver's license and government ID。 Then he was politely asked to open the briefcase。 After a cursory search the guard silently gestured for Hagen to close it； asked him to sign a 〃time in and out〃 sheet； and gave him a plastic badge to clip on his breast pocket。
〃Dr。 Mooney's office is straight down the corridor through the double doors at the end。〃
In the corridor； Hagen paused to put on his reading glasses and peer at two bronze plaques on the wall。 Each bore the raised profile of a man。 One was dedicated to Dr。 Harvey Pattenden； founder of the laboratory； and gave a brief description of his acplishments in the field of physics。 But it was the other plaque that intriqued Hagen。 It read：
In memory of
Dr。 Leonard Hudson
1926…1965
Whose creative genius is an
inspiration for all who follow。
Not very original； Hagen thought。 But he had to give Hudson credit for playing the dead…man game down to the last detail。
He entered the anteroom and smiled warmly at the secretary； a demure older woman in a mannish navy…blue suit。 〃Mr。 Judge；〃 she said； 〃please go right in。 Dr。 Mooney is expecting you。〃
〃Thank YOU。〃
Earl J。 Mooney was thirty…six； younger than Hagen had expected when he studied a file on the doctor's history。 His background was surprisingly similar to Hudson's same brilliant mind； same high academic record； even the same university。 A fat kid who went thin and became director of Pattenden Lab。 He stared through pine…green eyes under thunderous eyebrows and above a Pancho Villa moustache。 Dressed casually in a white sweater and blue jeans； he seemed remote from intellectual rigor。
He came from behind the desk； scattered with papers； notebooks； and empty Pepsi bottles； and pumped Hagen's hand。 〃Sit down； Mr。 Judge； and tell me what I can do for you。〃
Hagen lowered his bulk into a straight…back chair and said； 〃As I mentioned over the phone； I'm with the General Accounting Office； and we've had a legislative request to review your accounting systems and audit research funding expenditures。〃
〃Who was the legislator who made the request？〃
〃Senator Henry Kaltenbach。〃
〃I hope he doesn't think Pattenden Lab is mixed up in fraud；〃 said Mooney defensively。
〃Not at all。 You know the senator's reputation for smelling out misuse in government funding。 His witch…hunts make good publicity for his election campaign。 Just between you and me； there're many of us at GAO who wish he'd fall through an open manhole and stop sending us out chasing moonbeams。 However； I must admit in all fairness to the senator； we have turned up discrepancies at other think tanks。〃
Mooney was quick to correct him。 〃We prefer to think of ourselves as a research facility。〃
〃Of course。 Anyway； we're making spot checks。〃
〃You must understand； our work here is highly classified。〃
〃The design of nuclear rocketry and third…generation nuclear weapons whose power is focused into narrow radiation beams that travel at the speed of light and can destroy targets deep in space。〃
Mooney looked at Hagen queerly。 〃You're very well informed。〃
Hagen shrugged it off。 〃A very general description given to me by my superior。 I'm an accountant； Doctor； not a physicist。 My mind can't function in the abstract。 I flunked high school calculus。 Your secrets are safe。 My job is to help see the taxpayer gets his money's worth out of government…funded programs。〃
〃How can I help you？〃
〃I'd like to talk to your controller and administration officials。 Also； the staff that handles the financial records。 My auditing team will arrive from Washington in two weeks。 I'd appreciate it if we could set up someplace out of your way； preferably close to where the records are kept。〃
〃You'll have our fullest cooperation。 Naturally； I must have security clearances for you and your team。〃
〃Naturally。〃
〃I'll take you around personally and introduce you to our controller and accounting staff。〃
〃One more thing；〃 said Hagen。 〃Do you permit after…hours work？〃
Mooney smiled。 〃Unlike nine…to…five office people； physicists and engineers have no set hours。 Many of us work around the clock。 I've often put in thirty hours at a stretch。 It also helps to stagger the time on our puters。〃
〃Would it be possible for me to do a little preliminary checking from now until； say； about ten o'clock this evening？〃
〃I don't see why not；〃 Mooney said agreeably。 〃We have an all night cafeteria on the lower level if you want to grab a bite。 And a security guard is always nearby to point out directions。〃
〃And keep me out of the secret areas。〃 Hagen laughed。
〃I'm sure you're familiar with facility security。〃
〃True；〃 Hagen admitted。 〃I'd be a rich man if I had a dime for every hour I put in auditing different departments of the Pentagon。〃
〃If you'll e this way；〃 said Mooney； heading for the door。
〃Just out of curiosity；〃 Hagen said； remaining in his chair。 〃I've heard of Harvey Pattenden。 He worked with Robert Goddard； I believe。〃
〃Yes； Dr。 Pattenden invented several of our early rocket engines。〃
〃But Leonard Hudson is unfamiliar to me。〃
〃A pretty bright guy；〃 said Mooney。 〃He paved the way by design engineering most of our spacecraft years before they were actually built and sent aloft。 If he hadn't died in his prime； there's no telling what he might have achieved。〃
〃How did he die？〃
〃Light…plane crash。 He was flying to a seminar in Seattle with Dr。 Gunnar Eriksen when their plane exploded in midair and dropped into the Columbia River。〃
〃Who was Eriksen？〃
〃A heavy thinker。 Perhaps the most brilliant astrophysicist the country ever produced。〃
A tiny alarm went off in Hagen's mind。 〃Did he have any particular pursuit？〃
〃Yes； it was geolunar synoptic morphology for industrialized peoplement。〃
〃Could you translate？〃
〃Of course。〃 Mooney laughed。 〃Eriksen was obsessed with the idea of building a colony on the moon。〃
Ten hours ahead in time； 2 A。M。 in Moscow； four men were grouped around a fireplace that warmed a small sitting room inside the Kremlin。 The room was poorly lit and had a morbid feel about it。 Cigarette smoke mingled with that of a single cigar。
Soviet President Georgi Antonov stared thoughtfully at the undulating flames。 He had removed his coat after a light dinner and replaced it with an old fisherman's sweater。 His shoes were off and his stocking feet casually propped on an embroidered ottoman。
Vladimir Polevoi； head of the mittee for State Security； and Sergei Kornilov； chief of the Soviet space program； wore dark wool suits； custom…tailored in London； while General Yasenin sat in full bemedaled uniform。
Polevoi threw the report and photographs on a low table and shook his head in amazement。 〃I don't see how they acplished it without a breach of secrecy〃
〃Such an extraordinary advance seems inconceivable；〃 Kornilov agreed。 〃I won't believe it until I see more proof〃
〃The proof is evident in the photographs；〃 said Yasenin。 〃Rykov's report leaves no room for doubt。 Study the detail。 The two figures standing on the moon are real。 They're not an illusion cast by shadows or created by a flaw in the scanning system。 They exist。〃
〃The space suits do not match those of American astronauts；〃 Kornilov retorted。 〃The helmets are also designed differently。〃
〃I won't argue over trivials；〃 said Yasenin。 〃But there is no mistaking the weapon in their hands。 I can positively identify it as a surface…to…air missile launcher of American manufacture。〃
〃Then where is their spacecraft？〃 Kornilov persisted。 〃Where is their lunar rover？ They couldn't just materialize out of nowhere。〃
〃I share your doubts；〃 said Polevoi。 〃An absolute impossibility for the Americans to put men and supplies on the moon without our intelligence network monitoring the progress。 Our tracking stations would have detected any strange movement entering or ing from space。〃
〃Even stranger yet；〃 said Antonov； 〃is why the Americans have never announced such a momentous achievement。 What do they gain by keeping it a secret？〃
Kornilov gave a slight nod。 〃All the more reason to challenge Rykov's report。〃
〃You're all overlooking one important fact；〃 said Yasenin in a level tone。 〃Selenos 4 went missing immediately after its scanners recorded the figures in the photographs。 I say our space probe was damaged by rocket fire which penetrated the hull； drained away the capsule's pressure； and killed our cosmonauts。〃
Polevoi looked at him； startled。 〃What cosmonauts？〃
Yasenin and Kornilov exchanged bemused looks。 〃There are some things even the KGB doesn't know；〃 said the general。
Polevoi looked squarely at Kornilov； 〃Selenos 4 was a manned probe？〃
〃As were Selenos 5 a