"And nothing else?"
"Nothing else," Black said with finality. "Why should anyone believe the
story now? There are a hundred more likely ways in which a Geest gun
could have got to Roye. The gun is tangible evidence of the hoax, but
that's all."
Phil asked, "Does anybody ... including the cautious gentlemen in the
car over there ... disagree with that?"
There was silence again. Phil shrugged, turned towards the cliff edge,
drew his arm back and hurled the Geest gun far up and out above the sea.
Still without speaking, the others turned their heads to watch it fall
towards the water, then looked back at him.
"I didn't think very much of that possibility myself," Phil said
unsteadily. "But one of you might have. All right--_we_ know the Geests
know we're here. But we won't be able to convince anyone else of it.
And, these last few years, the war seems to have been slowing down
again. In the past, that's always meant the Geests were preparing a big
new surprise operation.
"So the other thing now--the business of getting off Roye. It can't be
done unless some of you have made prior arrangements for it Earthside.
If it had been possible in any other way, I'd have been out of this
place ten years ago."
Ronald Black said carefully, "Very unfortunately, Boles, no such
arrangements have been made."
"Then there it is," Phil said. "I suppose you see now why I thought this
group should get together. The ten masterminds! Well, we've hoaxed
ourselves into a massive jam. Now let's find out if there's any possible
way--_any possibility at all!_--of getting out of it again."
A voice spoke tinnily from Jackson's lapel communicator. "Major
Jackson?"
"Yes?" Jackson said.
"Please persuade Miss Adams that it is no longer necessary to point her
gun at this car. In view of the stated emergency, we feel we had better
come out now--and join the conference."
* * *