Footfall by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle Page B

for it.”
    “I can think of senators who would be delighted,” Coffey said.
    “On both sides of the aisle,” Aylesworth said, “Doves who’ll say there’s never been anything to be afraid of, and will move resolutions congratulating you on your steady nerves — and hawks who’ll want to impeach you for selling out the country.”
    “Admiral?” David Coffey asked. Admiral Canell was another advisor the President was in awe of. They’d known each other for more than a dozen years, since the day Vice Admiral Carrell had walked into a freshman congressman’s office and explained, patiently and with brutal honesty, how the Navy was wasting money in a shipyard that happened to be one of the major employers in David’s district.
    Since that time, Carrell had become Deputy Director of the National Security Agency, then Director of the CIA. David Coffey’s first officially announced appointment was Dr. Arthur Hart to be Secretary of State, but he’d decided on Thorwald Carrell as National Security Advisor before his own nomination, and the announcement came the day after Hart’s appointment.
    “I think a partial mobilization,” Admiral Carrell said. “We’ll need a declaration of national emergency.”
    “This is senseless.” Commerce Secretary Connie Fuller had a surprisingly low voice for such a small lady. “If we believe this is really an alien ship — and I think we must — then this is the greatest day in human history! We’re sitting here talking about war and mobilization when … when everything is going to be different!”
    “I agree,” Arthur Hart said. “But the Soviets will begin mobilization.”
    “Let them,” Fuller said. Her brown eyes flashed. “Let them mobilize and be damned. At least one of the superpowers will behave like … like responsible and intelligent beings! Do we want these aliens? Mr. President, think of the power they have! To have come from another star! We want to welcome them, not appear hostile.”
    “That’s what Wes Dawson thinks,” President Coffey said. “Matter of fact, he wants to meet them in orbit. He thought that might impress them a little.”
    “An excellent suggestion,” Secretary Hart said.
    “Couldn’t hurt,” Ted Griffin agreed.
    “Except that we don’t have a space station,” Admiral Carrell said.
    “The Soviets do,” Connie Fuller said. “Maybe if we asked them—”
    “That’s what I planned to do,” David Coffey said. “Meanwhile, we have a decision to make. What do we do now?”
    “Put the military forces on standby alert,” Admiral Canell insisted. “Get the A teams on duty.”
    “That works,” Aylesworth said. “We can call in the congressional leadership before we do anything else.”
    “Spread the blame,” Admiral Carrell muttered.
    “Something like that,” David Coffey agreed. “I’ll call in the standby alert from the Oval Office.” He stood, and the others, after a moment, stood as well. “Mr. Griffin, I think it would do no harm to examine our civil defense plans.”
    “Yes, sir, but that’s not in the Department of Defense.”
    Coffey frowned.
    “The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an independent agency, Mr. President.”
    “Well, for God’s sake,” Coffey said. He turned to Jim Frantz. “Statutory?”
    “No, sir. Created by executive order.”
    “Then get out an executive order putting the damned thing under the National Security Council. Ted, I want you to stay on top of this. The news will be out in an hour, God knows what people will do. I’m sure some will panic.
    “You’ll all want to call your offices,” Coffey said. “There’s no point in denying anything. I think the official policy is that we do in fact believe an alien spaceship is coming here, and we’re trying to figure out what to do.”
    “Mr. President!” Hap Aylesworth was shocked.
    David smiled. “Hap, I know you’d like the public to think I’m infallible, but it doesn’t work that way. The Pentagon gives out