The Fourth K

From the glass-enclosed room at the end of the sca

They watched as the radioactive blood rushed to Ke

Then, through the microphone piped directly into the sca

"What is your full name?"

"Francis Xavier Ke

"What is your occupation?"

"President of the United States."

"Did you in any way conspire to have the atom bomb explode in New York?"

"No, I did not."

"Did you have any knowledge that could have prevented its explosion?"

"No, I did not," Ke

Dr. A

The computer showed the patterns form in the blue mass of the brain so elegantly formed in Ke

The staff watched apprehensively.

But no telltale yellow dot, no red circle appeared.

"The President is telling the truth," Dr. A

Christian Klee felt his knees buckling. He knew he could not pass such a test.

CHAPTER 24

I DON'T UNDERSTAND how he passed it, Christian Klee said.

The Oracle said with contempt that barely came across because of the frailties of his age, "So now our civilization has an infallible test, a scientific test, mind you, for determining whether a man tells the truth. And the first person who takes it ties and gets away with it. 'We can now solve the darkest riddles of i

Men and women deceive themselves continually. I'm a hundred years old and I still don't know whether my life was a truth or a lie. I really don't know."

Christian had retrieved his cigar from the Oracle and now he lit it and that small circle of fire made the Oracle's face a mask in a museum.

"I let that atom bomb go off," Christian said. "I'm responsible for that.

And when I take that PET scan I will know the truth and so will the sca

"If the brain were that simple, we would be too simple to understand it," the Oracle said. "That was the wit of your Dr. A

Therefore, the computer in the sca

"Unlike Ke

"Cheer up," the Oracle said. "You only killed ten or was it twenty thousand people? Your only hope is to refuse to take the test."

"I promised Francis," Christian said. "And the media will crucify me for refusing."

"Then why the hell did you agree to take it?" the Oracle said.

"I thought Francis was bluffing," Christian said. "I thought he couldn't afford to take the test and that he would back down. That's why I insisted he take the test first."

The Oracle showed his impatience by ru

"Climb up on the Statue of Liberty," he said. "Claim your civil rights and your human dignity. You'll get away with it. Nobody wants to see such infernal science become a legal instrument."

"Sure," Christian said. "That's what I have to do. But Francis will know I'm guilty."

The Oracle said, "Christian, if that test asked you whether you were a villain, what would you answer, in all truthfulness?"

Christian laughed, genuinely laughed. "I would answer that no, I wasn't a villain. And I'd pass. That's really fu

It was Vice President Du Pray who reacted most quickly and most angrily to Klee's statement. She said. "Do you realize that if you refuse you must resign and even then this stance of yours will do great damage to the presidency?"

"I don't see that at all," Klee said. "Do I have to agree to let guys like A

Otto Gray said sternly, "You're not so keen on the Constitution when it comes to criminals. You're eager to ship them off to Alaska."

Klee said, "Ah, Otto, you don't believe I did it. Do you?" and was relieved when Otto said, "Of course I don't, but you should take the test." He paused for a moment and then said, "Or resign."

Klee turned to Wix and Dazzy. "How about you two?" he asked and smiled at them.

It was Wix who answered first. He said, "I don't have the slightest doubt you're i

Klee turned to Dazzy. "Eugene?"

Dazzy would not look at him and Dazzy owed him, Klee thought. Then Dazzy said with a judicious air, "You have to take the test, Christian. Even resigning won't help us much. We've already a

"I promised to show my loyalty to Francis Ke

Dazzy sighed. "I sure as hell wish you had thought it over sooner. As for your resignation, I think that is up to the President."

They all looked at Francis Ke

I took the test and the risk because I thought it was important for our country and the presidency. And because I was i

For one moment Klee felt hatred for Francis Ke

Ke

Dazzy said, "Do we make a statement to the press?"

"No," Ke

"And in a month?" Dazzy said.

"We'll rethink it then," Ke

President Ke

Ke

"I'll do my best, Mr. President," Tappey said. And Ke