The 22nd Secret (30 page)

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Authors: Randal Lanser

BOOK: The 22nd Secret
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W
e
l
l
,
I
n
e
v
e
r
r
ea
l
l
y
th
o
u
g
ht about
it.
I
me
a
n,
I
w
a
sn’t
rea
l
l
y
su
r
e
it
would wo
r
k
a
nd then to c
rea
te
p
ra
c
t
i
ca
l
i
nte
r
fa
ce
s
, then
a
ppl
ic
a
t
i
ons.
I
gu
e
ss
I
thou
g
ht
i
t would r
e
volu
t
ion
iz
e
c
ompu
t
in
g
.
I
m
e
a
n
,
y
ou
c
ould have
e
nt
i
re
l
i
b
r
a
ri
e
s
a
nd more
in a d
e
v
i
c
e
the
si
z
e
of
y
our
w
a
tch.”


P
a
m
,
y
ou know
wh
a
t s
t
ea
l
t
h is,
i
n a
m
i
l
i
ta
r
y
c
on
t
e
x
t
?”


Y
ea
h, s
u
re
it’s the
a
bi
l
i
t
y
to e
v
a
de
d
e
t
ec
t
i
o
n
.”
Pa
m paus
e
d.
S
he
sta
re
d out
in
t
o the
I
d
a
ho
c
ount
r
y
si
d
e
. A
f
t
e
r a
m
o
ment h
e
r
f
a
c
e
sp
r
a
n
g
to
l
if
e
.

Oh
m
y
g
o
d
,
m
y
the
o
r
y
wo
r
k
s
. You h
a
v
e
it
a
nd i
t
’s a
m
i
l
i
ta
r
y
s
e
c
r
e
t.” Pam stood up
a
nd f
a
ce
d Ho
wa
rd q
u
ick
l
y
g
r
a
sp
i
ng
the m
a
g
ni
t
ude
o
f th
i
s s
i
tuation. “
W
i
th
t
h
a
t
y
o
u
c
ould
i
nv
a
d
e
a
n
y
th
i
n
g
. Th
e
y
s
a
y
the
w
a
rs of
t
he
f
uture
a
re
g
oi
n
g
to be
f
o
u
g
ht
i
n
c
y
b
e
rs
p
ace
.
W
h
a
t a
wea
pon!
You h
a
v
e
it
a
nd
y
o
u
’r
e
usi
n
g
it
a
s
a
w
ea
pon.
W
i
t
h something
l
i
ke
th
i
s
y
ou
c
ould
i
nv
a
de
the p
r
iva
c
y
o
f
e
v
e
r
y
Am
e
ri
c
a
n,
a
n
y
o
n
e
or
a
n
y
th
i
n
g
,
a
n
y
w
h
e
r
e
.”


S
it
down,
P
a
m. You

re v
e
r
y
brilliant to have
d
e
d
u
ce
d
a
ll
that so qui
c
k
l
y
.
In o
n
e
w
a
y
,
I
’m
v
e
r
y
sad
for
y
ou.
I
w
ish
t
h
e
re
w
a
s
a
w
a
y
I
c
o
u
ld s
a
y
th
i
s is
y
o
u
r
c
hoi
c
e
,
wh
a
t
y
ou do
with
y
o
u
r
s
e
lf
f
or
t
h
e
re
st of
y
o
ur
l
i
f
e
.
B
ut not
to sound
ov
e
r
l
y
d
r
a
matic,
y
ou kn
o
w too much.
Y
ou just
ca
n

t
g
o on
a
nd
p
r
e
tend
t
his hasn

t happ
e
n
e
d. T
h
e
on
l
y
w
a
y
for
y
ou now is
jo
i
n us.”


You m
ea
n,
I
go with
y
o
u to
L
os Alamos o
r
…t
h
a
t
’s
w
h
a
t Mr.
L
o is h
e
r
e
f
o
r.”


I
wish it w
a
s that s
i
mp
l
e
. Think
a
bout wh
a
t’s h
a
p
p
e
n
e
d
a
l
r
ea
d
y
tod
a
y
. Y
o
u
a
nd
y
o
u
r p
a
r
e
nts kn
e
w nothi
n
g
th
i
s mornin
g
,
r
i
g
ht?
Now
y
our
pa
r
e
nts know t
h
e
g
o
v
e
rnm
e
nt w
a
nts
y
o
u
,
a
nd
y
ou kn
o
w
y
our th
e
s
i
s is
the most high
l
y
g
u
ar
d
e
d m
i
l
i
ta
r
y
s
e
c
r
e
t
o
f
the
21st
ce
ntu
r
y
.
Outside of
the
P
r
e
sident, a
do
z
e
n
or
so oth
e
r p
e
ople,
a
nd
n
ow Pam
e
la
K
ol
l
e
r, no
b
o
d
y
knows
a
n
y
th
i
n
g
a
bout a
n
y
of this. You

r
e
v
e
r
y
brilliant,
P
a
m
.
W
h
a
t would
y
ou do if
y
ou
w
e
re
me
?


You
c
ould ha
v
e
le
f
t us
a
lone.
Y
ou s
a
id
y
ours
e
lf
we
kn
e
w nothi
n
g
,”
P
a
m
s
a
id qu
i
e
t
l
y
,
a
lr
ea
d
y
knowi
n
g w
h
y
th
i
s co
u
ld nev
e
r
b
e
.


Th
a
t’s r
i
g
h
t
.
I
c
ould
h
a
v
e
but
I
c
ouldn’t l
e
t
y
our
t
h
e
sis
be
publ
i
shed.
You
a
g
re
e
with tha
t
?

P
a
m w
a
s looking down
a
t
t
he
g
rou
n
d.
S
he
g
a
v
e
a sl
i
g
ht
nod.
S
he
h
a
d
a
lr
ea
d
y
c
on
c
l
u
d
e
d wh
a
t Ho
w
a
rd
wa
s ab
o
ut
t
o
e
x
plain.

S
o
I
let
y
ou th
i
nk
y
our th
e
o
r
y
w
a
s no
n
s
e
nse.
Y
ou wouldn

t
e
v
e
n
c
a
re
who
g
ot
t
h
e
i
r
h
a
nds on it
t
h
e
n. M
a
y
b
e
y
ou me
e
t so
m
e
one
som
e
d
a
y
y
e
a
rs
f
r
om no
w
,
a
nd th
e
y

r
e
wil
l
ing
to he
l
p
y
ou
e
x
plore
y
our id
e
a
s.
B
ut none of
that

s
r
e
a
l
l
y
the
rea
son
I

m he
r
e
.
” Ho
wa
rd tu
r
n
e
d to her
a
n
d
made
sure
h
e
made
e
y
e
c
onta
c
t be
f
o
re
sp
e
a
ki
n
g
.

P
a
m,
y
o
u
r
c
ount
r
y n
ee
ds
y
ou d
e
sp
e
r
a
te
l
y
.
I
hope
y
ou un
d
e
rst
a
n
d
,
I
c
a
n

t
t
e
ll
y
ou
e
v
e
r
y
th
i
n
g.
I told
y
ou
a
nd
y
our p
a
r
e
nts
t
he
more
a
n
y
of
y
ou know
a
bout
t
his
t
he
wo
r
se
it
g
e
ts.
I
hope
y
ou s
e
e
that now.

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