Inside, he fumbled for the lights and turned them on. He laid the shotgun across the kitchen table and picked up the telephone.
"Give me the White House at Washington," he said. "Yes, I said the White House.... The President? Naturally he's the one I want to talk to.... Yes, it's all right. He won't mind my calling him."
The general looked up. "What is it, Adams? Go ahead and say it."
"That's what I said. What were you doing all that time?"
Adams grasped the table and hung on. "But it wasn't...."
"Yes," said the general to the operator. "Yes, I'll wait."
He held his hand over the receiver and looked inquiringly at Adams. "I imagine you'll want the same terms as before."
"Sure. Recognition. Point Four Aid. Defense pact."
"You got these saps across the barrel," the general told him happily. "You can get anything you want. You rate it, too, after what you've done and the bonehead treatment you got--but especially for not selling out."
The night editor read the bulletin just off the teletype.
"Well, what do you know!" he said. "We just recognized Mastodonia."
"Where the hell is Mastodonia?" he asked.
The copy chief shrugged. "Don't ask me. You're the brains in this joint."
"Well, let's get a map for the next edition," said the night editor.
Tabby, the saber-tooth, dabbed playfully at Cooper with his mighty paw.
Cooper kicked him in the ribs--an equally playful gesture.
"Show your teeth at me, will you!" said Cooper. "Raised you from a kitten and that's the gratitude you show. Do it just once more and I'll belt you in the chops."
Tabby lay down blissfully and began to wash his face.
"Some day," warned Hudson, "that cat will miss a meal and that's the day you're it."
"Gentle as a dove," Cooper assured him. "Wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Well, one thing about it, nothing dares to bother us with that monstrosity around."
"Best watchdog there ever was. Got to have something to guard all this stuff we've got. When Wes gets back, we'll be millionaires. All those furs and ginseng and the ivory."
"But it's been five years," Hudson protested.
"He'll be back. Something happened, that's all. He's probably working on it right now. Could be that he messed up the time setting when he repaired the unit or it might have been knocked out of kilter when Buster hit the helicopter. That would take a while to fix. I don't worry that he won't come back. What I can't figure out is why did he go and leave us?"