Air Force flew him around, arranged interviews, supposedly gave him
inside stuff. He spent two months on it. They O.K.'d his script, which
practically says the saucers are bunk. Then they reneged on it."

"Maybe some top brass suddenly decided it was the wrong policy to
brush it off," I suggested.

"Why the quick change?" demanded Purdy. "Let's say they sold the Post
on covering up the truth, in the interests of security. It's possible,
though I don't believe it. Or they could simply have fed them a fake
story. Either

{p. 20}

Way, why did they rush this contradiction the minute the Post hit the
stands?"

"Something serious happened," I said, "after the Post went to press."

"Yes, but what?" Purdy said impatiently. "That's what we've got to
find out."

"Does Shallett's first piece mention Mantell's death?"

"Explains it perfectly. You know what Mantell was chasing? The planet
Venus!"

"That's the Post's answer?" I said, incredulously.

"It's what the Air Force contract astronomer told Shallett. I've