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fine.”
    “I don't know.” Maria kept shaking her head. “She can be dad-gummed belligerent, hard headed sometimes. I simply don't know.”
    “We named her after you. How could she be any other way?” Graham smiled impishly.
    Maria kept muttering to herself, arranging and rearranging the dishes lined up on the cabinet. “I wonder how Matthew is doing
     this morning off at that big university. You know Northwestern is terribly large for such a young boy as he is—and a freshman
     at that.”
    “Our son is fine,” Graham said. “Matt's always been a good boy.”
    “I know, I know,” Maria said more to herself. “I simply wish they had more religion in ‘em.”
    “What are you going to do today, Mother?”
    Maria swished her cheek to one side and scratched her chin. “Well, I told Jackie I would straighten up your garage. I'm actually
     thinking about painting the walls out there in that no man's land. Heaven knows the place needs a real workin' over. George
     told me he'd help.”
    “That's good. George needs to put in more time around the house doing something worthwhile.”
    “He's only eight years old, Graham, but he'll be a real help.”
    “Sure. And not having that five-year-old brother hanging around will help.”
    Maria shook her finger at him. “Jeff is a very bright boy. He may only be five, but he's got the brains of a child twice his
     age. Don't ever count him out.”
    “Certainly.” Graham slipped his suit coat on. “Jackie won't be down for a while. I'll drive my two-seater to the Metro Urban
     Express station. I filled it up with hydrogen night before last. She can use the gasoline car.”
    “Now you be careful, son. Remember all those things you told Mary.”
    Graham laughed. “Keep worrying about me, Mom. It helps.” He kissed her on the cheek and closed the door behind him.

CHAPTER 3
    T HE RIDE from Arlington Heights to downtown Chicago had changed since the installation of the Metro Urban Express lines. Of course,
     transportation in all of the big cities had altered radically in the last fifteen years since petroleum supplies had become
     even tighter. The train's comfortable seat and speed through the suburbs fit Graham's style. The train's breakneck speed fit
     him like a tailored suit. He had always been a quick moving, decisive person who could make any office hop. The employees
     straightened up when he came into the office. One of the reasons Graham had risen to the lofty position of assistant to the
     mayor had been his ability to make instant decisions that turned out to be correct.
    The Metro Urban train cruised at such a high rate of speed that travel time was minimized. The inner city had turned into
     a place of startling contrasts. Plush stores remained as exotic as ever; but the tenement areas were frightening places to
     visit, much less live in. Poverty had produced children who lived like animals. Anyone could be attacked on the streets by
     young punks and never know what hit them.
    Graham didn't worry much about those possibilities. He carried in his pocket a personal alarm button that the city provided
     for all their top-level employees. One punch of the button and the nearest police officers would be alerted to come with their
     guns drawn. At most, he would be exposed to attack for only a matter of a minute or so. Graham stuck his hand in his pants
     pocket to make sure the quarter-sized button was there.
    Like every other city in America, Chicago had grown enormously in the last twenty years, stretching its housing areas toward
     Peoria and Urbana as well as Freeport and Rock Falls. If anyone wanted to avoid the urban beasts that roamed the streets at
     night in search of drugs, it was necessary to keep moving toward those outlying areas. Unfortunately, all of the farming land
     had been devoured by housing developments.
    Peck leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to tune out the noise of the packed car. No matter
     where he