“[Mark:] "I think we lost some time ago, because the last five Sputniks have been reconaissance satellites. They've been mapping us, with infrared and transitor television, measuring us for the Sunday punch."

Randy felt angry. He felt cheated. "Why hasn't anybody -- everybody been told about this?"

Mark shrugged. "You know how it is -- everything that comes in is stamped secret or top secret or cosmic or something and the only people who dare declassify anything are the big wheels right at the top, and the people at the top hold conferences and somebody says, 'Now, let's not be hasty. Let's not alarm the public.' So everything stays secret or cosmic."”