Time went by and the General failed to appear.

     Andrew tried to calm his rising anxiety by wandering around the room looking at the books and the other small, decorative items ornamenting it. Busts of famous historical figures standing on plinths. Exquisitely designed clocks with all their moving parts visible under a dome of glass and, of course, the paintings. A dozen of them showing mainly military scenes with what Andrew guessed were American soldiers winning great victories over their enemies.

     The Captain was also staring around the room in wonder. He wandered over to the wall opposite the window where there was a wooden model of an old sailing ship inside a glass cabinet. A plaque at the base of the ship named it the USS Constitution. The Captain stared at it as if he'd never imagined that such a thing was possible.

     "Is this your first time up here?' Andrew asked him. "On this level of the city I mean."

     "No," the Captain replied. "I've been inside this house before, but never in this room. When I've met him in the past it's been in the cabinet room with other officers. There are paintings and ornaments there as well, but nothing like this. This must be the cream of his collection."

     "Do you have a museum?" asked Andrew. "A place where you put works of art where everyone can see them?"

     "Of course," the Captain replied, "but there isn't enough room for all of it. Imagine all the work of art that nine billion people created over thousands of years. Do you think one building can house them all? Or even twelve, one for each city?"

     "I suppose not," Andrew admitted.

     "When they knew The Freeze was coming they tried to save what they could, and what wouldn't fit in the museum was entrusted to the people of the city themselves, to keep in their homes. It was either that or leave them to be destroyed. I expect it's the same in New London."

     "I don't know," Andrew admitted. "I've never been in the equivalent part of my own city. I know that the homes of the ordinary people don't have works of art like this, though. Maybe the homes of the council members do. I don't know."

     "The council?" said the Captain with a faint sneer. "Your city is ruled by a council?"

     "Yes. We have elections every five years. You put your name forward and try to get people to vote for you. If you're elected you get to live up on levels four and five until your term of office expires." He smiled ruefully. "I will admit that the same people tend to get re-elected time and again. It's rare for us to get a new Councillor."

     Captain Douglas smiled and nodded wisely. "So you have a permanent ruling class which you just pretend is a democracy. In this city we're more honest about things."

     "The military rules," said Andrew. "Everyone else obeys."

     "I can hear the disapproval in your voice," the Captain replied. "However, the fact remains that our city lives while most of the others do not. We went to New Richmond a few years ago. Saw what had become of the place and discovered records telling us the fate of other cities. New Richmond had a council like yours and they were destroyed by a civil uprising. Here, such an uprising is impossible unde the firm, guiding hand of the military."

     "Anyone who steps out of line is shot," Andrew guessed.

     "Again, I hear the disapproval in your voice, but we are still here while many of the more enlightened, more civilised..." He sneered the word. "...cities are gone."

     "So who rules this city?" asked Andrew. "This General we're here to meet?"

     "No. President Calhoun rules."

     "President?" said Andrew. "He's elected, then?"

     "The Generals choose one among themselves to be the President," the Captain replied. "However, we've had the same President for thirty years now, and he is the son of the previous president. His son looks likely to be the next President when the present incumbent is called home to glory."

     Andrew laughed despite his better judgement. "So he's basically a King," he said.

     "As I said, stability is the key to survival."

     Before Andrew could reply the door opened and a man in an officer's uniform entered. A tall man most of whose face was hidden behind thick, black facial hair. He stopped in the doorway to examine his two visitors, then entered fully and closed the door behind him. The Captain saluted smartly. "Captain Douglas with the leader of the New London visitors, as ordered," he said.

     "At ease," said the General. "You may wait for us outside. Mitchell, my butler, will see to your needs while this gentleman and I have a conversation."

     The Captain nodded and left, closing the door behind him. The General then stood there, studying Andrew quietly with eyes that showed no expression. Andrew waited for him to speak, but as the moments drew on the silence seemed to suck words out of his mouth. "My name is Andrew Birch," he said. "Thank you for helping us. We would have died without help. We are in your debt."

     "Indeed you are," the General replied. "And you will repay that debt. You will begin by telling me everything you know about New London. Its population, its industrial and military capabilities. Its intentions towards us."

     "They have no idea you exist," Andrew replied. "We only found out when we arrived on this continent and found the tracks left by your rover. We have no way to communicate with our city so they still don't know about you."

     The General nodded to himself as if he'd suspected as much. "And how many of the other twelve cities still survive?"

     "No others. Your city and mine are the last."

     "So you have no enemies that you know of. No need for a military."

     Andrew found himself growing a little apprehensive. "That's right," he said. "We have a small police force. That's all."

     "But the rovers you arrived in were created after The Freeze."

     "Yes. We had a number of IceRunners like yours but after using them for a few years we had ideas for some improvements."

     "So you have considerable industrial capacity. Metallurgy, the fabrication of electrical components. Fresh plutonium."

     "You're dependent entirely on geothermal energy then," said Andrew curiously.

     The General's eyes narrowed. "We are here to talk about your city, Mister Birch. Not mine. What is the population of your city?"

     Andrew took a moment to wonder how much he should reveal about New London. The militaristic nature of New Philadelphia worried him, but how much of a threat were they, really, to his city. They only had one IceRunner and, apparently, no way to build more. Even with the three hab-rovers the New Londoners had come in, there were only so many men they could crowd aboard the four vehicles and they would only be able to carry hand weapons. Nothing capable of penetrating New London's blast door. No, New Philadelphia was no threat to his city, he decided, but they had his entire family at their mercy. The best thing, then, he decided, was to be completely friendly and open. Show these people that New London was no threat to them and that they had a great deal to gain from friendly commerce between the two cities.

     "About a hundred thousand," he said therefore. "And you're right, we have the ability to make just about everything we need. I noticed, on the way here, that your city is in a bad state of decay. You lack the ability to replace certain items as they fail from age. Once friendly relations have been established between our two cities I'm sure we'll be able to supply everything you need. You'll be able to restore your city to its former glory."

     "The President will decide what relations, if any, there will be between our cities," the General replied. "Today you are just providing information. I will ask questions and you will answer them. There is no need for the process to be unpleasant, though. That is why I decided to have our discussion here rather than in a holding cell. I hope you appreciate the consideration you are being shown."

     "I do," Andrew replied, his apprehension growing. "Thank you."

     "The other adult members of your expedition are also being questioned. Simultaneously, so that you have no opportunity to agree on your stories. You will be reunited after the interrogations have been completed, and if the stories you tell agree to our satisfaction then you will have nothing to fear."

     "They will," said Andrew nervously. "We have no need to lie to you."

     The General indicated a small table standing against the wall. There was a sound recording device on it, a red light showing that it was already turned on. Andrew pulled out the indicated chair and sat on it. It was the chair facing the window, and as the General took the other chair his face was silhouetted by the bright light coming in from the garden, making Andrew squint uncomfortably. The General pulled a rope hanging by the wall and the butler entered carrying a tray bearing an unlabelled bottle and two crystal glasses. He placed it on the table, turned and left.

     The General picked up the bottle and poured an Amber liquid into the two glasses, one of which he passed to Andrew. Andrew took it, took a sip and winced as it burned his mouth.

     The General scoffed disdainful as he tossed his drink down in one gulp, then poured himself another. "Not a whiskey man, Mister Birch?"

     "Whiskey?" said Andrew in amazement. "No-one in New London has tasted whiskey since The Freeze. We only know it from old movies." He took another sip. "We have spirits, of course. They brew it from algae, but it doesn't taste anything like this. May I ask what it's brewed from?"

     "Wheat. We don't have as much of it as we used to, unfortunately. Most of what we have is used to make bread, but we make sure there's always enough left over for the distillery."

     "We rely almost entirely on algae now for our nutritional needs," said Andrew sadly. "We used to have all kinds of crops. Wheat, rice, soya, potatoes. Animals too. Chicken, sheep, pigs. We lost one species after another to disease and parasites. All we've got left now is carrots, cabbages, onions, things like that. Supplements rather than meals in themselves. We have foods that we call meat and mashed potatoes but it's all algae made to look like real food."

     "We have pretty much all the original food and animal species left," the General replied. "Because we were isolated from the other twelve cities, perhaps."

     "That's wonderful," Andrew replied, cheered by the news. "You'll have things to trade in return for our machines and materials, then. We'll both gain what we lack."

     "As I said, the President will decide what relations, if any, our two cities will have." The General tossed down his second drink, then put the glass aside. "And now, Mister Birch, we must get down to business. I will ask questions and you will answer them."

     Andrew put his own glass aside and nodded. He looked across at the General and saw him staring back at him with an intensity that made his momentary optimism fade. The brief moment of friendly camaraderie was over, he knew. The interrogation was about to begin and he braced himself to answer the other man's questions as well as he could.

☆☆☆

     It was eight hours before the General let him go. Andrew was exhausted. A weariness more of the spirit than of the body as the other man had made him go over the same points over and over again as if trying to trip him up into making a mistake. Andrew was answering every question truthfully, though, and eventually the General seemed satisfied of the fact. Whether he was happy with what the truth turned out to be was impossible to say, though, as his thickly bearded face remained stubbornly expressionless throughout the day.

     There was a pause for a meal halfway through the day. A simple tray of algae cakes and fruit juice. It was tasty enough, but Andrew could barely manage more than a few bites as he imagined his wife going through a similar interrogation. And what about his children? Were they awake by now and, if they were, how were they coping with the absence of their parents as they returned to consciousness? Surrounded only by strangers? The thought prayed on his mind and robbed him of his appetite.

     Eventually, though, the General stood. "Thank you, Mister Birch," he said. "I and the other interrogators will now be comparing your answers to see how they tally. If they give a consistent picture of your city then none of you have anything to worry about. You will be given residences to live in and occupations that will allow you to make a living for yourselves. Rather pleasant ones I think you'll find."

     "We have to return to our own city," said Andrew, though, his stomach clenching up with fear. "We have a mission to accomplish."

     "Ah yes, your mission," said the General as he moved towards the door. "The dysprosium you need for your spaceships so they can return to the inner solar system. I have to tell you that it's very unlikely that you'll be allowed to continue with your mission, but don't worry. I think I can promise you that your lives here will be very enjoyable and fulfilling."

     "You're keeping us prisoner here?" said Andrew in dismay. "But you can't do that!"

     The General's eyes narrowed dangerously. "We can do whatever we want in our own city," he said.

     "But at the moment New London has reason to be grateful to you. The beginnings of a friendly trading relationship between our two cities. If you hold us prisoner, though..."

     "I would advise against making threats," said the General. He opened the door and strode out into the hallway where the butler came to meet him. "Please find Captain Douglas and tell him that Mister Birch is ready to be taken back to the hospital." The butler nodded and walked away.

     "Other rovers will be coming from New London," Andrew called after the General as he opened another door. "If we can't leave this planet they'll want to explore every inch of it. Eventually they'll find you, and when they do they'll find out that it was you who prevented The Return. Instead of a friend and an ally you'll have an enemy."

     "Maybe," replied the General, "but we'll have decades yet before that happens. Plenty of time to prepare. We may not be able to make rovers but weapons are easy to make, even with the meagre industrial capacity we have left, and in the meantime your people will be unaware of our existence. Not making weapons. When the encounter eventually comes, I think it will be we who have the upper hand. It will be your city that answers to us, not the other way around."

     The General opened another door and strode through it, leaving Andrew alone in the hallway, his head spinning with sudden shock and fear.