Chapter Six: July 12, 1945

Sleep had not come easy to Diana, the last several days. So much so, that she had sneaked a sleeping pill from Steve's medicine chest to try and relax herself on this night.

But this time, the anxiety and restlessness that had previously kept her awake, now invaded her sleep.

Her dream began peacefully, filled with the warmly reassuring sights of Steve, Etta and all her friends. Then, images of people at work and play all over Washington. Sights that had become intimately familiar to her these last three years.

Then, suddenly the images froze. And then, a horrible, ugly light bathed the scene, burning in intensity. The images suddenly began turning into skeletal forms, like an X-ray. And then, they disappeared, and the light grew blinding...

Diana abruptly awoke, her body in a cold sweat. For a moment, she sat upright, exhaling repeatedly in a mixture of horror and relief.

"Hera help me," she whispered as she wiped her brow, "Oh dear Hera and Aphrodite, no."

She knew what it meant. Her unconscious mind had envisioned a war fought with atomic weapons. Something, that would seem all but inevitable if this test came off.

Diana pulled her legs up to her, and stared down in deep contemplation. Inside, anxiety and fear raged with an intensity she'd never felt before.

And all this from a dream of what it might look like. How would she react, and what nightmares would invade her mind when she witnessed the real thing in just six more days?

She shuddered even more, as she contemplated that latter thought. And now, a dawning realization was growing inside her as well. Nothing would ever be able to chase these demons from her mind. If anything, they would only grow as atomic weapons were developed even further. There would be more nightmares, more anxiety, more uncertainty. The story of Pandora would be repeated on an even more grotesque scale. And this time, the demons unleashed might very well mean the end of mankind and his civilization.

The never-ending uncertainty would always be there if she decided to spend the rest of her life in America. Was all that worth it? Even with the man she loved, would she ever know a life of peace and calm in a world where the terror of atomic destruction could be unleashed any second?

No, Diana, she could hear Hipployte's voice once again. You can never know peace in the world of men. This weapon means the beginning of the end for them. You know that.

But Steve, her mind cried out, what about Steve? How can I envision life without Steve? I love him.

Diana exhaled again, and folded her arms. She knew what she wanted. She wanted the safe tranquility of Paradise Island and Steve. And she had to give up one of them.

But wait, she thought. Why did she have to give up one? What was there that said she could not have both? What if she could persuade Steve to see the hopelessness of the world situation and come with her to Paradise Island? And then, they could be together forever, in total peace and harmony.

Oh yes, Mother would object to the presence of any man on Paradise Island. But maybe it was time for Diana to start pulling some weight as the future queen of the Amazons. Maybe it was time to force some change on the way things had been. Maybe it was time for the women of Paradise Island to be free to know love again. To bring in men who could learn the ways of peace and harmony that reigned over Paradise Island.

Yes, she thought with determination. Yes, by Hera, she would fight for all that. And she'd win. She'd enlist all the women she could to her cause, and then Hippolyte would have to give in. And if she didn't, then Diana would play her trump card. It didn't matter whether Hippolyte agreed to it or not. Diana would implement her ideas the day she officially became queen, so it made no difference in the long-run whether Hippolyte liked it or not. She couldn't stop it.

For the first time, Diana felt the anxiety dissipate. Now that she knew how to handle Mother, the next question was how to convince Steve to join her.

But why should that present any problems? Steve had no living family. He had no ties to this world that would be difficult to give up. Surely, Steve would see the obvious. That their future didn't belong here, in the world of fear, anxiety and war that would one day destroy itself. It belonged on Paradise Island.

Just then, her plotting and planning was disrupted by the sound of Steve lightly knocking on the door.

"Diana?" she heard his muffled voice call.

"In a minute, Steve," she threw back the sheets, stood up and did her magical pirouette that transformed her into her Wonder Woman costume. After adjusting it slightly, she went up to the door and opened it.

Steve was already showered and dressed, his uniform immaculately straight, "Hi," he smiled, "Ready for a day of traveling?"

"Totally," she returned the smile, "Are we flying a military or commercial plane?"

"Strictly military," he said, "We wouldn't want a planeload of civilians going ga-ga for twelve hours at the sight of you, would we?"

"I still say we should have taken my own plane."

"Uh-uh," Steve shook his head, "Wonder Woman still has too many trade secrets that shouldn't get out yet. Especially the invisible plane."

"You'll regret that when the MATS flight makes you airsick and takes twice as long," Diana coyly smiled and put her arms around him.

"All in the line of duty," he grinned, "Just like this," and he pulled her to him and they kissed.

As Diana relaxed in their passionate kiss, she thought again of how much she needed both things that she loved. And of her determination to keep both for the rest of her life.

And she swore by Aphrodite and Hera that nothing would prevent her from having both. Nothing at all.

"Mmmmm," Steve murmured in delight as he nuzzled her neck, "How fast could your plane get us there?"

"Three hours," she whispered back as her body tingled with pleasure.

He let out a sigh of resignation, "If I weren't a religious man with a strict set of sexual morals, I'd be tempted to let us use the extra nine hours by staying here and fooling around."

"You won't have to wait much longer," she stepped back and brushed her finger across his lips, "It will all come soon."

"Which is one reason why I hope this test goes off without a hitch," Steve's voice returned to a more businesslike level, "If this thing doesn't work, then we'll have to get prepared for Operation Olympic. The invasion of Japan and something no one’s tried since the Mongols failed in the 13^th century."

Diana's lips thinned into a straight line. His offhand remark made her wonder when the time would be right to tell Steve about the plans she had for them.

"Let's get going," she managed to smile.

Steve returned it and arm-in-arm, they left the apartment to begin their long-day's journey to New Mexico.

At the edge of the Castillo Bridge, overlooking the Santa Fe river outside Santa Fe, Dietrich Bolle impatiently lit his sixth cigarette in the last fifteen minutes and paced back and forth. For five days, since his arrival in Albuquerque, he'd wanted only to get this meeting with the Manhattan Project scientist done with. And then, one delay after the other as his initial phone call to the scientist produced suspicion and skepticism because it wasn't the normal contact. Finally, the coded phone call from the scientist this morning, telling him to meet him here, all the way up in Santa Fe, 200 miles away.

If this is how the Russians gather intelligence, then it'll be a miracle if they can beat the Americans.

He looked down Alameda Street and saw a battered Buick slowly coming toward him. He could hear repetitive thuds, caused by patched-up tires rolling over the road surface.

Bolle crushed his cigarette with his heel and smiled faintly. That had to be him.

As the car pulled up beside him, Bolle did a quick mental check of what the file had said about this man. A native German, who had fled the Nazi regime in 1934 because of his Communist associations. Now a British citizen, he had been recruited for the Manhattan Project as part of the team of British physicists attached to the project. An active Soviet agent since 1942. Outstanding personal characteristics: a fierce streak of independence that often bred a deep self-arrogance, and a rigid devotion to Communist ideology.

Subject's name: Klaus Emil Fuchs.

The passenger door opened and Bolle got in. He closed the door and then looked at the driver.

Staring back at him was a wiry, frail man of about average height. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket and an open collared shirt, and his eyes were magnified by a pair of tortoise-shell glasses that made him resemble an owl.

"Herr Doktor?" Bolle casually inquired.

"English," Klaus Fuchs snapped impatiently as he shifted the car into drive, "Talk English."

Bolle settled back in the seat and struggled desperately to remain polite. "My apologies, Herr Doctor. I only thought--"

"Let's keep the formalities to a minimum," the scientist's tone was brusque, "All I know about you is that you're a former Nazi who's decided to join the Russians for reasons of pure opportunism. That's all I ever want to know, because if I learn anything more, I probably won't be able to get through this nauseating experience of having to work with you."

The SS colonel bit his tongue, as he tried to keep the rage boiling inside him from exploding. If he fouled this up, it would be his head.

"Very well," Bolle said evenly, "I--"

"I'm only doing this because I received a call from Harry Gold assuring me that I could trust you, and that he had legitimate reasons for not being able to make the trip out here. As far as I'm concerned, every last one of you hunds who ever wore the Nazi uniform should be shot."

"Herr Doctor," Bolle's patience was straining, "What you think of me and what I once was, is not relevant. What should matter to you is that I'm now working for the same cause you so passionately believe in. The longer you sit and insult me, the less good you are doing that cause."

"I don't think so," he said flippantly, "From what Harry implied, you've been caught in a difficult position that forces you to take it, no matter what."

Harry Gold, Bolle thought in disgust. How many more Jews were there in this ridiculous operation? In addition to Gold, he'd learned that the brother-in-law of the other contact, David Greenglass, was also active in the atom spy network. A man named Julius Rosenberg.

What on earth ever possessed Hauser, Becker and Sturber to join this operation? And of all people, why did he have to be thrust into it?

Maybe an American jail would have been better for my sanity.

"Herr Doctor," he barely managed to get his words out, "Can we return to the issue at hand?"

"Very well," Fuchs' voice became civil for the first time, "The test will take place next Sunday, July 16th, sometime early in the morning."

"Next Sunday?" Bolle's expression grew crestfallen, "That's four days."

"So it is," the physicist said curtly, "I will be witnessing the test personally. On the 24th, I will make contact with you again and hand over to you my complete notes on the test."

"And I'm supposed to stay in this godforsaken hellhole for the next two weeks and wait?"

"It would seem so," Fuchs continued to avoid looking at him, keeping his eyes straight ahead on the open road, "But that's for you to decide. In the meantime, I can fill you in on the steps that have been taken since my last contact with Harry Gold. They should be of interest to your superiors, if not to yourself."

Again, Bolle bit his tongue as he took out a notepad and pen.

"General Groves has been most anxious to get this test off by mid-July," Fuchs began, "Particularly while the Potsdam summit is going on. President Truman would much prefer to learn of a successful test while he's there and be able to break the news to Marshal Stalin personally..."

As Fuchs continued to drive through the streets of Santa Fe, Bolle patiently took notes, trying to keep up with what the scientist revealed. He took them in silence, sensing that Fuchs had no desire to be interrupted.

"....The VIP's are arriving in Albuquerque tonight. Most of them are scientific representatives who've only known the general details of the project. There's also one or two representatives from the press, to write up the exclusive stories when this becomes public, some top military men, and," he let out a light chuckle, "And the most bizarre VIP in the lot. Wonder Woman."

Bolle stopped writing and looked over at Fuchs in bewilderment, "Wonder Woman is going to be here for the test?"

"Yes," Fuchs continued looking ahead, "She's going to make some personal appearance for the men at base camp on Saturday, the 15th, a sort of morale boosting show for all the unfortunate GI's who've been without a furlough since April and yearn for the sight of a pretty body."

The ex-SS colonel began tapping his pen against the paper in contemplation.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard it," Fuchs went on, "But from what I've heard, Secretary Stimson owed General Blankenship a favor, and that meant letting Wonder Woman and that aide of his come see everything."

"His aide?" Bolle's head darted up, "Colonel Steve Trevor?"

"I wouldn't know his name," the scientist shrugged and then glanced at him for the first time, "Why should that matter to you?"

He relaxed slightly and settled back in his seat, "Nothing, nothing. Go on."

Thirty minutes later, Fuchs pulled his lumbering car into the Santa Fe bus station.

"Tomorrow, the bomb will be transported from Los Alamos to the Trinity test site. That's everything that has happened up to now," the scientist said in the same neutral tone, "I've summarized all the political factors behind the test, the test location, and the manner in which it will take place. All that's left is the test itself."

"This has been most fascinating, Herr Doctor," Bolle said, "I look forward to our next meeting. When and where?"

"As I said earlier, Monday the 24th," Fuchs said, "That should allow enough time in case the test is delayed at the last minute."

"The same place?"

"No," he shook his head, "Next time, at a small adobe church outside the city. Here are the directions for you to give to the cab driver when you arrive in Santa Fe," he shoved him a slip of paper.

"Thank you," Bolle said, "I've enjoyed this very much."

"I haven't," an edge of contempt entered Fuchs' voice, "I hope our next meeting will be our last."

"Herr Doctor," Bolle opened the door and stepped out, "I work on the same side with you. So do a lot of other former Nazis. Don't think your cause can triumph so easily without our help."

"I'd prefer that our cause not be contaminated by men like you," the scientist looked at him with pure hate, "Because of men like you, and the terror you waged against us, my father was thrown in a concentration camp, my mother committed suicide, and my sister threw herself in front of a train."

Bolle stared back at him and said nothing.

"But I suppose that if we must recruit hunds like you to assure a speedier triumph of world socialism, perhaps it will have been worth it." he turned away and started up the car, "Good day."

"Good day," Bolle pushed the door shut and with disdain, watched him drive off.

As he turned and headed inside the station to take the bus back to Albuquerque, the Manhattan Project and the information Fuchs had given him were the furthest things from his mind.

It was well after nine in the evening when the MATS DC-3 that had left Washington twelve hours earlier, landed at Albuquerque airport. Seated alone together in the back, Wonder Woman gave the sleeping Steve a gentle nudge.

"Wake up Steve," she whispered softly, "We're finally here."

Slowly, Steve came to and rubbed his eyes, "Hoo boy, is it finally over?"

"It's over," she smiled down at him and stroked his forehead, "Was it worth it?"

"No," he came upright in his seat, "Next time, I'm going to let you talk me into using your plane."

Up front, the door opened and a short Army major came aboard.

"Colonel Trevor and Wonder Woman?" he said as he made his way back to them, "I'm Major Reynolds from Special Services. Welcome to Albuquerque."

"Thank you, Major," Wonder Woman smiled politely, "It's an honor to be here."

"Well I can assure you we appreciate your being here, Wonder Woman. I know that when we told the men last night that you were coming, they all jumped nine miles and still haven't come down," he grinned, "In the meantime, I'm here to escort you to the hotel. There's a staff car waiting on the runway so you can avoid going through the airport."

"That'll be fine," Steve rose from his seat, allowing Wonder Woman to get out as well, "When do we head out to the base camp?"

"Not until tomorrow, the 13th," Major Reynolds said, "That's when all the elements for the test will be in place. I'll be giving you both a full briefing at the hotel."

"All right, Major," Steve put his hat on, "Lead the way."

On an observation deck at the airport, Bolle stared through binoculars at the DC-3 that had just landed. He had come straight here since returning to Albuquerque three hours ago, and had staked himself out, watching every plane that had come in, hoping to catch a glimpse of the only quarry he was interested in.

His hopes were raised when he saw the staff car pull up in front of the stairs leading up to the aircraft. That meant there were definitely VIP's aboard.

And then, he saw two blurred uniformed men emerge followed by a bright gold and red costume that stood out in the night. He lifted his binoculars and grinned in satisfaction. It was her. That infernal bitch. And one of the two men had to be Trevor.

Now where was it that Fuchs said the VIP's would be staying? Oh yes, the Albuquerque Hilton.

He reentered the terminal entrance, and suddenly found himself face-to-face with the frowning visage of an airport security guard.

"So tell me mister," the guard said with an air of suspicion, "Did you have fun for three hours out there?"

"I like to watch planes," he said in flawless English and matched the guard's expression, "You've got a problem with that?"

The guard shrugged, "Just seems like a strange way to blow an evening."

"Then why do you work here?" Bolle let his voice drip with sarcasm as he walked past him without looking back.

If he had looked back, he would have seen the guard extend his middle finger at him.

"We'll be going in through a back entrance, once we arrive at the hotel," Major Reynolds said as the staff car drove through Albuquerque, "Sorry for the stealth, but General Groves didn't think it would be good to have Wonder Woman making a public scene and arousing local suspicion."

"That shouldn't have been a problem," Wonder Woman said as she rolled down the window to let the breeze blow in, "The public knows there's a military base so they wouldn't have anything to be suspicious about. I've made a dozen appearances at bases all over the country throughout the war."

The major shrugged, "That might be, but the general wouldn't have it any other way."

"I haven't seen General Groves in about four years, but I never knew him to be paranoid." Steve said off-handedly as he rolled down the window on his side.

Reynolds smirked, "When you're heading a project of this importance, Colonel, it does all sorts of things to you. Now that we're barely three days from the test, the security concerns are only heightening."

"Is there any danger of sabotage?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Not that we can tell, but we're certainly going to keep on our toes."

"Well now that Wonder Woman's here, Major, the general doesn't have to worry anymore," Steve said with a trace of pride that made her blush slightly, "Is he going to meet us tomorrow?"

Reynolds shook his head, "The general's on the west coast making a last tour of nuclear facilities there. He'll be here Saturday. I'll be your tour guide in the meantime, and I'll be letting the scientists from Los Alamos do all the talking when they show you around tomorrow."

The major then leaned back and smiled, "I'll tell you one thing, when this thing goes off we'll finally have the Japs right where we want them."

"Yes," Wonder Woman smiled weakly and looked out the window. The unease she'd been feeling, on and off ever since she'd learned about the bomb, was now returning. And with it, the unease about how she'd try to reveal her plans to Steve.

The dim glow of lights caused her to turn around and look out the rear windshield.

"Major," she said, "Is it my imagination, or are we being tailed?"

Reynolds turned around and looked, as did Steve. They could both see the bright headlights of a car, not twenty feet behind them.

"It's one car," Steve said, "But that probably doesn't mean anything."

The bright lights then veered off to one side.

"No problem," the major said, "He's pulling into the right lane. There's a light up ahead and he's probably going to turn off."

The car slowly came to a stop as the traffic light turned red. The other car, a dark Kaiser, pulled up to a stop alongside them.

Wonder Woman looked out the window and could see the driver, just six feet away. There was an innocent look to the youthful face, but there was something about the eyes...

Suddenly, the driver lifted his arm and tossed an object that landed through the open window, and into the back seat where Wonder Woman, Steve, and Reynolds were.

"What the--" Steve blurted as he felt the object hit his leg and bounce onto the floor.

"Get out of the car, it's a grenade!" she screamed as the other car roared off.

"Holy shit!" Reynolds barely had time to exclaim as Steve immediately opened his door and Wonder Woman shoved both of them out, while up front, the driver quickly opened his door and spilled out.

Wonder Woman took one helpless glance at the floor, but in the dark she couldn't see it. With all the speed of her Amazonian strength, she bolted out of the car and covered herself over the two officers.

The four of them had gotten barely ten feet from the car when a loud exploding pop erupted in the back. Smoke poured out of the vehicle, while the open doors blew off their hinges.

Wonder Woman lay on top of both Steve and Reynolds, shielding them both from the blast. Fortunately, it had confined its damage to inside the car, so that nothing had hit them.

After a minute, she allowed them to get to their feet. Together, they stared at the smoldering wreck of the staff car in total disbelief. Too stunned to speak.

In his rearview mirror, Bolle saw the staff car explode and he let out a long, evil laugh of triumph and victory, certain that the revenge he had sought for so long, was now his.

Now, he could go about his new responsibilities with a clear conscience.

An hour later, a subdued Steve and Wonder Woman sat in a hotel suite at the Albuquerque Hilton, while a still-shaken Reynolds nervously sipped from a coffee mug.

"You're sure it was Bolle?" Steve asked her pointedly.

"Not a hundred percent," she said, "The hair and face were different, but there was something about the eyes that seemed familiar."

"That's not enough to go on," Reynolds took another nervous slurp and set his mug down.

Steve gave the major an incredulous look, "Major, who else can we be talking about? This man Bolle, escaped from custody in Washington last week after he'd tried to murder me. It has to be him."

"Perhaps," Reynolds rose and began to pace up-and-down the room, "But it's hard for me to think that this murder attempt tonight, isn't connected with the project somehow."

"Granted," Trevor conceded, "There's a legitimate concern there. If Bolle knew I was going to be in Mew Mexico, then it’s possible he knows something about the reason why."

"And if that's true," Wonder Woman said, "Then it's possible that the organization that arranged his escape knows about it too."

"Good Lord," Steve sucked in his breath, as an uncomfortable thought dawned on him.

"What?" Reynolds stopped pacing and looked at him.

"If Bolle's tied up with the survivors of the Iron Brigade, then we could really be looking at a major sabotage threat," Steve's voice was grave, "The three leaders who escaped capture two years ago were part of the electronics team. In particular, Oberleutnant Hauser. He was the scientific genius of the whole sabotage ring."

"But why would they tip their hand with something as obvious as another attempt on your life?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Probably because they didn't figure on us surviving and adding things up," Steve smiled thinly.

Reynolds went over to refill his mug, "It could always be a Japanese ring. They still have something hard to gain by sabotaging the project."

"Not likely," Wonder Woman shook her head, "Even if I'm wrong about Bolle, the man in the car was a definite Caucasian."

"Well, let's not be so generic," Steve allowed, "Bolle could be working in cahoots with the Japanese, but I'd lean more toward the Iron Brigade trying to strike one last blow on behalf of their lost cause."

"Well at this point Colonel, it doesn't really matter," Reynolds took another sip, "Right now, what I have to figure out is whether you should still be allowed to witness the test."

Steve flushed slightly, "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because if the attempt was specifically aimed at you, then whoever's behind it is going to try again, once they realize that they've failed. And if you're at base camp and Trinity site watching the test, the risk for sabotage only becomes magnified."

Trevor rose and looked Reynolds in the eye with his best I-outrank-you stare.

"Major," he said patiently, "I understand any legitimate security concerns you might have, and I hope that when you fill General Groves in on all this, you'll be able to take the necessary precautions. But there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that I'm not going to witness the test. Under the normal military chain-of-command, my boss, General Blankenship, should have been among the first to know about this project three years ago. But because some two-bit bureaucrats had the gall to think that I was a security risk, he was unfairly kept in the dark. And I'm not going to allow for one minute, the possibility of the general and myself being insulted any further by not letting me see the test as promised."

His bluntness caused Reynolds to uneasily step backward.

"I, I wasn't suggesting that I would recommend that to General Groves," the major uneasily stammered, "But if the general were to decide all by himself--"

"Then I shall personally have it out with the general," Steve cut in.

"And if the general does contemplate it," Wonder Woman jumped in, "Then he'll have to answer to me, because I won't put in my appearance for the men if Colonel Trevor isn't allowed to participate in the test."

Reynolds looked over and seemed more intimidated by the sight of her than by Steve.

"I'll definitely discourage him if he gets the idea," he said hastily, "In the meantime, I'm going to call it a night. You'll both need to be up by seven for the trip to base camp."

"We'll be ready," Steve said politely, "Goodnight Major Reynolds."

"Goodnight," he gave Steve a quick salute and then bowed slightly to Wonder Woman, "And Wonder Woman, if I don't get another chance to say this, thanks for saving my life."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Major," she said gently, "Goodnight."

When Reynolds was gone, Steve sighed and dropped back into his chair. Diana came up behind him and began to gently rub his shoulders.

"Mmmmm," he smiled as he let himself relax, "That feels so good."

"It's really been a long day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "God, Diana I wonder why you put up with me. A total moron who never can stay out of danger."

Diana kissed him on the neck, "I put up with you because I love you, you self-deprecating fool."

"I guess I sometimes feel guilty," Steve absently stared off into space, "You've done so much for me, and I never feel like I've done anything for you in return."

"You've done a lot," she whispered tenderly, "By letting me become your wife one day."

He turned around and looked up at her, "I know, but I feel as if I need to do something more. Something more self-sacrificing for you. Is there anything I could ever do for you that would make me feel as if I'd repaid you completely?"

Diana hesitated slightly, and she uneasily looked down.

"Is there?" he repeated, "Tell me angel, please."

Diana took a breath and gathered her inner strength, "There is," she whispered, "There is something I've been meaning to ask you to do, that to be honest, I think is critical to our future."

"Tell me," Steve squeezed her hand, "Tell me and I'll do it. I don't care what it is."

She closed her eyes and her expression grew slightly pained, but she knew that now was the time to bring this difficult subject up.

"Steve," she said, "On the day the war ends, I want us to be married. And then, I want us to leave America and spend the rest of our lives together on Paradise Island."

Steve's tender expression slowly transformed into a disbelieving stare.

"I want us to live on Paradise Island," Diana repeated softly, "I want us to live in a place where we can be safe from what this next terrible chapter of history is going to unleash."

Steve looked at her with stupefied silence for more than a minute. Then he looked down and tried to contemplate things.

"Let me get this straight," he said cautiously, "You don't want to stay in America anymore?"

"No," she slowly shook her head.

Steve rubbed his chain and then slowly nodded as light dawned on him, "Because of the bomb."

"Yes," she sighed and began to pace, "I know what that explosion is going to look like, and what it's going to mean. I'm grateful that it's going to save a million soldiers from dying in Japan, but if we're going to keep developing these weapons after the war, then civilization as we know it, will cease to exist. I'm convinced of that."

"I see," Steve said dubiously, "You don't trust our government to use these weapons wisely?"

Diana stopped pacing and looked back at him with agony, "I trust our government as it is now. But what would happen if America suddenly had an unscrupulous leader who might not use them wisely? And what would happen if another Hitler came to power and acquired these weapons? The possibilities frighten me too much."

"And your answer is to have us retreat to your idyllic home on Paradise Island?"

"Where we can be together in peace," she knelt in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders, "Where our children can be safe, and can learn about the ways of love and peace and be free."

Steve looked at her for a long moment of uneasy silence.

Then, he looked down at slightly shook his head, "You're asking something I don't think I can ever do."

"Why?" she'd expected an initial reluctance and plowed on, "I'm offering you a better way of life for us."

He looked at her again, "I thought men weren't allowed on Paradise Island."

"That's about to change," Diana said firmly.

"Is it?" his tone was skeptical.

"Yes," she said, "I'm going to force that change. And I know the majority will agree with me."

Steve calmly exhaled and looked up at the ceiling, "You still might be asking too much of me, Diana."

Diana tensed inside. She didn't want to say what was on the tip of her tongue, but she was being left with no choice.

"Steve," she said gently, but gravely, "Our future together may very well depend on it."

His expression grew stunned, "Are you suggesting that if I don't come with you, you'd," he struggled to say it, "You'd leave me?"

Diana closed her eyes in agony.

Steve's tone now grew hurt, "I guess maybe our love isn't as deep as I thought it was."

"Don't say that Steve," she whispered, her eyes still shut, "I love you more than anything in the world."

"But you're more concerned with living on Paradise Island then you are with me."

"No," her voice suddenly rose in pitch and she put her arms around him, "I only want us to be together in a place where we'll be happy."

"Only last week you thought we could both be happy here," he retorted.

"That was before I knew about the Manhattan Project," she gritted her teeth, "and before I realized that this civilization is going to one day destroy itself."

"That's rubbish," Steve suddenly grew brusque and rose from the chair, pushing her back, "Total rubbish grounded in irrational fear. If that's the only thing you're worried about Diana, you can relax. Civilization is going to endure."

"Make me believe that," tears began welling in her eyes, "Make me believe that, because I don't see how I can."

"You have to have faith," he said, "Faith that good is stronger than evil. Faith that God is in ultimate control of history. That's what's going to get us through the next uncertain period. And God knows I'm not denying that it's going to be rough. I have my doubts about the Russians, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we'll soon be in a rivalry with them for influence over the world."

"So we're going to have this little superpower game," Diana said sadly as the tears slowly streamed, "With nuclear weapons controlling the balance. What kind of a way is that to live? Why can't we just get rid of this bomb once it's served its purpose?"

"Do you really think the Russians would never develop one of their own?" Steve said pointedly, "Where would the world be then?"

"I don't know," she shook her head, "Steve, all I wanted to see once the Nazis had been beaten was peace. A peace that would finally mean something. Where men and women from all over the world could work and live together in harmony and freedom."

"That's never going to happen, Diana," he said softly, "Not until God makes the final judgment on mankind. I don't know when that will be, but in the meantime, there'll be more dictators like Hitler, more evil forces like Nazism, and I have a feeling that communism is the next form of Nazism we'll have to combat. And that's why people like you and me are needed in America more than ever. We can't shirk our duty and go off to escape responsibility in some quiet little paradise."

Diana looked at him with a grave expression, "Steve," she said, "I don't want to be disrespectful to your religion, but why would your God keep letting evil go unchecked? Why must this never-ending cycle of evil go on and on until the divine whim of a final judgment? Can a God like that really exist, and supposedly represent love and peace?"

Steve flushed slightly, "Mankind is responsible for evil in the world, not God. Man is a creature of sin whose first instincts are toward evil. That's something that man brought on himself, when he decided that he was better than God. The wars and sufferings we have to endure are the price we pay for that."

"I don't know if I can relate to that," she said, "I just don't know."

Steve grimaced, "You think Greco-Roman paganism offers a better way?"

"I didn't say that," she said with a trace of disgust, "And I'm not suggesting for a minute that you'd have to give up your faith on Paradise Island. I know it means a lot to you, and believe me I've wished that I could have your faith too. It's just that for now, I'm finding more comfort in the religion of my people. But please, don't let religion come between us, Steve."

"If you remain devoted to a mythical goddess of love, Diana, it might just do that."

Diana wiped her eyes and she shook her head in deeper disgust, "You really are so sure of yourself, aren't you Steve? That your way of life, your religion, your outlook is superior to everything I've ever known? Is that supposed to dominate our lives from now on, this never-ending sense of superiority?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he turned away from her.

"I don't think I am," her voice rose, "It was perfectly all right for me to contemplate sacrificing everything I've known and loved to live with you in America. And yet you're not willing to consider for one minute, the thought of giving up your ways to live with me in Paradise Island. That says a lot, Steve. That when it comes to give and take between man and woman, the woman gives and the man takes. Your whole attitude is typical of why men have been barred from Paradise Island for 2500 years."

Steve stared at her with hurt and anger, "Don't give me that holier-than-thou attitude. I'd sure like to know what it is your people want from men. Do you want real equality, or do you want some little fantasy world where men cower to your every whim?"

"You know that's not true," the tears returned, "You know that's not true. How dare you such a thing?"

"How dare you call me selfish just because I didn't jump when you decided to pull a 180 on me, and tell me that our love depended on my giving up my whole livelihood to go off to some isolated rock in the Atlantic!" he shouted back.

"I withdraw the offer," Diana's eyes glistened with contempt, "And I withdraw my acceptance of your proposal. When this test is over, I'm leaving for Paradise Island and never coming back. It's finally obvious to me that you're no different from all other men. You're just as vain and egotistical as all the others."

Steve stiffened and looked like he'd been punched in the side of the head.

"If that's what you want," he choked out his words, "Then go ahead. See if I care."

He then headed for the door and slammed it behind him with all his strength.

Diana then collapsed onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow, sobbing uncontrollably.

The day that had begun with such serene confidence, had come to an end with shattered dreams and bitter anger.

And through it all, she could see Hippolyte looking at her with a sardonic smile. An I-told-you-so expression.

"Forgive me Mother," she whimpered, "You were right."

Down the hall, Steve slammed the door shut to his room and then, filled with anger and hurt, he savagely kicked the wastebasket by the door clear across the room where it hit the wall with a thud.

He stood there breathing heavily, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What the hell happened?" he whispered in between breaths, "Dear God in heaven, will you tell me what the hell happened?"

For over five minutes he stood there, waiting for his rage to dissipate.

Then, he slowly dropped to the bed and kicked off his shoes.

"Tell me it'll be all right," his whisper took on a pleading tone, "Tell me it'll be all right tomorrow. Dear God, don't let me lose her."

And then, without even taking off his uniform, he lay down and stared at the ceiling until sleep overtook him an hour later.