Diane read the list. Her expression of subtle amusement became a full smile, perfectly scrutable.

“You think big.”

“Well, it’s a big situation. I mean even the Gulf Stream stall is only a proximate cause. The ultimate causes have to do with the whole situation. Carbon, consumption, population, technology, all that. We’ll have to try to take all that on if we’re going to actually do something.”

“There are other agencies working on these things. In fact, lots of this isn’t really our purview.”

“Yes, well, but—we are the National Science Foundation,” emphasizing the words. “It isn’t really clear yet just how big a purview such an organization should have. Given the importance of science in this world, you could argue that it should be pretty much everything. But for sure it should be the place to coordinate the scientific effort. Beyond that, who knows? It’s a new situation.”

“True,” she said, still smiling at him in her amused way. “Well, okay! Let’s go get some lunch and talk about it.”

Frank tried to conceal his surprise. “Sure.”

The hotel above the Ballston Metro offered a buffet lunch that was so fancy that it redefined the concept.