He quickly rises amid the bureaucracy of Washington D.C. during World War II and becomes an observer for the government on the Manhattan Project, the development of the nuclear bomb. During World War II, Greg discovers he has a son, Georgy, conceived during his earlier romance with a young African-American actress, Jacky Jakes. He provides for the child's upbringing and education, becoming deeply attached to Georgy - which might create an impediment to his plans to embark on a political career in the Republican Party.