"Purposely. We are investigating it, but any report based upon our present knowledge would be partial and inconclusive."
"I see. Commendable enough, usually. News of this phenomenon has, however, gone farther and higher than you think and I have been ordered to take cognizance of it; to decide whether or not to handle it myself."
"I am thoroughly capable of…"
"I will decide that, not you." Morgan subsided. "A partial report is therefore in order. Go ahead."
"According to the procedure submitted and approved, a Lensman was taken alive. Since the Lens has telepathic properties, and hence is presumably operative at great distances the operation was carried out in the shortest possible time. The Lens, immediately upon , removal from the Patrolman's arm, ceased to radiate and the operative who held the thing died. It was then applied by force to four other men workers, these, of no importance. All four died, thus obviating all possibility of coincidence. An attempt was made to analyze a fragment of the active material, without success. It seemed to be completely inert. Neither was it affected by electrical discharges or by sub– atomic bombardment, nor by any temperatures available. Meanwhile, the man was of course being questioned, under truth–drug and beams. His mind denied any knowledge of the nature of the Lens; a thing which I am rather inclined to believe. His mind adhered to, the belief that he obtained the Lens upon the planet Arisia. I am offering for your consideration my opinion that the high– ranking officers of the Patrol are using hypnotism to conceal the real source of the Lens."
"Your opinion is accepted for consideration"
"The man died during examination. Two minutes after his death his Lens disappeared."
"Disappeared? What do you mean? Flew away? Vanished? Was stolen? Disintegrated? Or what?"
"No. More like evaporation or sublimation, except that there was no gradual diminution in volume, and there was no detectable residue, either solid, liquid, or gaseous. The platinum–alloy bracelet remained intact."
"And then?"
"The Patrol attacked in force and our expedition was destroyed."
"You are sure of these observational facts?"
"I have the detailed records. Would you like to see them?"
"Send them to my office. I hereby relieve you of all responsibility in the matter of the Lens. In fact, even I may decide to refer it to a higher echelon. Have you any other material, not necessarily facts, which may have bearing?"
"None," Morgan replied; and it was just as well for Virgilia Samms' continued wellbeing that the Senator did not think it worth while to mention the traceless disappearance of his Number One secretary and a few members of a certain unsavory gang. To his way of thinking, the Lens was not involved, except perhaps very incidentally. Herkimer, in spite of advice and orders, had probably got rough with the girl, and Samms' mob had rubbed him out. Served him right.
"I have no criticism of any phase of your work. You are doing a particularly nice job on thionite. You are of course observing all specified precautions as to key personnel?"
"Certainly. Thorough testing and unremitting watchfulness. Our Mr. Isaacson is about to promote a man who has proved very satisfactory. Keep them that way. Goodbye." The visitor strode out.
Morgan reached for a switch, then drew his hand back. No. He would like to sit in on the forthcoming interview, but he did not have the time. He had tested Olmstead repeatedly and personally; he knew what the man was. It was Isaacson's department; let Isaacson handle it. He himself must work full time at the job which only he could handle; the Nationalists must and would win this forthcoming election.
And in the office of the president of Interstellar Spaceways, Isaacson got up and shook hands with George Olmstead.
"I called you in for two reasons. First, in reply to your message that you were ready for a bigger job. What makes you think that any such are available?"
"Do I need to answer that?"
"Perhaps not…no." The magnate smiled quietly. Morgan was right; this man could not be accused of being dumb. "There is such a job, you are ready for it, and you have your successor trained in the work of harvesting. Second, why did you cut down, instead of increasing as ordered, the weight of broadleaf per trip? This, Olmstead, is really serious."
"I explained why. It would have been more serious the other way. Didn't you believe I knew what I was talking about?"
"Your reasoning may have been distorted in transmittal. I want it straight from you."
"Very well. It isn't smart to be greedy. There's a point at which something that has been merely a nuisance becomes a thing that has to be wiped out. Since I didn't want to be in that ferry when the Patrol blows it out of the ether, I cut down the take, and I advise you to keep it down. What you're getting now is a lot more than you ever got before, and a hell of a lot more than none at all. Think it over."
"I see. Upon what basis did you arrive at the figure you established?"
"Pure guesswork, nothing else. I guessed that about three hundred percent of the previous average per month ought to satisfy anybody who wasn't too greedy to have good sense, and that more than that would ring a loud, clear bell right where we don't want any noise made. So I cut it down to three, and advised Ferdy either to keep it at three or quit while he was still all in one piece."
"You exceeded your authority…and were insubordinate…but it wouldn't surprise me if you were right. You are certainly right in principle, and the poundage can be determined by statistical and psychological analysis. But in the meantime, there is tremendous pressure for increased production."
"I know it. Pressure be damned. My dear cousin Virgil is, as you already know, a crackpot. He is visionary, idealistic, full of sweet and beautiful concepts of what the universe would be like if there weren't so many people like you and me in it; but don't ever make the mistake of writing him off as anybody's fool. And you know, probably better than I do, what Rod Kinnison is like. If I were you I'd tell whoever is doing the screaming to shut their damn mouths before they get their teeth kicked down their throats."
"I'm very much inclined to take your advice. And now as to this proposed promotion. You are of course familiar in a general way with our operation at Northport?"
"I could scarcely help knowing something about the biggest uranium works on Earth. However, I am not well enough qualified in detail to make a good technical executive."
"Nor is it necessary. Our thought is to make you a key man in a new and increasingly important branch of the business, known as Department Q. It is concerned neither with production nor with uranium."
"Q as in 'quiet', eh? I'm listening with both ears. What duties would be connected with this…er…position? What would I really do?"
Two pails of hard eyes locked and held, staring yieldlessly into each other's depths.
"You would not be unduly surprised to learn that substances other than uranium occasionally reach Northport?"
"Not too surprised, no," Olmstead replied dryly. "What would I do with it?"
"We need not go into that here or now. I offer you the position."
"I accept it."
"Very well. I 'will take you to Northport, and we will continue our talk en route."
And in a spy–ray–proof, sound–proof compartment of a Spaceways–owned stratoliner they did so.
"Just for my information, Mr. Isaacson, how many predecessors have I had on this particular job, and what happened to them? The Patrol get them?"
"Two. No; we have not been able to find any evidence that the Samms crowd has any suspicion of us. Both were too small for the job; neither could handle personnel. One got funny ideas, the other couldn't stand the strain. If you don't get funny ideas, and don't crack up, you will make out in a big and I mean really big way."
"If I do either I'll be more than somewhat surprised." Olmstead's features set themselves into a mirthless, uncompromising, somehow bitter grin.