rinned. "Enforced idleness. It's been very irritating really,
Mr. Chard. I've been obliged to proceed in the most inexpensive manner
possible, and that meant--very slowly."

Barney said, "If it weren't for that question of funds, how long would
it take to wind up the operation?"

"A year--perhaps two years." McAllen shrugged. "It's difficult to be
too exact, but it certainly wouldn't be longer than two."

"And what would be the financial tab?"

McAllen hesitated. "A million is the bottom figure, I'm afraid. It
should run closer to a million and a half."

"Doctor," Barney said, "let me make you a proposition."

* * * * *

McAllen looked at him. "Are you thinking of financing the experiments,
Mr. Chard?"

"In return," Barney said, "for a consideration."

"What's that?" McAllen's expression grew wary.

"When you retired," Barney told him, "I dropped a nice piece of money
as a consequence. It was the first beating I'd taken, and it hurt. I'd
like to pick that money up again. All right. We're agreed it can't be
done on the McAllen Tube. The Tube wouldn't help make the world a
safer place for Barney Chard. But the Tube isn't any more remarkable
than the mind that created it. Now I know a company which could be top
of the heap in electronics precision work--one-shot specialties is
what they go in for--if it had your mind as technical advisor. I can
buy a controlling interest in that company tomorrow, doctor. And you
can have the million and a half paid off in not much more time than
you expect to take to get your monster back under control and shut
down. Three years of your technical assistance, and we're clear."

McAllen's face reddened slowly. "I've considered hiring out, of
course," he said. "Many times. I need the money very badly. But aren't
you overlooking something?"

"What?"

"I went to considerable pains," said McAllen, "to establish myself as
a lunatic. It was distasteful, but it seemed necessary to discourage
anyone from making too close an investigation of some of my more
recent lines of research. If it became known now that I was again in
charge of a responsible project--"

Barney shook his head. "No problem, doctor. We'd be drawing on outside
talent for help in specific matters--very easy to cover up any leads
to you personally. I've handled that general sort of thing before."

McAllen frowned thoughtfully. "I see. But I'd have--There wouldn't be
so much work that