g machine, two sets of files, several large cabinets with
steel doors, and a desk with a typewriter on it. Stan smiled at the
little blonde seated before the typewriter. She returned his smile with
a severe and steady look out of her gray eyes. No help there, Stan
thought.

"Be seated," Domber said, pointing to a chair beside the desk. He fished
out a box of cigars, flipped the lid open, and extended the box toward
Stan. "Smoke?"

"No, thanks," Stan said.

Domber selected a cigar after turning several over. "Such poor cigars.
I'll be glad when the war is over and I can again import some of my
favorite Tampa Perfectos." He snipped the end off the cigar with a gold
clipper, then jabbed a full inch of the end into his mouth and rolled
the cigar around as though tasting its flavor. "Now," he said, "we will
get down to business."

Stan leaned back and waited.

"I went to considerable trouble to get this chance to talk with you. The
colonel is a bloody old coot. All he thinks of is shooting people. I
have other interests besides killing men. My hobby is planes." Domber
bent forward.

Stan was instantly on the alert. He noticed the stenographer had placed
a sheet of notes on a rack and was clicking away on her typewriter, but
he did not think she was copying from her notes. He was sure she was
going to record what he said.

"You have had a chance to work with many new ideas. You'll be with us
until after the war, so I see no reason why we shouldn't have a chat
about new wrinkles." He smiled and rolled his cigar.

"I understood I was to be shot as a spy," Stan said.

"The military is bent upon it, but I have much influence. I could have
you designated a prisoner of war. Tomorrow I will see the Fuerher
himself."

"What do you want to know?" Stan realized this was a chance to stay
alive for a time. If he could interest Domber without giving away any
secrets, he might be given a chance to escape.

"You were flying a P-51, a Mustang, the British call it."

"Yes."

"This ship has some very interesting equipment on it, some typically
American improvements."

"Just what features do you mean?" Stan asked.

"I operate a plane factory. We have been experimenting with a
supercharger. The one on the P-51 is something new. If you can recall
some of the details...." Domber leaned forward.

"You haven't captured one intact yet?" Stan asked.

"No, and the possibility seems quite remote. You Yanks have been very
clever i