t as an explanation for
anything and everything." He paused, "Kenneth," he said in a more
kindly tone, "don't think I blame you. I know how hard you've been
working. I know how much time and effort you've put into the gallant
fight against this country's enemies."

Malone closed his eyes and turned slightly green. "It was nothing," he
said at last. He opened his eyes but nothing had changed. Burris'
expression was still kindly and concerned.

"Oh, but it was," Burris said. "Something, I mean. You've been working
very hard and you're just not at peak efficiency any more. You need a
rest, Kenneth. A nice rest."

"I do not," Malone said indignantly.

"A lovely rest," Burris went on, oblivious. "Somewhere peaceful and
quiet, where you can just sit around and think peacefully about
peaceful things. Oh, it ought to be wonderful for you, Kenneth. A
nice, peaceful, lovely, wonderful vacation."

Through the haze of adjectives, Malone remembered dimly the last time
Burris had offered him a vacation in that tone of voice. It had turned
out to be one of the toughest cases he'd ever had: the case of the
teleporting delinquents.

[Illustration]

"Nice?" Malone said. "Peaceful? Lovely? Wonderful? I can see it now."

"What do you mean, Malone?" Burris said.

"What am I going to get?" Malone said. "A nice easy job like arresting
all the suspected nose-pickers in Mobile, Alabama?"

Burris choked and recovered quickly. "No," he said. "No, no, no. I
mean it. You've earned a vacation, Kenneth, a real vacation. A nice,
peaceful--"

"Lovely, wonderful vacation," Malone said. "But--"

"You're one of my best agents," Burris said. "I might almost say
you're my top man. My very top man. And because of that I've been
overworking you."

"But--"

"Now, now," Burris said, waving a hand vaguely. "I have been
overworking you, Kenneth, and I'm sorry. I want to make amends."

"A what?" Malone said, feeling confused again.

"Amends," Burris said. "I want to do something for you."

Malone thought about that for a second. Burris was well-meaning, all
right, but from the way the conversation was going it looked very much
as if "vacation" weren't going to be the right word.

The right word, he thought dismally, was going to be "rest home." Or
possibly even "insane asylum."

"I don't want to stop work," he said grimly. "Really, I don't."

"You'll have lots of time to yourself," Burns said in a wheedling
tone.

Malone nodded. "Sure