nie Mouse and anyone else that looks good
to me. But I don't want them on a silver platter with a gilt chain. I
want them when I want them--my wife and the waitress at Art's, and the
beer I used to drink would taste a lot better than the beer you said
I'd get and never seen!"

* * * * *

The Smith stood up and I sat down. "Women and beer. Anything else?"

"Sure," I snapped at him. "Women and beer and traffic piled up on
Gratiot and the same double feature at all the movies in town--" I got
a look at him. I felt silly. "All right, take out the needle. You
win."

He was a gentleman. He didn't laugh. "Win? Yes, I suppose I win."
Before I could think of anything else to say, he was gone.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

PART II

Smith knocked early the next morning when Stein was still clearing the
breakfast coffee. For that time of day he was disgustingly happy.

"The customary greeting, I believe, is good morning, is it not?"

I gulped the rest of my cup. "Yeah. What's on your mind?"

He sat down and waved away Stein's wordless offer of a cup. "How would
we like to take a little trip?"

We. The editorial we. "Why not?"

"This little trip--how would you like to go back home for awhile?"

"Home?" I couldn't believe my ears, and I stared at him.

He'd made a slip, and he was sorry. "I meant, back Stateside."

I slumped back in my chair. "Then you heard me the first time. What's
the difference?"

"Quite a bit of difference. No, Stein, you stay here. We're all in
this together."

"Sure," I said. "Stick around. I'm the last one to find out what's
going on around here."

He didn't appreciate my sarcasm. "I wouldn't say that, Peter."

"Forget it. What's the story?"

"We want you to go back where we can run some tests, this time as
comprehensive as we can arrange."

I couldn't see why what we'd done wouldn't be enough. "Don't tell me
you have more than the Bomb up your sleeve."

No, it wasn't like that. "There aren't more than four or six that know
anything but that the Bomb was set off prematurely because of motor
failure on the drone. The general knowledge is that it was just
another test in routine fashion. But, as I said, there are a few that
know the truth. They think it desirable that you be examined
scientifically, and completely."

"Why?" I felt ornery.

He knew it, and showed a little impatience. "Use your head, Peter. You
know better than that. We know yo