things
around with you. As you've noticed, that's getting to be my favorite
indoor sport. Probably because I'm a sort of jackleg theoretician
myself."

"You can frame that, Jarve, as the understatement of the century. But
first, you are going to answer that question you sidestepped so neatly."

"What I did to Bill? I finally convinced him that nobody expected the
team to do that big a job overnight. That you could have ten years. Or
more, if necessary."

"I see." She frowned. "But you and I both know that we _can't_ string it
out that long."

He did not answer immediately. "We _could_. But we probably won't ...
unless we have to. We should know, long before that, whether we'll have
to switch to some other line of attack. You've considered the
possibilities, of course. Have you got anything in shape to do a
fine-tooth on?"

"Not yet. That is, except for the ultimate, which is too ghastly to even
consider except as an ultimately last resort. Have you?"

"I know what you mean. No, I haven't, either. You don't think, then,
that we had better do any collaborative thinking yet?"

"Definitely not. There's altogether too much danger of setting both our
lines of thought into one dead-end channel."

"Check. The other thing I wanted from you is your considered opinion as
to my job on the organization as a whole. And don't pull your punches.
Are we in good shape or not? What can I do to improve the setup?"

* * * * *

"I have already considered that very thing--at great length. And
honestly, Jarve, I don't see how it can be improved in any respect.
You've done a marvelous job. Much better than I thought possible at
first." He heaved a deep sigh of relief and she went on: "This could
very easily have become a God-awful mess. But the Board knew what they
were doing--especially as to top man--so there are only about four
people aboard who realize what you have done. Alex Kincaid and Sandra
Cummings are two of them. One of the three girls is very deeply and very
truly in love with you."

"Ordinarily I'd say 'no comment', but we're laying on the line ...
well ..."

"You'll lay _that_ on the line only if I corkscrew it out you, so I'll
Q.E.D. it. You probably know that when Sandy gets done playing around
it'll be ..."

"Bounce back, Teddy. She isn't--hasn't been. If anything, too much the
opposite. A dedicated-scientist type."

She smiled--a highly cryptic smile. For a man as brilliant a