ng on something--" Pringle exclaimed.

"I mean my department has," the Chief covered himself hastily. "I'm
responsible for what goes on in my department, you know. I gotta have
some kind of an explanation." He was almost wailing now. "What with
budgets coming on, and all."

"Make up your own explanation," Kenzie answered disinterestedly.
"It's a cinch you can't give out with the real one."

The Chief began to wheedle. "You two boys know the explanation. Why
can't you tell me? This is your Chief who's talking, boys. The one who
has always stood by you and covered for you. Remember? You just gotta
tell me, boys." I saw Pringle and Kenzie look at one another.

"I guess he's right, Ken," Pringle said. "That is, if he promises
never to tell anybody."

"Yeah. I guess so." Kenzie nodded his head in agreement. "We owe him
that much for just letting us alone."

The Chief let out a big sigh of relief.

"It's about ants," Kenzie began.

"Now, now, Kenzie boy," the Chief interrupted hurriedly. "Let's stay
on the subject, shall we? Let's not get off on that tangent again,
Kenzie boy. Shall we?"

"Nuts," Kenzie said.

"But this is about ants, Chief," Pringle answered. Then shrewdly, "But
first you gotta promise, Chief."

"All right, I promise," the Chief acceded testily.

"It's about ants," Kenzie repeated stubbornly. The Chief winced, but
he held his peace.

"They're intelligent," Kenzie said profoundly, and stopped.

"I know," the Chief prompted. "I know, Kenzie boy. You've been saying
that all along."

"I communicated with them," Kenzie said flatly.

"You what?" The Chief's eyes bugged out. I guess mine did too.

"Sure," Kenzie answered. "After a fashion, that is. In their anthers
they've got a chitin cell diaphragm. Modified cellular structure. They
communicate with a sort of microwave. Roughly you might say it
generates and radiates like our brain wave. Roughly, very roughly.
This chitin diaphragm picks up the microwave like our ears pick up
sound. Roughly, that is."

"But that's wonderful," the Chief glowed. It didn't take much
imagination to see him in the General Manager's office explaining how
his multiwhoozits gadget worked. Maybe nothing immediately commercial
about it, but when the publicity office got hold of it--man, it would
mean plenty of free publicity for the Company. And how Old Rock Jaw
loved free publicity!

"We tuned in on them," Kenzie was saying. "By putting different kinds
of food ar