l's face darkened. "I keep hoping that our policy of handling
the Nipe hasn't been a mistake. If it has, it's going to prove a fatal
one--for the whole race."

"Let's go into the lounge," Farnsworth said. "Standing around in an empty
chamber like this isn't the most comfortable way to discuss the fate of
mankind." His voice brought hollow echoes from the walls.

Colonel Mannheim grinned at the touch of lightness the biophysicist had
injected into the conversation. "Very well. I could do with some coffee,
if you have some."

"All you want," said Dr. Farnsworth, leading the way toward the door of
the chamber and opening it. "Or, if you'd prefer something with a little
more power to it--?"

"Thanks, no. Coffee will do fine," said Mannheim. "How about you, Mr.
Stanton?"

Bart Stanton shook his head. "I'd love to have some coffee, but I'll leave
the alcohol alone. I'd just have the luck to be finishing a drink when
our friend, the Nipe, popped in on us. And when I do meet him, I'm going
to need every microsecond of reflex speed I can scrape up."

* * * * *

They walked down a soft-floored, warmly-lit corridor to an elevator which
whisked them up to the main level of the Neurophysical Institute Building.

Another corridor led them to a room that might have been the common room
of one of the more exclusive men's clubs. There were soft chairs and
shelves of books and reading tables and smoking stands, all quietly
luxurious. There was no one in the room when the three men entered.

"We can have some privacy here," Dr. Farnsworth said. "None of the rest of
the staff will come in until we're through."

Colonel Mannheim looked at the biophysicist speculatively. "You seem to
think secrecy's important all of a sudden."

Bart Stanton grinned and kept silent.

Dr. Farnsworth went over to a table, where an urn of coffee radiated soft
warmth. "Cream and sugar over there on the tray," he said as he began to
fill cups.

"Frankly," Colonel Mannheim said, "I was going to ask you to find us a
place where we could talk privately. You seem to have anticipated me."

"I thought you might have something like that in mind," said Dr.
Farnsworth without looking up.

The cups were filled and the three men sat down in a triangle of chairs
before any of them spoke again. Colonel Mannheim took a sip from his cup
and then looked up.

"All right, we'll begin this way. Mr. Stanton, granted that you've been