kling of what's
going on. As far as I know no other FBI operative has learned as
much."

"And what have you found out?"

"Essentially the same things you were describing in the cell, plus
more details on the actual work they're doing. Apparently the
Institute was onto Meade's plans long before we were. It doesn't speak
well for your purposes, whatever they are, that you haven't asked us
for help before this.

"The decision to kidnap Dr. Tighe was taken only a couple of weeks
ago. I haven't had a chance to communicate with my associates in the
force. There's always someone around, watching. The set-up's well
arranged, so that even those not under suspicion don't have much
chance to work unobserved, once they've gotten high enough to know
anything important. Everybody spies on everybody else and submits
periodic reports."

She gave him a harsh look. "So here I am. No official person knows my
whereabouts and if I should disappear it would be called a deplorable
accident. Nothing could be proved and I doubt if the FBI would ever
get another chance to do any effective spying."

"But you have proof enough for a raid," he ventured.

"No, we haven't. Up till the time I was told Dr. Tighe was going to be
snatched I didn't know for certain that anything illegal was going on.
There's nothing in the law against like-minded people knowing each
other and having a sort of club. Even if they hire tough characters
and arm them the law can't protest. The Act of Nineteen Ninety-nine
effectively forbids private armies but it would be hard to prove Meade
has one."

"He doesn't really," said Dalgetty. "Those goons aren't much more than
what they claim to be--bodyguards. This whole fight is primarily on
a--a mental level."

"So I gather. And can a free country forbid debate or propaganda? Not
to mention that Meade's people include some powerful men in the
government itself. If I could get away from here alive we'd be able to
hang a kidnapping charge on Thomas Bancroft, with assorted charges of
threat, mayhem and conspiracy, but it wouldn't touch the main group."
Her fists clenched. "It's like fighting shadows."

* * * * *

"You war against the sunset-glow. The judgment follows fast my lord!"
quoted Dalgetty. _Heriots' Ford_ was one of the few poems he liked.
"Getting Bancroft out of the way would be something," he added. "The
way to fight Meade is not to attack him physically but to change the
con