The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventurer, by Cyril M. Kornbluth

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Title: The Adventurer

Author: Cyril M. Kornbluth

Illustrator: Kelly Freas

Release Date: September 4, 2009 [EBook #29908]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE
Adventurer

BY C. M. KORNBLUTH

ILLUSTRATED BY FREAS

For every evil under the sun, there's an answer.
It may be a simple, direct answer; it may be one
that takes years, and seems unrelated to the
problem. But there's an answer--of a kind....

President Folsom XXIV said petulantly to his Secretary of the Treasury:
"Blow me to hell, Bannister, if I understood a single word of that.
_Why_ can't I buy the Nicolaides Collection? And don't start with the
rediscount and the Series W business again. Just tell me _why_."

The Secretary of the Treasury said with an air of apprehension and a
thread-like feeling across his throat: "It boils down to--no money, Mr.
President."

The President was too engrossed in thoughts of the marvelous collection
to fly into a rage. "It's _such_ a bargain," he said mournfully. "An
archaic Henry Moore figure--really too big to finger, but I'm no
culture-snob, thank God--and fifteen early Morrisons and I can't begin
to tell you what else." He looked hopefully at the Secretary of Public
Opinion: "Mightn't I seize it for the public good or something?"

The Secretary of Public Opinion shook his head. His pose was gruffly
professional. "Not a chance, Mr. President. We'd never get away with it.
The art-lovers would scream to high Heaven."

[Illustration]

"I suppose so.... _Why_ isn't there any money?" He had swiveled
dangerously on the Secretary of the Treasury again.

"Sir, purchases of the new Series W bond issue have lagged badly because
potential buyers have been attracted to--"

"Stop it, stop it, _stop_ it! You know I can't make head or tail of that
stuff. Where's the money _going_?"

The Director of the Budget said cautiously: "Mr. President, during the
biennium just en