hing
to do with the real problem. Lanza and Marley may suspect the truth
right now, for all I know; they keep such close watch on my work.
Anyway, the secret is bound to come out sooner or later."

Dr. Haslam clasped his hands and stared at them for a long while. His
lined face looked grayer than ever.

He looked up at last with a faint smile. "Well, my boy, I never asked
you to discover this stuff, but since you have--I hereby burn my
bridges! You're right, we can't give it to Marley. But you can't handle
it alone. What we need is time, and we haven't got it. We shall both be
liquidated before this is over, there's no doubt of that, but we must do
what we can. When is Tanya arriving?"

"Tomorrow night, on the Playground Jet."

"And you see Leader Marley when?"

"Next Wednesday."

"Five days yet. Then this is what we'll do. Too bad Lanza is in the
other camp, but there's you and me, and I think Hudson and Faure from
Serology will come in with us. We'll need others--sociologists,
anthropologists, psychologists--the most promising material from all
Categories if we're to create a new society based on the prospect of
immortality. But I'll see the first two and bring them to your apartment
tomorrow night for Tanya's welcome-home party. I leave it to you to
muzzle Leah."

"That won't do," said David. "I don't have a current Free Choice."

"But I have. Two, as a matter of fact, a reward for curing the insomnia
of Leader Marley's wife. I choose to give a party, I choose tomorrow
night, and I choose your apartment."

A knock rattled the door, and the watchguard thrust in his head. "How
much longer is this here experiment going to take? Do you guys want to
be reported?"

"Just finishing, Officer," called Karl. "You can leave the door open
now."

"What a stink!" said the guard. "Thank God I'm in Military!"

* * * * *

It hardly seemed like a party, David thought. His guests were ill at
ease, and their conversation labored, then stopped altogether when the
Menial came into the library with a tray of glasses and niblets.

"Put them on the liquor cabinet, James," said David. "And that will be
all. Enjoy yourself tonight."

The Menial put down the tray and then stooped to fumble with the lock.

"Let that alone! I've told you a thousand times not to monkey with my
liquor cabinet!"

"Don't you want me to get out the ice cubes, Doctor?"

"I'll do it. You can go now."

"But are you