r perhaps a day later."

"If you can do it by then I'll stay over. I'd like to examine this
proposal more closely. It has merit. That's the second constructive
suggestion you've made tonight. Despite your peculiar desire for
privacy, I'm glad you came back." Alexander smiled.

Kennon smiled back. Apparently the entrepreneur had taken the bait.
But it was too early to tell whether he had swallowed it without
reservation. It all depended upon how much had been given away before
he had discovered that Alexander was a telepath. Perhaps Alexander was
merely leading him on. There were too many intangibles, and there was no
way of predicting how it would turn out. But he felt mildly optimistic.

Alexander closed the meeting, and Kennon left promptly. He had a good
excuse. There was plenty of work to do if he was going to prepare an
adequate plan for utilizing Olympus Station. Jordan went with him,
but Blalok stayed behind. It was natural enough. Blalok was the
administrator, but Kennon felt uneasy. Nor would he have felt any better
if he could have heard what went on after he left.

Alexander looked quizzically at Blalok after the door closed behind the
two men.

"Well, Evald, what do you think? Does it strike you that Kennon's
sincere--or does it sound as though he has something up his sleeve?"

"If he does," Blalok said, "I don't know what it could be. I wouldn't
take a job on Olympus if you gave it to me."

"If he doesn't know about the place," Alexander said thoughtfully, "it's
probable that his suggestion was honest. I think it is but I'm not sure.
He worries me now that I can't read him. I think I'll send Douglas back
here to watch him."

"Why? In my book that'd be a poor choice. After all, you said Kennon
saved his life. He should be grateful."

"You don't know Douglas," Alexander said. "He hates Kennon's guts for
what he did."

"What did he do?"

"He made Douglas feel inferior. And there's no surer way to gain my
cousin's undying enmity." Alexander laughed. "I know," he said. "He'd
like to kill me, too."

Blalok shrugged.

"But in the meantime I want you to keep an eye on Kennon. If his outline
is all right, I'm going to authorize him to set up this experiment. I
want to give him every possible chance. I like him--and he's done good
work. I wouldn't want him to feel that I distrust him."

"Which you do, of course," Blalok said dryly.

Alexander smiled. "Actually," he said with equal dryness, "I distr