urate or applicable one. The human mind is not a piece
of precious metal found in a mountain of ore. Rather, it's an intricate
device capable of producing computations of unbelievable complexity. And
we know how such devices that are superior in function are produced, and
we know what their characteristics are. We also know that such a device
does not 'play out'. If it is superior in function, it can remain so for
a long time."

"High-grading," said Fenwick. "And the vein is played out. You'll never
find the thing you're looking for until you develop means of processing
low-grade material."

* * * * *

Baker watched Fenwick across the desk. He was weary of the whole thing.
He certainly had no need to prove himself to this man. He had simply
tried to do Fenwick a favor, and Fenwick had thrown it right back in his
face. Yet there was a temptation to go on, to prove to Fenwick the
difference between their two worlds. Fenwick belonged to a world
compounded of inevitable failure. The temptation to show him, to try
again to lift him out of it was born of a kind of pity for Fenwick.

Baker's own life had arrowed decisively, without waver, to a goal that
was as correct as the tolerances of human error could make it. He often
permitted himself the pride of considering his mind somewhat as a
computer that had been programmed through a magnificent gene inheritance
to drive irresistibly toward the precise goals he had reached. But
Fenwick--Fenwick was still fumbling around in a morass of uncertainty.
After years of erratic starts and stops he was now confusedly trying to
make something out of that miserable little institution called
Clearwater College.

It wasn't particularly friendship that urged Baker to show Fenwick.
Their friendship was of a breed that Baker had never quite been able to
define to his own satisfaction. It seemed to him there was a sort of
deadly fascination in associating with a man who walked so blindly, who
was so profoundly incapable of understanding his own blindness and
peril.

"I'm going to show you," Baker said abruptly, "exactly what it would
mean if we were to do as you suggest. I'll show you what it would be
like to give attention to every halfwit and crackpot that comes begging
for a handout." He switched the intercom and spoke into it. "Doris,
please bring in the Ellerbee file. Yes--the crackpot section."

He switched off. "Doris has her own quaint but quite acc