men were tried, convicted, and executed. The Chinese government
sent us abject apologies. The double's body was shipped back to the
United States with full honors, but by the time it reached here, the
eye-cone patterns had deteriorated to the point where they couldn't be
identified any more than the fingerprints could. And there were half a
hundred reputable scientists of a dozen friendly nations who were
eye-witnesses to the killing and who are all absolutely certain that it
was James Ch'ien who died."

Candron nodded. "So, while the whole world was mourning the fact that
one of Earth's greatest physicists has died, he was being held captive
in the most secret and secure prison that the Red Chinese government
could put him in."

Taggert nodded. "And your job will be to get him out," he said softly.

Candron said nothing for a moment, as he thought the problem out.
Taggert said nothing to interrupt him.

Neither of them worried about being overheard or spied upon. Besides
being equipped with hush devices and blanketing equipment, the building
was guarded by Reeves and Donahue, whose combined senses of perception
could pick up any activity for miles around which might be inimical to
the Society.

"How much backing do we get from the Federal Government?" Candron asked
at last.

"We can swing the cover-up afterwards all the way," Taggert told him
firmly. "We can arrange transportation back. That is, the Federal
Government can. But getting over there and getting Ch'ien out of durance
vile is strictly up to the Society. Senator Kerotski and Secretary
Gonzales are giving us every opportunity they can, but there's no use
approaching the President until after we've proven our case."

Candron gestured his understanding. The President of the United States
was a shrewd, able, just, and ethical human being--but he was not yet a
member of the Society, and perhaps would never be. As a consequence it
was still impossible to convince him that the S.M.M.R. knew what it was
talking about--and that applied to nearly ninety per cent of the Federal
and State officials of the nation.

Only a very few knew that the Society was an _ex officio_ branch of the
government itself. Not until the rescue of James Ch'ien was an
accomplished fact, not until there was physical, logical proof that the
man was still alive would the government take official action.

"What's the outline?" Candron wanted to know.

Taggert outlined the proposed cou