with me?"

She leaned forward in her earnestness. "All your life you've revolted
against the _status quo_, Joe. You've beaten your head against the
situation that confronted you, against a society you felt didn't allow
you to develop your potentialities. But now you admit you've been
wrong. What is needed is to"--she shot a defiant glance at Frank
Hodgson, to his amusement--"change the rules if the race is to get
back onto the road to progress." She shrugged. "Very well. You can't
expect it to be done single handed. You need an organization. Others
who feel the same way you do. Here we are."

He was truly amazed now. When he had finally admitted interest in what
Nadine had hinted to be a subversive organization, he'd had in mind
some secretive group, possibly making their headquarters in a hidden
cellar, complete with primitive printing press, and possibly some
weapons. He most certainly hadn't expected to be introduced to the
secretary of the Foreign Minister, and the working head of the North
American Bureau of Investigation.

Joe blurted, "But ... but you mean you Uppers are actually planning to
subvert your own government?"

Holland said, "I'm not an Upper. I'm a Mid-Middle. What're you Frank?"

"Darned if I know," Hodgson said. "I forget. I think I was bounced up
to Upper-Middle about ten years ago, for some reason or other, but I
was busy at the time and didn't pay much attention. Every once in a
while one of the Uppers I work with gets all excited about it and
wants to jump me to Upper, but somehow or other we've never got around
to it. What difference does it make?"

Joe Mauser was not the type to let his mouth fall agape, but he stared
at the other, unbelievingly.

"What's the matter?" Hodgson said.

"Nothing," Joe said.

Philip Holland said briskly, "Let's get on with it. Nadine"--his voice
had a dry quality--"is one of our most efficient talent scouts. It was
no mistake I met you at her home, a few weeks back, Joe. She thought
you were potentially one of us. I admit to having formed the same
opinion, upon our brief meeting. I now put the question to you direct.
Do you wish to join our organization, the purpose of which is
admittedly, to change our present socio-economic system and, as Nadine
put it, get back on the road to progress?"

"Yes," Joe said. "I do."

"Very well, welcome aboard, as Frank said. Your first assignment will
take you to Budapest."

* * * * *