out his
hand. "Otherwise, I would tell him all that myself and more. As it is,
Uncle Ralph, smooth out the ruffled plumage. They'd go to hell for you,
wading in standing straight up--they might do the same with me in the
driver's seat, and they might not. Why take a chance? You're IT. Some
things about the deal I don't like, of course--but at that, it makes me
about the only man working for Stoner and Black who can get a release
any time a good permanent job breaks. I'll stick until then. O.K.?" It
was unnecessary for Barton to add that as long as he was there he would
really work.

"I'll say it's O.K.!" and Kinnison reported to Sumner.

"All right, Chief, I'll try it--if you can square it with the
Siberians."

"That will not be too difficult."

Nor was it. The Siberians' reaction brought a lump to Kinnison's throat.

"Ralph the First, Czar of Siberia!" they yelled. "Long live the Czar!
Kowtow, serfs and vassals, to Czar Ralph the First!"

Kinnison was still glowing when he got home that night, to the
Government Housing Project and to the three-room "mansionette" in which
he and Eunice lived. He would never forget the events of that day.

"What a gang! _What_ a gang! But listen, ace--they work under their own
power--you couldn't _keep_ those kids from working. Why should I get the
credit for what they do?"

"I haven't the foggiest." Eunice wrinkled her forehead--and her
nose--but the corners of her mouth quirked up. "Are you quite sure that
you haven't had _anything_ to do with it? But supper is ready--let's
eat."

More months passed. Work went on. Absorbing work, and highly varied; the
details of which are of no importance here. Paul Jones, a big, hard,
top-drawer chicle technologist, set up the Four line to pour demolition
blocks. Frederick Hinton came in, qualified as a Siberian, and went to
work on Anti-Personnel mines.

Kinnison was promoted again: to Chief Chemist. He and Sumner had never
been friendly; he made no effort to find out why Cappy had quit, or had
been terminated, whichever it was. This promotion made no difference.
Barton, now Assistant, ran the whole Chemical Section save for one
unit--Siberia--and did a superlative job. The Chief Chemist's secretary
worked for Barton, not for Kinnison. Kinnison was the Czar of Siberia.

The Anti-Personnel mines had been giving trouble. Too many men were
being killed by prematures, and nobody could find out why. The problem
was handed to Siberia. Hinton