o Comrade Jankez and
myself. No restrictions whatsoever apply to you. No laws. No
regulations. We will give you identification which all will recognize,
and the bearer of which can do no wrong."

Josip was flabbergasted. "But ... but suppose I come up against some ...
well, someone high in the Party, or, well ... some general or admiral?
Some--"

Kardelj said jocularly, "You answer only to us, Comrade Pekic. Your
power is limitless. Comrade Jankez did not exaggerate. Frankly, were
cold statistics enough, Transbalkania has already at long last
overtaken the West in per capita production. Steel, agriculture, the
tonnage of coal mined, of petroleum pumped. All these supposed
indications of prosperity." He flung up his hands again in his
semihumorous gesture of despair. "But all these things do not mesh. We
cannot find such a simple matter as ... as eyebrow pencils in our
stores, nor can we be served acceptably in our restaurants and hotels.
Each man passes the buck, as the Yankees say, and no man can care less
whether or not school keeps. No man wants responsibility."

Josip was aghast, all over again. "But ... but me ... only me. What
could you expect a single person to do?"

"Don't misunderstand, Comrade," Kardelj told him with amused
compassion. "You are but an experiment. If it works out, we will seek
others who are also deemed potential expediters to do similar work.
Now, are there any further questions?"

Josip Pekic stared miserably back and forth between the two, wondering
wildly what they would say if he turned the whole thing down. His eyes
lit on the dour, heavy Number One, and inwardly he shook his head. No.
There was no question about that. You didn't turn down Zoran Jankez.
He looked at Aleksander Kardelj, and in spite of the other's smiling
face, he decided you didn't turn down Number Two, either.

Josip said carefully, "From what you say, I ... I can override anyone
in Transbalkania, except yourselves. But ... but what if I antagonize
one of you? You know ... with something I think I find wrong?"

The second in command of the Party chuckled, even as he fitted a fresh
cigarette into his curved holder. "We've provided even for that,
Comrade. Fifty thousand Common Europe francs have been deposited to
your account in Switzerland. At any time you feel your revelations
might endanger yourself, you are free to leave the country and achieve
sanctuary abroad." He chuckled whimsically again. "Given the positi