I was afraid
you had seen it."

"Afraid!" Joey laughed. "That was the clincher." He leaned over the old
man. "Listen, Mr. Ewing, the second I saw that wreck, I realized what we
have in Formula #53. I want to help you make use of it--the proper use."

The old man shook his head. "I'm afraid," he whimpered.

Joey ignored the interruption. "We'll work this together. If we play it
smart, the sky's the limit. We can be millionaires. Name our own
prices." He laughed in his excitement. "They'll meet our demands when
they see what we've got to offer."

Ewing had slowly pushed himself to his feet. He regarded Joey with mixed
apprehension and disgust. "You ... you can't commercialize my
discovery," he protested. "I wouldn't permit the formula to be used for
personal gain."

"Not just MY gain. You and me together." Joey looked at the red-plush
photo album and rubbed his hands. "I'll bet we got pictures in that
album worth a hundred grand."

Abruptly, Ewing stepped past Joey and seized the album. He cradled it in
his arms. "That's out of the question." He tottered toward the
fireplace. "Mr. Barrett," he pleaded, "I beg you to go now."

Anger simmered in Joey--anger and frustration. "All right," he said,
forcing himself to be reasonable. "Those are your pictures." He faced
Ewing at the fireplace. "But if I take some, will you give me the
formula so I can develop them?"

Stubbornly, the old man shook his head.

"What IS the formula?" Joey demanded.

"I've never written it down." Ewing clutched the red-plush photo album
with one hand and gestured imploringly with the other. "Mr. Barrett,
every moment you stay here, you jeopardize us both. Leave now. Please.
Forget we ever met ... that you ever heard of Formula #53."

"Forget!" Joey's hands clenched and unclenched in mounting desperation.
"You can't start a guy on a thing like this, Ewing, and then tell him to
forget it!" For a long second, they stared at each other. Ewing was
breathing heavily and perspiration beaded the parchment face.

* * * * *

Joey tried another tactic: "Look ... if you don't want to give me the
formula, at least let me have a few of the pictures in that album.
Whatever I get out of them, I'll split with you." He reached out
tentatively.

Ewing shrank back. "Go away. Let me alone. There's nothing in the album.
I burned the pictures."

"You're lying!" The thought of the money the old fool had thrown away
cut into