ok a deep breath and decided
that he was prepared for almost anything.

There were four men seated around the conference table in the back room,
and the most surprising thing, as far as Sam was concerned, was that he
recognized only one of them. From the big buildup, he had had half a
notion that the President himself might be there.

"Mr. Samson Bending, gentlemen," said Secretary Condley to the group.
They all rose and made half-hearted attempts to smile, but Sam could see
that they were watching him as though he had a live grenade in his
pocket.

"Mr. Bending, I believe you know Mr. Richard Olcott," the Secretary
said.

Bending gave the Power Utilities executive a sardonic smile, which was
returned by a solemn nod of the head.

_Sure I know you, you crook_, Bending thought.

"And, around the table," Condley continued, "are Dr. Edward Larchmont,
the research departmental head of Power Utilities--Dr. Stefan Vanderlin,
of the United States Bureau of Standards--and Dr. Alexis Andreevich
Artomonov, of the Soviet Socialist Republics' representative office at
the United Nations."

Sam Bending managed not to blink in astonishment as the last man was
introduced--a feat which took every milligram of his self-possession. He
recognized the name; A. A. Artomonov, head of the United Nation's
International Trade Bureau. What was _he_ doing here?

"If you'll sit down, Mr. Bending," Condley was saying, "we can get to
business."

Bending sat down, and the others sat with him. "May I say something
before we go any further?" Sam Bending asked. "May I say that I think
this is a rather irregular method of doing things and that I think I
ought to see my lawyer."

Secretary Condley's eyes narrowed just the slightest. He was a heavy,
jowl-faced, graying man who was known for his firmness in his official
capacity. "At this stage of the game, Mr. Bending, there is no need for
a lawyer. We merely want to explain something to you--we want you to get
all the data. If, afterwards, you still want your lawyer, you'll be
perfectly free to call him. Right now, we want you to listen with an
open mind."

Bending thought it over. "All right. Go ahead."

* * * * *

"Very well. First, I'll agree that all this may seem a bit high-handed.
But time was--and is--getting short." He glanced at Olcott, and the
glance was not all friendliness. "The Government was notified about this
almost too late; we have had to a