ts, and they adjust their rates accordingly. But something
that would change a five-percent-failure rate to a fifty-percent-failure
rate would break the company.

And the unemployment rate would go up even higher. And Sam thought of
something the Secretary hadn't even mentioned. State and Federal
Unemployment Insurance. What would that drain do to the treasuries of
the various governments involved?

Sam Bending felt as if the thing were snowballing on him. Where would
the State and Federal Governments get that money? Taxes? Don't be silly.
How can you collect sales taxes when sales are dropping off because of
unemployment? How can you get income taxes from depleted incomes? How
can you charge luxury taxes when no one is buying luxuries?

Certainly essentials like food, rent, and clothing couldn't be taxed.
People would buy as cheaply as possible, which would force down prices.
Which would--

* * * * *

"Where would it go from there?" Sam asked Condley in a shaken voice.

Condley glanced over at the Russian. "I believe Dr. Artomonov can answer
that one for you."

Artomonov was a red-faced, fleshy man with almost no hair and a huge,
bristling, gray mustache. His eyes were a startling blue. "Mr. Bending,"
he said in excellent English, "you may recall that your depression of
the Thirties was not confined to America. All of Europe became involved.
The same will happen again, to a greater degree, if your machine is
released to the world at this time." He brushed at his mustache with a
fingertip.

"You may wonder what I am doing here, Mr. Bending. You might think that
the traditional rivalry which has existed between our countries for so
many decades would preclude my being admitted to such a secret session
as this one. I might have thought so, too, fifteen years ago. But when
something threatens _both_ our countries, the picture changes. We fought
together during the Motherland War--what you call World War II--because
of the common threat of German Nazi terrorism. We co-operated to
suppress the brush-fires that threatened us in Europe and the Middle
East during the so-called Tense War. In big things we must co-operate.

"Again we are both threatened by a common source, Mr. Bending, and again
we must co-operate."

Sam Bending felt a chill. The thought that he and his machine were a
threat as great as that, a threat to the two greatest nations of Earth,
was appalling.

"I am not a sc