notice? Twenty minutes to plane time and I've got to
get another reservation."

"I'm sorry, Frank."

"Maybe there isn't a seat."

"Wouldn't that be terrible?"

"Then we'll have to wait over."

"Why don't you go and see?"

Five minutes later they were walking down the west tunnel to gate
twenty-six.

Frank Corson grinned. "Come on, woman, I'm going to take you across
state lines for immoral purposes."

"How wonderful," she breathed.

* * * * *

Brent Taber was human and his triumph had been a thing of satisfaction
to him--but only momentarily. Now it had a slightly sour taste.

Not that he was unhappy. He was content and almost relaxed as he sat in
Doctor Entman's patio and worked on a Scotch and soda.

"A nice night," Entman said.

"Beautiful. Those stars are about ready to fall into our laps."

"Menace out there? It seems unthinkable."

"Doesn't it?"

"The human animal is a strange creature. He's so capable of refusing to
believe what he doesn't want to believe."

"Maybe he's smarter than we think. Maybe there's no point in looking at
a pending disaster from every angle. The what-will-be-will-be attitude
isn't necessarily like that of the ostrich which sticks its head in the
sand."

"Do the people inside really believe?" Entman asked.

"It's pretty difficult to tell. Sometimes I wonder what my own real
feelings are."

"I wasn't completely briefed on how it ended," Entman said delicately.

"I think the phony specifications got through."

"If they did--if things are really as they appear--"

Taber smiled in the darkness. "Are _you_ beginning to doubt, Doctor?"

"Oh, be quiet," Entman said with friendly petulance. "I was going to say
that I was rather proud of those details. If our hostiles out there
follow my specifications, they'll create androids with much smaller
lungs and non-porous skin that will give them no end of trouble when
they start chasing frightened householders down the streets of the
world."

Taber chuckled. "I remember a story about the Japanese Navy. They were
supposed to have built some ships to specifications stolen in England.
When launched, they slid out into the bay and tipped over."

Entman sighed. "I wish I could get some of the data those creatures
used in the construction of the androids."

"You'd like to make one of your own?"

"It would solve the servant problem. Terrible here in Washington."

"Labor unions would holler bl