ut I know how to take care of one
or two, and we'll lick the rest. You tell your friend Mike I want to
shake him by the hand. I hope to do it tonight!"

He hung up, and Joe went out of the phone booth. Mike looked at him
with yearning eyes. Joe lied a little, because Mike rated it.

"My father's on the way here to help make it work," he told Mike. Then
he added untruthfully: "He said he thought he knew all the big men in
his line, and where've you been that he hasn't heard of you?"

He turned away as the Chief whooped with glee. He hurried back to Major
Holt as the Chief and Haney began zestfully to manhandle Mike in
celebration of his genius.

The major held up his hand as Joe entered. He was using the desk phone.
Joe waited. When he hung up, Joe reported. The major seemed unsurprised.

"Yes, I had Washington on the wire," he said detachedly. "I talked to a
personal friend who's a three-star general. There will be action started
at the Pentagon. When you came in I was arranging with the largest
producers of powder-metallurgy products in the country to send their
best men here by plane. They will start at once. Now I have to get in
touch with some other people."

Joe gaped at him. The major moved impatiently, waiting for Joe to leave.
Joe gulped. "Excuse me, sir, but--my father didn't say it was certain.
He just thinks it can be made to work. He's not sure."

"I didn't even wait for that, something has to turn up to take care of
this situation!" said the Major with asperity. "It has to! This
particular scheme may not work, but if it doesn't, something will come
out of the work on it! You should look at a twenty-five cent piece
occasionally, Joe!"

He moved impatiently, and Joe went out. Sally was smiling in the outer
office. There were whoopings in the corridor beyond. The Chief and Haney
were celebrating Mike's brainstorm with salutary indignity, because if
they didn't make a joke of it he might cry with joy.

"Things look better?"

"They do," said Joe. "If it only works...."

Then he hunted in his pocket. He found a quarter and examined it
curiously. On one side he found nothing the major could have referred
to. On the other side, though, just by George Washington's chin----

He put the quarter away and took Sally's arm.

"It'll be all right," he said slowly.

But there were times when it seemed in doubt. Joe's father arrived by
plane at sunset of that same day, and he and three men from the Kenmore
P