re all the bright young men currently have to be seen once or
twice a week?" she snapped back at him. "Get lost, Larry. Being a healthy,
normal woman I'm interested in men, but not necessarily in walking
status-symbols."

It was his turn to flush, and, he decided wryly, he probably didn't do it
as prettily as she did.

On his way to his office, he wondered why the Boss kept her on.
Classically, a secretary-receptionist should have every pore in place, but
in her time LaVerne Polk must have caused more than one bureaucratic
eyebrow to raise. Efficiency was probably the answer; the Boss couldn't
afford to let her go.

Larry Woolford's office wasn't much more than a cubicle. He sat down at
the desk and banged a drawer or two open and closed. He liked the work,
liked the department, but theoretically he still had several days of
vacation and hated to get back into routine.

Had he known it, this was hardly going to be routine.

He flicked the phone finally and asked for an outline. He dialed three
numbers before getting his subject. The phone screen remained blank.

"Hans?" he said. "Lawrence Woolford."

The Teutonic accent was heavy, the voice bluff. "Ah, Larry! you need some
assistance to make your vacation? Perhaps a sinister, exotic young lady,
complete with long cigarette holder?"

Larry Woolford growled, "How'd you know I was on vacation?"

The other laughed. "You know better than to ask that, my friend."

Larry said, "The vacation is over, Hans. I need some information."

The voice was more guarded now. "I owe you a favor or two."

"Don't you though? Look, Hans, what's new in the Russkie camp?"

The heartiness was gone. "How do you mean?"

"Is there anything big stirring? Is there anyone new in this country from
the Soviet Complex?"

"Well now--" the other's voice drifted away.

Larry Woolford said impatiently, "Look, Hans, let's don't waste time
fencing. You run a clearing agency for, _ah_, information. You're strictly
a businessman, nonpartisan, so to speak. Fine, thus far our department has
tolerated you. Perhaps we'll continue to. Perhaps the reason is that we
figure we get more out of your existence than we lose. The Russkies
evidently figure the same way, the proof being that you're alive and have
branches in the capitals of every power on Earth."

"All right, all right," the German said. "Let me think a moment. Can you
give me an idea of what you're looking for?" There was an undernote of