rcastically. "If you can foul things up this well when
you're off the case, God only knows what you'll accomplish using your
facilities on an all-out basis."

-------------------------------------

The Boss said slowly, "Whoever we are working against evidently isn't
short of resources. Abducting that young lady was no simple matter." The
career diplomat worked his lips in and out, in all but a pout.

Larry Woolford, who'd taken time out to go home, shower, change clothes
and medicate himself out of his dope induced hangover, sat across the desk
from him, flanked by Steve Hackett.

The Boss said sourly, "It would seem that I was in error. That our young
Susan Self was not spouting fantasy. There evidently actually is an
underground movement interested in changing our institutions." He stirred
in his chair and his scowl went deeper. "And evidently working on a basis
never conceived of by subversive organizations of the past. The fact that
they have successfully remained secret even to this department is the
prime indication that they are attempting to make their revolutionary
changes in a unique manner."

Larry said, "The trouble is, we don't even know what it is they want."

"However," his superior said slowly, "we are beginning to get inklings."

Steve Hackett said, "What inklings, sir? This sort of thing might be
routine for you people, but my field is counterfeit. I, frankly, don't
know what it's all about."

The Boss looked at him. "We have a clue or two, Mr. Hackett. For one
thing, we know that this Movement of ours has no affiliations with the
Soviet Complex, nor, so far as we know, any foreign element whatsoever. If
we take Miss Self's word, it is strictly an American phenomenon. From what
little we know of Ernest Self and Peter Voss they might be in revolt
against some of our current institutions but there is no reason to believe
them, ah, _un-American_ in the usually accepted sense of the word."

The two younger men looked at him as though he was joking.

He shook his heavy head negatively. "Actually, what do we have on this
so-called Movement thus far? Aside from treating Lawrence, here, to some
knockout drops--and let us remember that Lawrence was present in the
Professor's home without a warrant--all we have is the suspicion that they
have manufactured a quantity of counterfeit."

"A _quantity_ is right," Steve Hackett blurted. "If we're to accept what
that Self kid told us, they