your
particular talent, Alcorn," Jaffers said flatly. "It will pay you five
times what you earn with Consolidated. You understand why I'm taking you
on."

"I know." The arrogance wearied rather than angered Alcorn. "I have a
gift for arranging fair settlements when both principals are present.
Mr. Jaffers, I've never exploited my gift for personal profit. That's a
matter of self-protection as well as ethics--I don't like trouble." He
reached for the canceling stud to end the interview. "Others have made
the same offer before you and there'll be others again. But I won't use
my ability unfairly."

Jaffers smiled, unamused. "You do go straight to the point, which saves
argument. But you'll work for me, Alcorn. Those others made the mistake
of talking to you personally. I know that you can be reached as easily
as any other man if my agents keep more than fifty feet away from you."
His eyes moved past Alcorn to the window. "Look at the window across the
street."

Alcorn, turning, felt his neck prickle. Across the narrow canyon of
street, without pretense at concealing himself, a man in gray clothing
watched him from an open office window.

"I've had you under surveillance for days," Jeffers' voice said behind
him. "I've located two others of your sort since my statisticians
brought their existence to my attention, but somehow they slipped
through my fingers this week. I'm taking no chances on you."

Alcorn whirled back incredulously. "You've found others? Where and--"

"I'll tell you that when you're on my payroll."

"It's a trick," Alcorn said angrily. "I searched for years before I
settled down with Consolidated and I didn't find a trace of anybody like
myself. I don't believe there are any."

"Most of them covered themselves better." Jaffers added, with cold
finality, "I don't haggle, Alcorn. You'll work for me or for no one."

* * * * *

"The trouble is," Alcorn said, "that I'm different from other people and
I have to know why. I know _how_ I'm different, but if I knew _why_, I'd
never have come to a psychiatrist."

Dr. Hagen rattled the data sheet in his hands and blinked behind his
pince-nez like a friendly beagle. He was a very puzzled man, being
accustomed to analyzing his own reactions as well as those of his
patients. Alcorn could see him struggling to account for the sudden
serenity that had come over him the instant Alcorn entered the
office--certainly it was not th