ich, you'll admit,
you're always making."

"I can't compromise our famous accuracy for the whims of a few selfish
individuals," said the official. He stood up and this time the robot
whisked the chair away. He smiled and reached out his hand for the
familiar vertical file. The file wasn't there, but a robot was. It took
his hand and tried to lead him away. He shook himself loose. "You can
see we're busy. Come back when we're not in the midst of an upheaval. I
might consider a request that at present I must turn down." He walked
briskly away, leaving Marcus with a fine view of an empty room--until a
robot came and took the viewplate to the other end.

Marcus eased out of the booth. Wilbur was waiting with an anxious face.
"I know it's past noon," he said gloomily to his son. "We'll get
something to eat. Eggs." Wilbur knew better than to protest.

* * * * *

They left A-CELO before the removal robots arrived at the rear section.
In the quiet of a nearby restaurant Marcus considered the problem anew.
The mission hadn't been entirely a failure. He could accomplish one
important task without the aid of any government agency. In fact, it was
better if he didn't ask their help.

But he owed something to the memory of Captain Mathew Mezzerow. Mezzerow
his father had called the planet--and Mezzerow it was going to be.

There was also Wilma. She had arrived when both she and the settlement
were quite young. Courted and feted and proposed to endlessly, she had
found the excitement of being the center of attention irresistible. She
hadn't minded the name then, not since she was the prettiest, most
attractive girl there. There weren't many others.

But she had changed as Messy Row had grown. They had four sons now,
Wilbur the oldest. Four sons. She was not concerned whether they would
marry. Her sons were smart and handsome and belonged to the best
family--they would experience no trouble in finding wives. But if they
did she could always take them visiting--to a planet on which there was
no woman shortage.

Once she had been slightly giddy, even after they were married. Marcus
had often wondered how her lashes could possibly remain intact when
other men came near. She had outgrown that phase and when the chrysalis
burst it revealed a different woman.

Out of the flirtatious girl came the homemaker. Everything near her was
immaculate. Fences around the house were whitewashed and the lawns wer