ble, normal human being.

During the stabilization course one professor had permitted him to
skip some classes. Now he wished that he hadn't missed them; he
probably wouldn't have this semantic instability to contend with now.
Oh, well....

He _was_ tired. He'd spent the previous night, or most of it, worrying
about the miserable state of his finances. He needed money, a lot of
money. But he wouldn't, of course, admit that to Lawrence.

Lawrence would have understood why he needed money--even more than the
hundred thousand he had offered. But then Lawrence might mistrust his
motives in accepting the proposal so readily if he knew.

A year before Black had invested too much of his own money in a "sure
thing" upon the advice of a fellow psi trainee who, he subsequently
and sadly found out, had _economic_ instability. Semantic instability
was bad enough!

Not that Martin Black didn't have a hundred thousand dollars. He was,
indeed, a rather wealthy young man, thanks to his mother who had been,
to her son's knowledge--and to his alone--a psi with definite powers
of pre-vision and persuasion.

He recalled the tale Mom had told him of her first meeting with Dad,
of how she'd lingered over Dad's well groomed nails three times longer
than desire for a good tip made necessary, while she'd gently
insinuated into his mind an idea that was next day translated into
action on the stock market, with a modest investment from a modest
purse that brought the young man a small fortune. After the wedding
Martha Black dedicated herself to further improvements in the same
direction.

As for Martin's father, his chief business assets had been an
unswerving adoration of his wife and complete willingness to do with
his money as she saw fit. The combination had been unbeatable.

When Martin's father was laid to rest, Martha Black, concerned over
the future of her somewhat unusual son and fearing that economic
instability might beset him, continued to improve the fortune he would
some day inherit.

Long before the death of his mother five years before, Black
Controlled Atomics, Inc., had grown sufficiently important to command
the services of a lawyer of Standskill's caliber. Gradually Standskill
had become general counsel to the Black enterprises and at the same
time a close friend of Martha Black and her son.

It was chiefly in the latter capacity that the widow consulted
Standskill as she approached the end of her life. Her Last W