as I know, all is above board."

Frank Tracy let his eyes go about the room. "Why are you established,
almost secretly, you might say, in this business backwoods of the city?"

"No secret about it," Flowers demurred. "Merely the cheapest rent we
could find. We cut costs to the bone, and then shave the bone."

"Um-m-m. I've spoken to one of your salesmen, a Warren Dickens, and I
suppose he gave me the standard sales talk. I wonder if you could
elaborate on your company's policies, its goals, that sort of thing."

"Goals?"

"You obviously expect to make money, somehow or other, though I don't
see that peddling soap at three cents a bar has much of a future. There
must be some further angle."

Flowers said, "Admittedly, soap is just a beginning. Among other things,
it's given us a mailing list of satisfied customers. Consumers who can
then be approached for future purchases."

* * * * *

Frank Tracy relaxed in his chair, reached for pipe and tobacco and let
the other go on. But his eyes had narrowed, coldly.

Flowers wrapped himself up in his subject. "Mr. Tracy, you probably have
no idea of the extent to which the citizens of Greater America are being
victimized. Let me use but one example." He came quickly to his feet,
crossed to a small toilet which opened off the office and returned with
a power-pack electric shaver which he handed to Tracy.

Tracy looked at it, put it back on the desk and nodded. "It's the brand
I have," he said agreeably.

"Yes, and millions of others. What did you pay for it?"

Frank Tracy allowed himself a slight smirk. "As a matter of fact, I got
mine through a discount outfit, only twenty-five dollars."

"_Only_ twenty-five dollars, eh, when the retail price is supposedly
thirty-five?" Flowers was triumphant. "A great bargain, eh? Well, let
me give you a rundown, Mr. Tracy."

He took a quick breath. "True, they're advertised to retail at
thirty-five dollars. And stores that sell them at that rate make a
profit of fifty per cent. The regional supply house, before them, knocks
down from forty to sixty per cent, on the wholesale price. Then the
trade name distributor makes at least fifty per cent on the sales to the
regional supply houses."

"Trade name distributor?" Tracy said, as though ignorant of what the
other was talking about. "You mean the manufacturer?"

"No, sir. That razor you just looked at bears a trade name of a company
that owns no fa