rt.

And then, the conversion bomb was so much more important.

He closed the first drawer and opened the one with the conversion bomb
tapes.

But the Gnii had to be answered tomorrow--the bomb could wait. He
slammed the drawer shut.

"Gnii," he muttered to himself, and opened the other drawer.

Then he noticed that he had put the police action order back into his
OUTGOING basket. He slammed the drawer with the Gnii tapes shut again
and opened the drawer below it and pushed the order inside, so that it
wouldn't be picked up by mistake before he could check on it.

"Five hundred thousand men in here," he said as he closed the drawer.
"Going to--"

Where were they supposed to go? He couldn't remember. He opened the
drawer again and looked at the order. To Altair D. The name had no
meaning for him.

Now, let's see ... oh, yes, the conversion bomb tape.

He opened the drawer to take out the tapes, and remembered that the
Gnii ultimatum had to be answered by tomorrow.

"Gnii, Gnu, Gnuts," he said, opening a drawer. It was the wrong one,
and the tapes weren't there. Which tapes?

The door opened, and President Wong looked up to see Al's smiling face
peering in.

"I was passing by, sir," Al said, "and I wondered if I couldn't talk
you into supper--"

"_Get out!_" the President shouted.

The door closed softly.

Now where was he?... Oh, yes, the conversion bomb. Conversion,
conversion, conversation, bomb, bomb, boom, _BOOM_. But that wasn't it
either--it was the Gnii, they had to be answered by tomorrow.... Gnii,
Gnii, Gnu, Gnuts, now in what drawer had he put the gnats? And why
order a police action against Gnats? Just convert every one of them
into spiders....

* * * * *

Al walked slowly down the hall, his grin gone, his face looking washed
out. He turned into his own little office and snapped on the
communications video.

"First Vice-President Michael Thompson," he said to the operator.

In a moment Thompson appeared on the screen.

"Mr. First Vice-President," Al said in a tired voice, "may I suggest
that you remain in the Capital for the next few weeks?"

Even though he knew that it was not polite, Al snapped off the set
without waiting for a reply--but not before he caught the white and
frightened look on Thompson's face.

--STEPHEN ARR

* * * * *

End of the