ed by the buzzing of the interphone. Pehrson
was on the other end. "Just reminding you, Chief," the assistant said.
"Dr. Fenwick will be in at nine-thirty regarding the request for the
Clearwater grant. Would you like to review the file before he arrives?"

"Yes, please," said Baker. "Bring everything in. There's been no change,
no new information, I suppose?"

"I'm afraid not. The Index is hopelessly low. In view of that fact there
can be no answer but a negative one. I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I can make Fenwick understand, I'm sure. It may take a
little time, and he may erupt a bit, but it'll work out."

Baker cut off and waited while Pehrson came in silently and laid the
file folders of the offending case on the desk. Pehrson was the epitome
of owl-eyed efficiency, but now he showed sympathy behind his great
horn-rimmed spectacles as he considered Baker's plight. "I wish we could
find some way to make the Clearwater research grant," he said. "With
just a couple of good Ph. D.'s who had published a few things, the Index
would be high enough--"

"It doesn't matter. Fenwick is capable of handling his own troubles."
Pehrson was a good man, but this kind of solicitousness Baker found
annoying.

"I'll send him in as soon as he comes," Pehrson said as he closed the
door behind him.

* * * * *

Baker sighed as he glanced at the folder labeled, Clearwater College.
Jerkwater is what it should be, he thought. He almost wished he had let
Pehrson handle Fenwick. But one couldn't neglect old friends, even
though there was nothing that could be done for shortsighted ones.

Baker's memories shifted. He and Fenwick had gone to school together.
Fenwick had always been one to get off into weird wide alleys, mostly
dead ended. Now he was involved in what was probably the most dead ended
of all. For the last three years he had been president of little
Jerkwater--Clearwater College, and he seemed to have some hope that NBSD
could help him out of the hole.

That was a mistake many people made. Baker sometimes felt that half his
time was spent in explaining that NBSD was not in the business of
helping people and institutions out of holes. It was in the business of
buying for the United States Government the best scientific research
available in the world.

Fenwick wanted help that would put Clearwater College on its feet
through a research contract in solid state physics. Fenwick, thought
Bak