e at that moment, every nerve singing, every
muscle toned. His brain was quick and his tongue rolled the words out
smoothly. This was the kind of situation Heidel handled best. A tense,
dramatic situation, full of atmosphere and suspense.

"Here it is," Heidel continued, "simply and briefly." He touched the
cigar against an ash tray, watching with slitted shining eyes while the
ashes spilled away from the glowing tip. He bent forward suddenly. "We
have an imposter among us, gentlemen. A spy."

He waited, holding himself tense against the table, letting the sting of
his words have their effect. Then he leaned back, carefully. "And
tonight I am going to expose this imposter. Right here, at this table."
He searched the faces again, looking for a tell-tale twitch of a muscle,
a movement of a hand, a shading in the look of an eye.

There were only Sadler, Meehan, Locke, Forbes, Clarke, looking like
themselves, quizzical, polite, respecting.

"One of us, you say," Clarke said noncommittally, his phrase neither a
question nor a positive statement.

"That is true," said Heidel.

"Bit of a situation at that," said Forbes, letting a faint smile touch
his lips.

"Understatement, Forbes," Heidel said. "Understatement."

"Didn't mean to sound capricious," Forbes said, his smile gone.

"Of course not," Heidel said.

Edward Clarke cleared his throat. "May I ask, sir, how this was
discovered and how it was narrowed down to the Superior Council?"

"Surely," Heidel said crisply. "No need to go into the troubles we've
been having. You know all about that. But how these troubles originated
is the important thing. Do you remember the missionary affair?"

"When we were going to convert the Eastern industrial section?"

"That's right," Heidel said, remembering. "Horrible massacre."

"Bloody," agreed John Meehan.

"Sixty-seven missionaries lost," Heidel said.

"I remember the Martian note of apology," Forbes said. "'We have
worshipped our own God for two-hundred thousand years. We would prefer
to continue. Thank you.' Blinking nerve, eh?"

"Neither here nor there," Heidel said abruptly. "The point is that no
one _knew_ those sixty-seven men were missionaries except myself and you
five men."

* * * * *

Heidel watched the faces in front of him. "One case," he said. "Here's
another. Do you recall when we outlawed the free selection system?"

"Another bloody one," said Sadler.

"Forty-eight