ould
provide. Brennan could not estimate the extent of James Holden's
knowledge but it was obvious that he was capable of some extremely
intelligent planning. He was willing to grant the boy the likelihood of
being the equal of a long and experienced campaigner, and the fact that
James was in the favor of Tim Fisher's wife and daughter meant that the
lad would be able to call upon them for additional advice. Brennan
counted the daughter Martha in this planning program, most certainly
James would have given the girl an extensive education, too. Everything
added up, even to Tim Fisher's resentment.

But there was not time to ponder over the efficiency of James Holden's
operations. It was time for Paul Brennan to cope, and it seemed sensible
to face the fact that Paul Brennan alone could not plot the illegal
grab of the Holden Educator and at the same time masquerade as the
deeply-concerned loving guardian. He could label James Holden's little
group as an organization, and if he was to combat this organization he
needed one himself.

Paul Brennan began to form a mental outline of his requirements. First he
had to figure out the angle at which to make his attack. Once he knew the
legal angle, then he could find ruthless men in the proper position of
authority whose ambitions he could control. He regretted that the elder
Holden had not allowed him to study civil and criminal law along with his
courses in real estate and corporate law. As it was, Brennan was unsure
of his legal rights, and he could not plan until he had researched the
problem most thoroughly.

To his complete surprise, Paul Brennan discovered that there was no law
that would stay an infant from picking up his marbles and leaving home.
So long as the minor did not become a ward of responsibility of the
State, his freedom was as inviolable as the freedom of any adult. The
universal interest in missing-persons cases is overdrawn because of their
dramatic appeal. In every case that comes to important notice, the
missing person has left some important responsibilities that had to be
satisfied. A person with no moral, legal, or ethical anchor has every
right to pack his suitcase and catch the next conveyance for parts
unknown. If he is found by the authorities after an appeal by friends or
relatives, the missing party can tell the police that, Yes he did leave
home and, No he isn't returning and, furthermore he does not wish his
whereabouts made known; and all t