The Project Gutenberg EBook of Supermind, by
Gordon Randall Garrett and Laurence Mark Janifer

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
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Title: Supermind

Author: Gordon Randall Garrett
Laurence Mark Janifer

Release Date: August 16, 2007 [EBook #22342]

Date Last Updated: October 2, 2007

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPERMIND ***

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from the 1963 book publication of the story.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the copyright on
this publication was renewed.

Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without
note.

The word "PLaza" (two capital letters) was correct usage to designate
a telephone exchange at the time the story was written. It has been
left as printed.

* * * * *

Supermind

Mark Phillips

1

In 1914, it was enemy aliens.

In 1930, it was Wobblies.

In 1957, it was fellow travelers.

In 1971, it was insane telepaths.

And, in 1973:

"We don't know _what_ the hell it is," said Andrew J. Burris, Director
of the FBI. He threw his hands in the air and looked baffled and
confused.

Kenneth J. Malone tried to appear sympathetic. "What what is?" he
asked.

Burris frowned and drummed his fingers on his big desk. "Malone," he
said, "make sense. And don't stutter."

"Stutter?" Malone said. "You said you didn't know what it was. What
the hell it was. And I wanted to know what it was."

"That's just it," Burris said. "I don't know."

Malone sighed and repressed an impulse to scream. "Now wait a minute,
Chief--" he started.

Burris frowned again. "Don't call me Chief," he said.

Malone nodded. "Okay," he said. "But if you don't know what it is, you
must have some idea of what you don't know. I mean, is it larger than
a breadbox? Does it perform helpful tasks? Is it self-employed?"

"Malone," Burris sighed, "you ought to be on television."

"But--"

"Let me explain," Burris said. His voice was calmer now, and he spoke
as if he were enunciating nothing but the most obvious and eternal
truths. "The country," he said, "is going to hell in a handbasket."

Malone nodded again. "Well, after all, Chief--