will do to them,
even after the war, if they quit without releases, shouldn't be done to
a dog. They won't quit, either--at least if they don't try to push them
around too much. Keller's mouth is watering to get hold of Siberia, but
he'll never make it, nor any one of his stooges.... I'd better dictate a
memorandum to Black on that now, while I'm calm and collected; telling
him what he'll have to do to keep my boys from tearing Entwhistle
apart."

"But do you think he will pay any attention to it?"

"I'll say he will!" Kinnison snorted. "Don't kid yourself about Black,
Celeste. He's a smart man, and before this is done he'll know that he'll
have to keep his nose clean."

"But you--how can you do it?" Celeste marveled. "Me, I would urge them
on. Few would have the patriotism...."

"Patriotism, hell! If that were all, I would have stirred up a
revolution long ago. It's for the boys, in years to come. They've got to
keep _their_ noses clean, too. Get your notebook, please, and take this
down. Rough draft--I'm going to polish it up until it has teeth and
claws in every line."

And that evening, after supper, he informed Eunice of all the new
developments.

"Is it still O.K. with you," he concluded, "for me to get myself fired
off of this high-salaried job of mine?"

"Certainly. Being you, how can you do anything else? Oh, how I wish I
could wring their necks!" That conversation went on and on, but
additional details are not necessary here.

Shortly after two o'clock of the following afternoon, Celeste took a
call; and listened shamelessly.

"Kinnison speaking."

"Tug, Uncle Ralph. The casts sectioned just like we thought they would.
Dead ringers for Plate D. So Drake hung a red ticket on every tray.
Piddy was right there, waiting, and started to raise hell. So I chipped
in, and he beat it so fast that I looked to see his coat-tail catch
fire. Drake didn't quite like to call you, so I did. If Piddy keeps on
going at the rate he left here, he'll be in Keller's office in nothing
flat."

"O.K., Tug. Tell Drake that the shell he rejected are going to stay
rejected, and to come in right now with his report. Would you like to
come along?"

"_Would_ I!" Tugwell hung up and:

"But do you want _him_ here, Doc?" Celeste asked, anxiously, without
considering whether or not her boss would approve of her eavesdropping.

"I certainly do. If I can keep Tug from blowing his top, the rest of the
boys will stay in line."