ess, until a subtle vibration warned him that
visitors were approaching his door.

"Come in, gentlemen.... Please be seated." He sat down at one end of a
table molded of transparent plastic. "Psychologist Talmonides, Statesman
Cleto, Minister Philamon, Minister Marxes and Officer Artomenes, I have
asked you to come here personally because I have every reason to believe
that the shielding of this room is proof against eavesdroppers; a thing
which can no longer be said of our supposedly private television
channels. We must discuss, and if possible come to some decision
concerning, the state in which our nation now finds itself.

"Each of us knows within himself exactly what he is. Of our own powers,
we cannot surely know each others' inward selves. The tools and
techniques of psychology, however, are potent and exact; and Talmonides,
after exhaustive and rigorous examination of each one of us, has
certified that no taint of disloyalty exists among us."

"Which certification is not worth a damn," the burly Officer declared.
"What assurance do we have that Talmonides himself is not one of the
ringleaders? Mind you, I have no reason to believe that he is not
completely loyal. In fact, since he has been one of my best friends for
over twenty years, I believe implicitly that he is. Nevertheless the
plain fact is, Ariponides, that all the precautions you have taken, and
any you can take, are and will be useless insofar as definite knowledge
is concerned. The real truth is and will remain unknown."

"You are right," the Psychologist conceded. "And, such being the case,
perhaps I should withdraw from the meeting."

"That wouldn't help, either." Artomenes shook his head. "Any competent
plotter would be prepared for this, as for any other contingency. One of
us others would be the real operator."

"And the fact that our Officer is the one who is splitting hairs so
finely could be taken to indicate which one of us the real operator
could be," Marxes pointed out, cuttingly.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" Ariponides protested. "While absolute certainty
is of course impossible to any finite mind, you all know how Talmonides
was tested; you know that in his case there is no reasonable doubt. Such
chance as exists, however, must be taken, for if we do not trust each
other fully in this undertaking, failure is inevitable. With this word
of warning I will get on with my report.

"This worldwide frenzy of unrest followed closely upon the