n the easy chair had
changed his approach. The newer, more elaborate program, still
remarkably simple, would bring down the whole structure within UT
without the help of the police, but by himself alone, planning it,
initiating it, executing it with no one's help. Not even Pierce's.

He heard himself saying:

"This is 'Hello George.' Listen to me and don't interrupt.

"Somebody has talked. I've been betrayed myself. Get that? Hello
George is washed up. Right now the cops are tapping this line. It
doesn't make any difference to me, now. But it does to you. This is an
open warning from Hello George to you. Spread the word. I'll keep
making calls until they break in on me and cut this line.

"Meanwhile, spread the word. Break connections with me and the whole
organization. Get out of range before the trap closes. But pass on
this warning first.

"I'll hold out against questioning a short time. The police will get
me eventually, of course. And when they do they'll pump me dry.
They'll get names and addresses. The whole works will get grabbed,
unless you move fast. Spread the word."

Bryce paused and winked at Pierce who was standing at his elbow, "Any
questions? Yes, I'm sure. Of course I'm sure. Any other questions?
Good luck, Okay."

He hung up.

As Caesar once said, the dice were rolling.

Pierce, beside him through it all, simply stood there, his eyes wide
and his face sharp with curiosity and incredulity, his body twitching
now and then from the infection of the excitement which rippled over
the room. That excitement had been there, though Bryce had not
permitted himself to indulge in it in any visible way. He had showed
Pierce a new facet to his operations, one which Pierce could not
anticipate immediately, one in which only he, Bryce, could make the
snap decisions and evaluate the immediate responses demanded of him.

That was with the first call.

* * * * *

With the second one Pierce began to contribute, rising to the occasion
as he had so often and quickly done in the past. He began pacing up
and down between calls, smoking furiously and laughing under his
breath.

"Tell 'em the police are breaking down the door," he suggested during
the third call. "Say you're hypnoed to hold out against questioning
five days at the most, two hours more likely."

His suggestions were a howl. Bryce repeated them into the phone with
counterfeit desperation and was rewarded by the so