tion."

Blair glowered. "Where'd you get the idea it was yours? Have you got any
patents to show?"

"Well, no. We didn't--"

"I did! Fourteen good solid patents. You two better go peddle your
groceries."

"Now look, Mr. Blair."

Blair raised his voice. "Throw these two bums out!"

Three huskies appeared as by magic to do Blair's bidding. As Ted and
Bill landed on the sidewalk, one of the vice-presidents said, "Do you
think that was smart, H. J.? They might cause trouble."

Blair snorted. "They haven't got a prayer. A meter reader and a grocery
clerk!"

"We could have at least given them a few hundred."

"Not on your life. Never give a sucker an even break, Jim. Give them
anything at all, we acknowledge their claim. That'd be stupid."

"Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right. It's business. Now about those other bids. By gad!
We can run every contractor in town out of competition! They can't touch
our prices!"

Out on the sidewalk, Bill and Ted sat mournfully looking up at the vast
steel skeleton, held together literally by their own genius. Ted said,
"We got a raw deal."

"Maybe we had it coming. We were pretty stupid."

"Anything we can do?"

"Doesn't look like it."

"Maybe the leather solution will turn out."

"Maybe." Bill looked wistfully up at the steel skeleton. "At even a cent
a hole, we'd have done all right."

"Let's go home and get to work."

* * * * *

In the Mighty and Benevolent Kingdom of Szkazia, a minor reign of terror
existed. The King, tired of complaints from his subjects, had just
finished dressing down his Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was
passing the abuse on to his Chief Scientist. "If something isn't done
soon, I won't be responsible for your head, my friend. The King is in a
rage."

The eyes of the Chief Scientist watered--partly from fear, and partly
from nights and days spent in his laboratory beating out his brains on
one idea after another.

"I'm doing my best, sire--"

"It's not good enough! These steel girders coming out of nowhere!
Banging people in the head--whacking them in the stomach! Why it isn't
safe to walk through the halls of the Administration Building. Even the
bedrooms of the Executive Apartments are not safe! The other night the
Director of Propaganda had just gone to bed--"

"I know of the incident," the Chief Scientist said hurriedly.

"Oh, you do? But you've done nothing about--"

"I've been worki