ke has been made. I ... I have no idea--"

Kardelj was chuckling, as though highly pleased with some development.
He held up a hand to cut Josip short and turned to his superior. "You
see, Zoran. A most average, laudable young man. Born under our regime,
raised under the People's Democratic Dictatorship. Exactly our man."

Zoran Jankez seemed not to hear the other. He was studying Josip
heavily, all but gloomily.

A beefy paw went out and banged a button inset in the table and which
Josip had not noticed before. Almost instantly a door in the rear
opened and a white-jacketed servant entered, pushing a wheeled
combination bar and hors d'oeuvres cart before him. He brought the
lavishly laden wagon to within reach of the heavy-set Party head, his
face in servile expressionlessness.

Jankez grunted something and the waiter, not quite bowing and
scraping, retreated again from the room. Number One's heavy lips moved
in and out as his eyes went over the display.

Kardelj said easily, "Let me, Zoran." He arose and brought a
towel-wrapped bottle from a refrigerated bucket set into the wagon,
and deftly took up a delicate three-ounce glass which he filled and
placed before his superior. He took up another and raised his eyebrows
at Josip Pekic who shook his head--a stomach as queasy as his wasn't
going to be helped by alcohol. Kardelj poured a short one for himself
and resumed his place at the heavy conference table.

Jankez, his eyes small and piggish, took up a heavy slice of dark
bread and ladled a full quarter pound of Danube caviar upon it. He
took up the glass and tossed the chilled spirits back over his palate,
grunted and stuffed the open sandwich into his mouth.

[Illustration]

Josip's eyes went to the hors d'oeuvres wagon. The spread would have
cost him six months' income.

Number One rumbled, his mouth full, "Comrade, I am not surprised at
your confusion. We will get to the point immediately. Actually, you
must consider yourself a very fortunate young man." He belched, took
another huge bite, then went on. "Have you ever heard the term,
expediter?"

"I ... I don't know ... I mean think so, Comrade Jankez."

The party head poured himself some more of the yellow spirits and took
down half of it. "It is not important," he rasped. "Comrade Kardelj
first came upon the germ of this project of ours whilst reading of
American industrial successes during the Second World War. They were
attempting to double, tripl