ly, "I've been accumulating stock since before I was
eighteen and I've taken good care of my portfolio in spite of taxes and
the various other pitfalls which make the accumulation of capital
practically impossible. Yesterday, I sold all of my portfolio I was
legally allowed to sell and converted to Vacuum Tube Transport." He
added, dryly, "Getting it at an excellent rate, by the way."

Balt Haer mulled through the papers, unbelievingly. "Zen!" he
ejaculated. "The fool really did it. He's sunk a small fortune into our
stock."

Baron Haer growled at his son, "You seem considerably more convinced of
our defeat than the captain, here. Perhaps I should reverse your
positions of command."

His son grunted, but said nothing.

Old Malcolm Haer's eyes came back to Joe. "Admittedly, I thought you on
the romantic side yesterday, with your hints of some scheme which would
lead us out of the wilderness, so to speak. Now I wonder if you might
not really have something. Very well, I respect your claimed need for
secrecy. Espionage is not exactly an antiquated military field."

"Thank you, sir."

But the Baron was still staring at him. "However, there's more to it
than that. Why not take this great scheme to Marshal Cogswell? And
yesterday you mentioned that the Telly sets of the nation would be tuned
in on this fracas, and obviously you are correct. The question becomes,
what of it?"

The fat was in the fire now. Joe Mauser avoided the haughty stare of
young Balt Haer and addressed himself to the older man. "You have
political pull, sir. Oh, I know you don't make and break presidents. You
couldn't even pull enough wires to keep Hovercraft from making this a
divisional magnitude fracas--but you have pull enough for my needs."

Baron Haer leaned back in his chair, his barrel-like body causing that
article of furniture to creak. He crossed his hands over his stomach.
"And what are your needs, Captain Mauser?"

Joe said evenly, "If I can bring this off, I'll be a fracas buff
celebrity. I don't have any illusions about the fickleness of the Telly
fans, but for a day or two I'll be on top. If at the same time I had
your all out support, pulling what strings you could reach--"

"Why then, you'd be promoted to Upper, wouldn't you, captain?" Balt Haer
finished for him, amusement in his voice.

"That's what I'm gambling on," Joe said evenly.

The younger Haer grinned at his father superciliously. "So our captain
says he will defe