y
or too closely.

The intercom on his desk hummed, and he pressed the switch.

"Yes, Helen?"

"That Mr. Nguma was here while Mr. BenChaim was with you, Mr. Martin. I
followed your instructions and told him that you would not see him."

"Fine. Thanks, Helen."

"Also, there's a radiogram for you from Earth."

"If it's from one of Nguma's colleagues," the detective said, "I don't
want to see it. File it in the cylindrical file--under _W_."

"I don't think it is," the secretary said doubtfully. "I can't make any
sense out of it. I'd better bring it in."

"Okay. And then put that call through to Pelham. I want to get going on
that _Morton_ spaceship wrecking. I'm getting itchy for action."

She brought in the radiogram and put it on his desk before calling
Pelham. She had already read it, of course. It was her job to read such
things.

The detective picked up the sheet of paper and read it.

THE OPERATION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. I NEED

THE OTHER HALF OF MY FORCEPS. COME HOME

AND JOIN THE BIG PARADE.

MANNHEIM

It took a second for the words to really impress themselves on his mind.
He read them over again.

And the veil began to drop from the closed-off part of his mind.

Memories began to swarm back into his mind--memories that had been
walled off and kept away from his conscious mind by the hypnotic
suggestion implanted so long ago.

Oddly, it did not surprise or shock him. He was an expert at hypnosis,
especially self-hypnosis. He recognized the message for exactly what it
was: a series of code phrases designed to break the blockage that had
been placed in his mind.

His only reaction was to laugh aloud. "By God!" he said. "It worked! It
actually worked! Nearly six years, and I never suspected once!"

The phone hummed. He switched it on. "Mr. Pelham is on the phone, Mr.
Martin," Helen said.

He watched as the florid, smiling face of Pelham, his superior, appeared
on the screen. "What can I do for you, Martin?" he asked.

"I have a favor to ask, Mr. Pelham."

"Anything within reason," Pelham said. "After this BenChaim affair,
you're in good standing around here." He chuckled.

"I want a leave of absence," the detective said.

Pelham looked a little surprised. "Well, I guess you deserve it. You
need a rest, I imagine."

"No," the detective said. "No, it isn't that. I'm going after bigger
game, is all."

"What's that?"

"I'm going to Earth to fi