learance.

He wandered glumly into the lab. Karen was there alone, setting up an
apparatus for the next attempt at heat treatment. A smock covered her
into shapelessness, and her spectacular hair was bound up in a kerchief,
but she still looked good. Lancaster, a shy man, was more susceptible to
her than he wanted to be.

"Where's Berg?" he asked.

"Back on Earth with Jessup," she told him. "Why?"

"Damn! It holds up the whole business till he returns." Lancaster
explained his difficulty.

Karen laughed. "Oh, that's all right," she said in the low voice he
liked to hear. "We've all been cleared."

"Not officially. I've got to see the papers."

She glared at him then and stamped her foot. "How stupid can you get
without having to be spoon fed?" she snapped. "You've seen how much we
think of regulations here. Let's have those equations, Mac."

"But--blast it, Karen, you don't appreciate the need for security. Berg
explained it to me once--how dangerous the rebels are, and how easily
they can steal our secrets. And they'll stop at nothing. Do you want
another Hemispheric War?"

She looked oddly at him, and when she spoke it was softly. "Allen, do
you really believe that?"

"Certainly! It's obvious, isn't it? Our country is maintaining the peace
of the Solar System--once we drop the reins, all hell will run away from
us."

"What's wrong with setting up a world-wide federation of countries? Most
other nations are willing."

"But that--it's not _practical_!"

"How do you know? It's never been tried."

"Anyway, we can't decide policy. That's just not for us."

"The United States is a democratic country--remember?"

"But--" Lancaster looked away. For a moment he stood unspeaking, and she
watched him with grave eyes and said nothing. Then, not really knowing
why he did it, he lifted a defiant head. "All right! We'll go ahead--and
if Berg sends us all to camp, don't blame me."

"He won't." She laughed and clapped his shoulder. "You know, Allen,
there are times when I think you're human after all."

"Thanks," he grinned wryly. "How about--uh--how about having a--a b-beer
with me now? To celebrate."

"Why, sure."

* * * * *

They went down to the shop. A cooler of beer was there, its contents
being reckoned as among the essential supplies brought from Earth by
Jessup. Lancaster uncapped two bottles, and he and Karen sat down on a
bench, swinging their legs and looking over