3

The visor in the front room of the Ogtate house bonged. Barbara walked into the front room and pressed a button. The screen sprang from blankness into full life color. Seemingly, a man stood before her.

"Mrs. Ogtate, I am General Yewliss of the Terran Psychological Corps." The tones, like the man, were sturdy and dark. Once you heard them, you didn't forget.

She nodded and said, "I've seen you on the news, General."

He wasted no time, but like the big red-black bull he so much resembled, charged at the point. "Mrs. Ogtate, I'm going to ask you if you will forgive me for interfering with your free will. Believe me, it was absolutely necessary for the good of Earth."

"What did you do?"

"Mrs. Ogtate, for some time we've had a detector alarm buried near your house. We call it a 'rattle-snake.' When the person whose presence it is set to detect comes near, it sends out a signal. Its receiver is this." He tapped a little box on his wrist. "I've been wearing this day and night. Ten minutes ago I was awakened by its alarm. That meant much to me. It meant that your husband, undoubtedly the most important man on Earth, was at your house."

He paused, then added, "And it implied much more.

"What do you mean?"

"Just this. Bill Ogtate finally broke under the pressure of loneliness and ostracism. He knows that you, the person he loves more than any other, will not share his exile, yet he's desperate enough to make a hopeless plea."

Paling, she said, "Have you been spying?"

His broad swarthy face split showing white teeth, and his large hand passed over his closely-cropped black poll with underlying red glints. "Hardly. Even the military don't do that nowadays, Madame. But the Psych Corps has many resources. One is the Computer of Probabilities, the so-called `giant brain' at New Delphi. Given all available data, it estimated he should break down about this time. Especially if he were sick. And that he should come to you."

Scornfully, she said, "Do you need a machine to tell you that?"

The General smiled slightly and said, "Your rebuke is accepted. To tell the truth, I figured it out independently, too, but one must have the backing of authority, you know."

He became brisk. "Would you mind telling me, Madame, if our surmises were correct? He did make an appeal, didn't he?"

The General's eyes went over her shoulder. She didn't turn around, for she knew by the oriental aroma of cigarette smoke that Toni Travers had come into the room.

"Yes, you were right," she said. Her eyes looked straight into his: her back straightened and her shoulders squared.

He said, "Please don't get angry, Mrs. Ogtate. I make no moral judgments. One lives as one must."

"I'm not interested in what you think. What else do you want?"

He glanced at her trembling lower lip and said, "Would you care to sign a waiver over our violation of your free will? Remember, we are trying to influence your husband to give Earth the Belos."

"I know that. Don't you think the Government has approached me enough on that subject. And," she suddenly shouted, "my answer to them is still `no'!"

"I'm well aware of that," Yewliss replied, "That's why I didn't renew the plea. If you'd answer my question, Mrs. Ogtate, we could end this. The hour is late. I'm sure you're anxious to get back to ... bed." He paused, and she wondered if he shot an amused glance at Travers from under his lowered lids. Then he continued, "And I have to work fast. Earth's existence is in the balance."

His words did not affect her, for he said them so prosaically. However, she was tired of the subject "Send the papers. I'll sign them, provided I have your promise you won't bother me again."

He spoke quickly. "You have it. Papers won't be needed. The recording of our conversation is sufficient. Thank you, and goodnight, Mrs. Ogtate."

Travers came from behind and put his arms around her waist. Smoke blew around her face. "You need sleep. I think I'll make coffee for myself."

She turned in his arms and put her head on his chest. "He saw you."

"So what? Do people pay much attention to such things any more?"

"You don't understand. If I would go to Bill and say I'd live with him, I'm sure he would turn the Belos over to Earth. The war would be over. But I can't. They can't make me do it. I am so lonely. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I'd do."

"Move away with me. Get a divorce."

She raised her head. Tears sparkled. "I will, Tom, Tomorrow."

4

Gathering his thoughts on this strangest of all stories, Yewliss went to his desk. He pressed a button; his orderly came in.

"Everything's ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"What about the woman who's going with me?"

"The Conmprob look a long time selecting her, sir. Seems it had a lengthy priority request to fulfill first. And your specifications were extraordinary, sir."

"I didn't say they had to be met to the iota. I just wanted the nearest thing. This is too big for picayunish perfection."

"We've met them anyway, sir. The woman was doing medical research on Eros. We finally located her. She should be here any moment. Eros is at its closest to Earth now."

The General unwrapped a cigar. Suddenly, he stopped, rigid. "Wait a minute!" he roared. "You said Eros? Doing medical research for the Army?"

"Yes, sir."

Yewliss breathed deeply and said, "You know her name?"

"Yes, sir. Here's the information. Major Killison. She's even got the same first name as his wife, Barbara. She fits tour requirements to a 'F."

Yewliss looked as if might throw the cigar in the orderly's face. He scow led and said, "That's all for the time being, Brown. Notify me when she gets in. Have her report at once."

The noncom was puzzled, but glad to escape from the office. The Old Fox wasn't living up to his name. He was more like a big black bull seeing red.

When the door closed, Yewliss stuck the cigar between his thick lips, lit up and drew in and puffed out smoke through his nostrils like a virgin-eating dragon. "Barbara Killison, by the gods! Won't that make them hold their sides and laugh!"

When the cigar had become a stub of ashes, the orderly knocked out the door and announced Major Killison. Yewliss, trying to control the rage in his voice said, "Come in!" He rose and faced the door.

The woman was longlegged and narrowwaisted and deepbreasted. She had thick wavy red hair. She bore a more than superficial resemblance to Mrs. Ogtate. She saluted.

Yewliss returned it and then said, "Drop the formality, Barbara." He went up to her and took her shoulders, broad for a woman's, in his big, dark hands and looked her in the eyes, level with his. "Barbara, I'm sorry you had to come all this way for nothing. Yet, I'm glad for myself. I haven't seen you in three months." He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head.

"What's time matter?" He squeezed his eyes. "You've met somebody else? Who? Colonel Singh?"

"Don't be so damned silly-jealous," she said in a slow fluid voice. "Do you expect me to kiss you and then get your blessing to go away and throw myself at Ogtate?"

He laughed. "So that's it? Barbara, if I weren't in such a hurry, I'd take you out for a drink. We could have a good laugh over this. No, Barbara, I didn't know you were the one chosen. I sent the specifications to the Comprob two days ago. Some civilian had priority over me. When it finally started on my problem, it took all day to find what I wanted. Then the military attaches sent a message to you. I didn't have time to find whom it'd found, because I've been working on Project Asp night and day. See? Still mad?"

"May I smoke? Yes. Well, dear, there's something you forgot." She relished the smoke a second and then let it float, genie-like, front her lovely mouth. "You forget, I was told what I arm volunteering for. I came into this of my own free will."