Security

surrendering everything else too. You people are fighting to bring back honesty and liberty and the possibility of progress. I hope nobody here is a fanatic, because fanaticism is exactly what we're fighting against. I say we, because from now on I'm one of you. That is, if you're sure you want me.'

He stopped, clumsily. 'Okay. Speech ended.'

Karen drew a shivering breath and smiled at him. 'And everything else just begun, Allen,' she said. He nodded, feeling too much for words.

'Get to bed with you,' ordered Pappas.

Jessup led Lancaster off, and one by one the others drifted back to their jobs. Finally only Karen and Berg stood by the airlock.

'You keep your beautiful mouth shut, my dear,' said the man.

'Oh, sure.' Karen sighed unhappily. 'I wish I'd never learned your scheme. When you explained it to me I wanted to shoot you.'

'You insisted on an explanation,' said Berg defensively. 'When Allen was due to go back to Earth, you wanted us to tell him who we were and keep him. But it wouldn't have worked. I've studied his dossier, and he's not the kind of man to switch loyalties that easily. If we were to have him at all, it could only be with his full consent. And now we've got him.'

'It was still a lousy trick,' she said.

'Of course it was. But we had no choice. We had to have a first-rate physicist.'

'You know,' she said, 'you're a rat from way back.'

'That I am. And by and large, I enjoy it.' Berg grimaced. 'Though I must admit this job leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I like Allen. It was the hardest thing I ever did, tipping off the federal police about him.'

He turned on his heel and walked away, smiling faintly.

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Space Science Fiction February 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.

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