Lucile disappeared, and three minutes later Robert Quay took her place in the chair beside Cutter's desk. He was a taller man than Cutter, and thinner. Still, there was an athletic grace about him, a sureness of step and facial expression, that made it obvious that he was physically fit. He was single and only thirty-five, twelve years younger than Cutter, but he had been with Cutter Products, Inc. for thirteen years. In college he had been a Phi Beta Kappa and lettered three years on the varsity as a quarterback. He was the kind of rare combination that Cutter liked, and Cutter had offered him more than the Chicago Cardinals to get him at graduation. Cutter felt Quay's presence, without looking up at him. "Goddamned sweet morning, eh, Bob?" "It really is, George," Quay said. "What's up?" Cutter stopped signing, having finished the entire job, and he stared directly into Quay's eyes. Quay met the stare unflinchingly. "I've got a report from Sid Perry at Adacam Research." "Your under-cover agent again, eh?" Quay grinned. Adacam Research conducted industrial experimentation which included government work. The only way to find out what really went on there, Cutter had found out, was to find a key man who didn't mind talking for a certain amount of compensation, regardless of sworn oaths and signatures to government statements. You could always get somebody, Cutter knew, and Quay had been able to get a young chemist, Sidney Perry. "Okay," Cutter said. "What are they doing over there?" "There's a fellow who's offered Adacam his project for testing. They're highly interested, but they're not going to handle it." "Why not?" Quay shrugged. "Too touchy. It's a device that's based on electronics--" "What the hell is touchy about electronics?" "This deals with the human personality," Quay said, as though that were explanation enough. Cutter understood. He snorted. "Christ, anything that deals with the human personality scares them over there, doesn't it?" Quay spread his hands. "All right," Cutter said. "What's this device supposed to do?" "The theory behind it is to produce energy units which reach a plane of intensity great enough to affect the function of the human ego." "Will it?" Cutter never wasted time on surprise or curiosity or theory. His mind acted directly. Would it or wouldn't it? Performance versus non-performance. Efficiency versus inefficiency. Would it improve production of Cutter Products, Inc., or would it not? "Sid swears they're convinced it will. The factors, on paper, check out. But there's been no experimentation, because it involves the human personality. This thing, when used, is supposed to perform a definite personality change on the individual subjected." "How?" "You know the theory of psychiatric therapy--the theory of shock treatment. The effect is some what similar, but a thousand times more effective." "What _is_ the effect?"