Vernher von Wissenschaft finished tasting. He thought a moment, stretched his face. "Excellent," he said. "Do you _really_ like it?" "Ja, excellent." He held up a finger. "Perhaps," he suggested, "two more grains pepper." * * * * * Two weeks later, when all the fires in the town had been put out and the damage assessed, a great banquet was held in the Emperor Room to honor George. In the street a huge crowd of well-wishers waited to greet him as he came out. The Emperor Room could accommodate only the town's important personages; there were so many of them that some of the best families did not bribe the mayor in time to get a seat. But George managed to get standing room for Mr. Perkins and Mr. Zungenspiel. Beside George at the table of honor sat Charlie. Next to him Vernher von Wissenschaft in a splendid uniform, cracking his Rommel whip from time to time. Everybody who was anybody was there: the Police Commissioner, the Gambling Czar, the District Attorney, the Teamsters' Boss, Senator Smiley, Coroner Schadenfrohm, the Election Commissioner, the Slum Owner, the Housing Inspector. "Never before," the mayor orated, "has so much damage been done by such a little man in such a short time." Vernher cracked his whip. "Very goot," he said, turning to George. "Rhetoric, you know." "The national economy," the mayor continued, "was in danger of imminent collapse ever since our old-fashioned P.O.--planned obsolescence--reached a point of no return. We had to produce more and more until the market was glutted. Of course we would not sell so much as a toaster to our brutal enemy." (Applause.) Vernher cracked his whip. "Very goot." "But now," the mayor said, smiling at George, "the solution to our economic impasse has been found! This young man had the daring vision to contribute a brilliant new concept to our economics. S. D.--Senseless Destruction!" (Applause.) Vernher cracked his whip. "Excellent." The mayor raised his arms for silence. "I have good news," he said. "Congress has just voted one billion dollars for Senseless Destruction research!" (Wild applause.) Vernher cracked his whip six times. "I can promise you, ladies and gentlemen," the mayor continued, "what happened to our town is only the beginning. As a result of the visionary experiment by this daring young man, fifty thousand idle construction workers have already been put back on the job; twenty new banks have sprung up to handle the flood of mortgages; a new steel mill will be erected in our world-famous game preserve. But I need not go on. The industries, businesses and stock markets that will profit by Senseless Destruction can hardly be numbered. The biggest boom in history is on! And as long as we have the snooker it will never end!" (General pandemonium.) When order was restored, the mayor turned solemnly to George and said: "In grateful recognition of your...."