* * * * * "Good morning, sir." The Fixed Communication chief saluted. Morely returned the salute perfunctorily, then examined the man critically. "Morning," he acknowledged. "Kirk, I want you to get some new uniforms. You look like a rag bag." A little anger was added to the uneasiness. Kirk looked down at his clothing. It wasn't new, but there was actually little wrong, other than the slight smudge on a trouser leg, and a few, small spots of dullness on his highly polished boots. "I've been inspecting some cable vaults, sir," he explained. "We had a little trouble, due to ground seepage." "It makes no difference," the district leader snorted, "what you've been doing. A man in your position should be properly attired at all times." He paused, looking Kirk over minutely. "If your cable vaults are in such bad condition, get them cleaned up. When I look your installations over, I shall expect them to be clean. Clean, and in order." He looked beyond Kirk. "And get that desk cleared. A competent man works on one thing at a time and keeps his work in order. A place for everything, and everything in its place, you know. You don't need all that clutter. Is the rest of your office as disorderly as this?" He looked disparagingly about the small room, then turned toward the door to the main communications office. Kirk moved to open the door. At one side of the large office was a battery of file cabinets. Four desks were arranged conveniently to them. Morely looked at this arrangement. "What's this?" "Billing and Directory, sir. These are the master files of all fixed communication subscribers. From them, we make up the semiannual directory, its corrective supplements, and the monthly bills." Morely frowned at the desks and files, then looked at the clerks, who were bent over their desks. As one of the girls straightened momentarily, he recognized her. He'd seen her earlier, in the snack bar. He looked more closely at her desk. She had reason, he thought for that radiation of uncertain fear he could sense. "What's in those files?" he demanded. "It's a complete index to all subscribers, sir." Kirk looked a little surprised. Morely recognized that the man thought the question a little foolish. He cleared his throat growlingly. "Let's see one of those cards." Kirk walked to the file, pulled a small envelope at random, and held it out. The district leader examined it. "Hah!" he snorted. "I thought so. Duplication of effort. This has nothing on it that isn't in my quarters and locator files." "There's billing information on the back, sir," Kirk, pointed out. "And current charge slips are kept in the envelope. We use these to prepare the subscriber bills, as well as to maintain the directory service. It's a convenience file, to speed up our work." Morely turned the envelope over in his hands. "Oh, yes." He opened the envelope, to look at the slips inside. "How do you get the information for these?"