"One cannot take everything into account." "Yes, one can. It is quite possible--if you know how." "Everything's easy," said Wan Nes Stan sourly, "once you know how." "Certainly," laughed Len Dor Vale. "And because I made a mistake, I'm ruined." "Had you taken everything into account, you would have known that you could never succeed. You wouldn't have started, and now you wouldn't be a complete and broken failure." "You may well gloat." "I'm not gloating," objected Len Dor Vale. "I believe that," admitted Wan Nes Stan. "But that changes nothing." "You understand our position, Wan Nes Stan. If we prevented you from trying; well, you might have succeeded, and we'd never know the benefits of your success. It was your idea, and you wanted to try. But don't feel too broken. Others have tried." "Small consolation. Knowing that another man is starving will not put food in _my_ belly." Wan Nes Stan stood up, dusted his jacket carefully, and left the office. The report of a pistol echoed and re-echoed up and down the corridor, reverberating and hushing until it could be mistaken for a wild cackle of laughter. THE END.