The group of men, carrying on their shoulders the responsibility of the defense of the United States of America and all the free world, sat in quiet dejection, heads bowed. Long minutes passed. No one felt up to meeting the eyes of anyone else about the table. As the President re-entered the chamber, the members of the Security Council rose. The atmosphere was heavy with foreboding. He spoke slowly and clearly, his face expressionless. "Mr. Khrushchev says he desires to establish a true peace with us. He will agree to all our terms: complete inspection, atomic test ban, disarmament, anything of a reasonable nature!" He looked around the shocked room. Relief, puzzlement, suspicion, were mirrored on various faces. "I'm sure I don't understand all this," the President continued. "I doubt if any of you do. But if the Soviet Union is sincere in desiring a true peace--!" His voice became very quiet. "We shall certainly meet them halfway!" * * * * * Veux looked up from the account book with a grunt of approval, then reached for the drink his partner held out. "Well," Tai said. "Didn't I tell you business would be good this period?" Veux nodded and downed his drink. "Excellent, but I see that most of our profit came from native trade!" His eyes narrowed. "It looks illegal! Are you supplying arms for a revolution somewhere?" Tai's smile became contemptuous. "No, it's just local products, native trivia. We drop-chuted survey robots, then called them back and installed a delivery system. The robot picks up samples by dematerialization and I synthesize them." "But so much profit! Aren't there any complaints?" Tai laughed. "On the contrary, I get thanked after each delivery, plus a request for something else. Natives are the same everywhere. Just suckers, waiting to be trimmed!" "I don't want to get into any trouble over this!" Veux looked dubious. Tai refilled the glasses. "Well, our business charter says we must fill and deliver any legitimate order we get!" "If it's legitimate!" Veux studied the deep ruby of his drink. "Which of our colonies is it?" Tai hesitated slightly. "It's not one of our colonies. The orders are from subsystem CQ!" "What!" Veux's eyes flashed. "You know we're not supposed to have any contact at all with them! They're under official observation!" "Don't worry, don't worry." Tai's voice exuded confidence. "No one can prove we've broken a single law." "I don't understand." Tai's expression was one of exaggerated innocence. "Everything is automatic. Radio orders for goods are received, translated and filled, with robot delivery." He winked at his partner. "How can anyone prove I ever bothered to check the source?" "But the profit? What do you trade?" "Aha! I was waiting for you to ask that. I set the robot to detect and take a unit of energy metal each trip!" "Energy metal?" Veux jerked upright.