These five had constituted the central council of Popeek. Walton, as assistant administrator, had served as their coordinator, as well as handling population transfer and serving as a funnel for red tape. Above them all had been FitzMaugham, brooding over his charges like an untroubled Wotan; FitzMaugham had reserved for himself, aside from the task of general supervision, the special duties attendant on handling the terraforming and faster-than-light wings of Popeek. "I should have called you together much earlier than this," Walton said when they were settled. "The shock, though, and the general confusion--" "We understand, Roy," said Sue Llewellyn sympathetically. She was a chubby little woman in her fifties, whose private life was reported to be incredibly at variance with her pleasantly domestic appearance. "It's been rough on all of us, but you were so close to Mr. FitzMaugham...." There was sympathetic clucking from various corners of the room. Walton said, "The period of mourning will have to be a brief one. What I'm suggesting is that business continue as usual, without a hitch." He glanced at Eglin, the director of field agents. "Olaf, is there a man in your section capable of handling your job?" Eglin looked astonished for a moment, then mastered himself. "There must be five, at least. Walters, Lassen, Dominic--" "Skip the catalogue," Walton told him. "Pick the man you think is best suited to replace you, and send his dossier up to me for approval." "And where do _I_ go?" "You take over my slot as assistant administrator. As director of field agents, you're more familiar with the immediate problems of my old job than anyone else here." Eglin preened himself smugly. Walton wondered if he had made an unwise choice; Eglin was competent enough, and would give forth one hundred percent effort at all times--but probably never the one hundred two percent a really great administrator could put out when necessary. Still, the post had to be filled at once, and Eglin could pick up the reins faster than any of the others. Walton looked around. "Otherwise, activities of Popeek will continue as under Mr. FitzMaugham, without a hitch. Any questions?" Lee Percy raised an arm slowly. "Roy, I've got a problem I'd like to bring up here, as long as we're all together. There's a growing public sentiment that you and the late director were secretly Herschelites." He chuckled apologetically. "I know it sounds silly, but I just report what I hear." "I'm familiar with the rumor," Walton said. "And I don't like it much, either. That's the sort of stuff riots are made of." The Herschelites were extremists who advocated wholesale sterilization of defectives, mandatory birth control, and half a dozen other stringent remedies for overpopulation. "What steps are you taking to counteract it?" Walton asked.