"Ever since I came to Popeek. This group is older than Popeek. They fought equalization all the way, and lost. Now they're working from the bottom up and trying to wreck things before you catch wise and confiscate their estates, as you're now legally entitled to do." "And now that you've warned me they exist," Walton said, "you can be assured that that's the first thing I'll do. The second thing I'll do will be to have the security men track down their names and find out if there was an actual conspiracy. If there was, it's jail for them. And the third thing I'll do is discharge you from Popeek." Fred shook his head. "You won't do any of those things, Roy. You can't." "Why?" "I know something about you that wouldn't look good if it came out in the open. Something that would get you bounced out of your high position in a flash." "Not fast enough to stop me from setting the wheels going. My successor would continue the job of rooting out your league of landed gentry." "I doubt that," Fred said calmly. "I doubt it very much--because _I'm_ going to be your successor." X Crosscurrents of fear ran through Walton. He said, "What are you talking about?" Fred folded his arms complacently. "I don't think it comes as news to you that I broke into your office this morning while you were out. It was very simple: when I installed the lock, I built in a canceling circuit that would let me walk in whenever I pleased. And this morning I pleased. I was hoping to find something I could use as immediate leverage against you, but I hadn't expected anything as explosive as the portfolio in the left-hand cabinet. "Where is it?" Fred grinned sharply. "The contents of that portfolio are now in very safe keeping, Roy. Don't bluster and don't threaten, because it won't work. I took precautions." "And--" "And you know as well as I what would happen if that immortality serum got distributed to the good old man in the street," Fred said. "For one thing, there'd be a glorious panic. That would solve your population problem for, a while, with millions killed in the rush. But after that--where would you equalize, with every man and woman on Earth living forever, and producing immortal children?" "We don't know the long-range effects yet--" "Don't temporize. You damned well know it'd be the biggest upheaval the world has ever seen." Fred paused. "My employers," he said, "are in possession of the Lamarre formulas now." "And with great glee are busy making themselves immortals." "No. They don't trust the stuff, and won't use it until it's been tried on two or three billion guinea pigs. Human ones." "They're not planning to release the serum, are they?" Walton gasped. "Not immediately," Fred said. "In exchange for certain concessions on your part, they're prepared to return Lamarre's portfolio to you without making use of it." "Concessions? Such as what?"