Frank shuddered to think what might happen now. Suppose Bud should--God, no!--become President out of all this; suppose the people, in gratitude, or the politicians seeking a popular hero, contrived his election. Frank felt that he might have erred in using bad means to gain good ends. For Bud, hunting subversives, socialists, liberals, and critics, could rapidly reduce the country to conformism and with native ingenuity, pervert starscience into a political weapon. The first radio message, on Earth frequency, to the President requested that Bud be given the job of handling all negotiations. If, it said, Senator Council finds it in his heart to accept the responsibility. Many people did not understand the last. Bud did. * * * * * The morning of the day the starmen returned, Norma came into Bud's office. She was practically bursting with excitement. Thoughts of what their knowledge would contribute to Earth, the marvelous advances in medicine, in physics, in art that hovered just within reach.... On her way through the secretary's office, she passed a slight, nattily dressed man wearing a hat. For a puzzled second she furrowed her brow. Then memory came. He had been investigated by the Senate Crime Committee. She bit her lip in exasperation. Why would Bud be willing to see someone like that? "Wasn't that--?" she demanded, bursting into Bud's office. He got up with quick awkwardness. His face was bloodless. "Ohhhhhh," he sighed. "I didn't expect--Hello, Sis." "Wasn't that--?" she began again. "It's, it's, it's, he, he...." Bud indicated the box on his desk. "From an old friend." "What's wrong? Don't you feel well, Bud?" "Fine, fine," Bud said. "I feel fine.... I'm very busy just now." Norma sat down. The box rested on the desk between them. Warily Bud sank into his chair. She saw his face framed above the box, almost as if the head were hanging suspended and bodiless, and she felt an unaccountable tremor of superstitious fear. "You poor dear," she said. "You've been worrying so much about the starmen.... You're losing weight. Have Frank give you a checkup, Bud; you ought to take things easier." "... I will. I've been intending to.... I'll have him look me over. Where is he; do you know where he is?" "He went out last night. I expect him back any time." He stood up. He was calmer now. He rested one hand on the box. "Yes, I wouldn't worry. He'll show up. I am tired, terribly tired. You saw the Secret Service men out there? They're out to kill me, Norma! _Senator Stilson is hiring them!_" Norma started to protest. "I tell you, they are. If the Secret Service weren't out there to protect me, I'd be dead right now. But God has given me a job to do. I can't let them kill me until I have done His will." "Bud, you're just overworked. Nobody's trying to do a thing like that. Frank says it's just publicity, and I thought...."