"Ask me a favor," urged Kennedy. "I'll do it, if it won't harm my own program. I tell you, I want to square things." "Well--" "Think about it. Let me know." "All right." Fraser got up. "I may do that." He went out the door without saying goodnight. 4 He sat with his feet on the table, chair tilted back and teetering dangerously, hands clasped behind his head, pipe filling the room with blue fog. It was his usual posture for attacking a problem. And damn it, he thought wearily, this was a question such as he made his living on. An industrial engineer comes into the office. We want this and that--a machine for a very special purpose, let's say. What should we do, Mr. Fraser? Fraser prowls around the plant, reads up on the industry, and then sits down and thinks. The elements of the problem are such-and-such; how can they be combined to yield a solution? Normally, he uses the mathematical approach, especially in machine design. Most practicing-engineers have a pathetic math background--they use ten pages of elaborate algebra and rusty calculus to figure out something that three vector equations would solve. But you have to get the logical basics straight first, before you can set up your equations. All right, what is the problem? To get Judy back. That means forcing Kennedy to restore her normal emotional reactions--no, he didn't want her thrust into love of him; he just wanted her as she had been. What are the elements of the problem? Kennedy acts outside the law, but he has blocked all official channels. He even has connections extending through the Iron Curtain. Hmmmm--appeal to the FBI? Kennedy couldn't have control over them--_yet_. However, if Fraser tried to tip off the FBI, they'd act cautiously, if they investigated at all. They'd have to go slow. And Kennedy would find out in time to do something about it. Martinez could help no further. Sworsky had closer contact with Washington. He'd been so thoroughly cleared that they'd be inclined to trust whatever he said. But Sworsky doubted the whole story; like many men who'd suffered through irresponsible Congressional charges, he was almost fanatic about having proof before accusing anyone of anything. Moreover, Kennedy knew that Sworsky was Fraser's friend; he'd probably be keeping close tabs on the physicist and ready to block any attempts he might make to help. With the backing of a man like Snyder, Kennedy could hire as many detectives as he wanted. In fact, whatever the counter-attack, it was necessary to go warily. Kennedy's threat to get rid of Fraser if the engineer kept working against him was not idle mouthing. He could do it--and, being a fanatic, would. But Kennedy, like the demon of legend, would grant one wish--just to salve his own conscience. Only what should the wish be? Another woman? Or merely to be reconciled, artificially, to an otherwise-intolerable situation? _Judy, Judy, Judy!_