"I can keep my mouth shut, if that's what you mean," said Arch. "Yes. You kept one secret for ten years," said Horrisford. "The business of Mrs. Ramirez." Arch started. "How the deuce--? That was a personal affair. I've never told a soul, not even my wife!" "We have our little ways." Horrisford grinned, humanly enough. "The point is that you could have gained somewhat by blabbing, but didn't. It speaks well for you." General Brackney cleared his throat. "We want your help on a certain top-secret project," he said. "You still know more about capacitite than anybody else. But if one word of this leaks out prematurely, it means war. Atomic war. It also means that all of us, and you particularly, will be crucified." "I--" "You're an independent so-and-so, I realize. What we have in mind is a scheme to prevent such a war. We want you in on it both for your own value and because we can't protect you forever from Soviet agents." Brackney's smile had no humor. "Didn't know that, did you? It's one reason you're being co-opted, in spite of all you've done. "I can't say more till you take the oath, and once you've done that you're under all the usual restrictions. Care to help out?" Arch hesitated. He had little faith in government ... any government. Still-- Horrisford of the FBI had saved his life. "I'm game," he said. Elizabeth nodded. The oath was administered. Brackney leaned back and lit a cigar. "All right," he said. "I'll come to the point. "Offhand, it looks as if you've done a grave disservice to your country. It's been pointed out in the press that transporting fuel is the major problem of logistics. In fact, for the Russians it's _the_ problem, since they can live off the countries they invade to a degree we can't match. You've solved that for them, and once they convert their vehicles we can expect them to start rolling. They and their allies--especially the Chinese. This discovery is going to make them a first-class power." "I've heard that," said Arch thinly. "However, we also know that the communist regimes are not popular. Look at the millions of refugees, look at all the prisoners who refused repatriation, look at the Ukrainian insurrection--I needn't elaborate. The trouble has been that the people aren't armed. To say anything at home means the concentration camp. "Now, then. Basically, the idea is this. We've got plants set up to turn out capacitite in trainload lots. We can, I think, make weapons capable of stopping a tank for a couple of dollars apiece. Do you agree?" "Why--yes," said Arch. "I've been considering it lately. A rifle discharging its current through magnetic coils to drive a steel-jacketed bullet--the bullet could be loaded with electricity too. Or a Buck Rogers energy gun: a hand weapon with a blower run off the capacitor, sucking in air at the rear and spewing it out between two electrodes like a gigantic arc-welding flame. Or--yes, there are all kinds of possibilities."