His hand fumbled inside the drawer. "I think I have some of the metal samples around here," he said. His hand found the stack of gleaming dummy disks, encircled it possessively. He tossed them carelessly on the desk top and one rolled, wobbling, to the edge and fell to the floor. * * * * * Puzzled, the worker bent to the one that had fallen, picked it up, turned it over in his hand, studying it curiously. "I don't see ...," he said suspiciously. "That's our product," Parr lied. "We include some in every hundred or so bundles. The literature explains their function." The worker shook his head slowly. "As you can see," Parr persisted gently, "they're perfectly harmless." He tensed, waiting. "... Yeah, uh ... I think I get it. Something like them hollow cement bricks they use to cure people of rheumatism with, huh?" Parr swallowed and relaxed. "That's the general idea. You'll see.... Well, if you want to, go ahead and open the parcel." "Naaah," the man said foolishly. "... There wouldn't be no sense in doin' that." Beneath the desk top again, his hands coiled and flexed in anger and hatred. "I want your name," Parr said, a very slight note of harshness in his voice. The worker let his eyes turn to the backs of his heavy hands, guiltily. "Look, Mister Parr, I didn't mean...." Parr silenced him with an over-drawn gesture. "No, no," he said, his voice normal and conciliatory. "I meant, we might be able to use a man like you in our big plant in the East." He snarled inwardly at himself for the unnecessary note of harshness before: it was too soon for that. Suddenly stammering with excitement, the worker said, "My name's George ... George Hickle ... George Hickle, Mister Parr. I got good letters from back home about my workin', sir." "Where do you live, George?" "Out on Bixel.... Just up from Wilshire, you know, where...." "I meant the number of the house, George." "Oh," George told him. Parr wrote it down. "George Hickle, uh-huh." "I'll be mighty obliged, Mister Parr, if you'll keep me in mind." "Yes. Well. Good afternoon, Hickle. You ought to be getting back to your work now, hadn't you?" And when the worker had half crossed the room, Parr drew a heavy, black line through the name. He had memorized it. The pencil lead broke under the pressure. And at that moment, the pressure in his mind vanished. In automatic relief, he relaxed his shielding for the first time in what seemed years, and before he could rectify the error Lauri hit him with everything she had, catching him just as the shield began to reform. * * * * * Pain roared in his mind. From the force of the blow he knew that she must be near the warehouse. It had been one quick thrust, leaving his mind throbbing and he sobbed in impotent hate and anger. The pressure was back.