"No, course not. She didn't see the picture, so how would she know? Would've said something if she had. Now come on, Howard, we've got to go to the police and--" "Uncle Lester!" The little man paused and looked at him suspiciously. But that was all right; Mooney began to feel confidence flow back into him. It wasn't all over yet, not by a long shot. "Uncle Lester," he said, his voice low-pitched and persuasive, "I have to ask you a very important question. Think before you answer, please. This is the question: Have you ever belonged to any Communist organization?" The old man blinked. After a moment, he exploded. "Now what are you up to, Howard? _You_ know I never--" "Think, Uncle Lester! Please. Way back when you were a boy--anything like that?" "Of course not!" "You're sure? Because I'm warning you, Uncle Lester, you're going to have to take the strictest security check anybody ever took. You've stumbled onto something important. You'll have to prove you can be trusted or--well, I can't answer for the consequences. You see, this involves--" he looked around him furtively--"Schenectady Project." "Schenec--" "Schenectady Project." Mooney nodded. "You've heard of the atom bomb? Uncle Lester, this is bigger!" "Bigger than the at--" "Bigger. It's the _molecule_ bomb. There aren't seventy-five men in the country that know what that so-called driver in the truck was up to, and now you're one of them." Mooney nodded soberly, feeling his power. The old man was hooked, tied and delivered. He could tell by the look in the eyes, by the quivering of the lips. Now was the time to slip the contract in his hand; or, in the present instance, to-- "I'll tell you what to do," whispered Mooney. "Here's my key. You go up to my room. Don't knock--we don't want to attract attention. Walk right in. You'll see a man there and he'll explain everything. Understand?" "Why--why, sure, Howard. But why don't you come with me?" Mooney raised a hand warningly. "You might be followed. I'll have to keep a lookout." Five minutes later, when Mooney tapped on the door of the room--three taps, pause, three taps--and cautiously pushed it open, the pale blue mist was just disappearing. Harse was standing angrily in the center of the room with the jointed metal thing thrust out ominously before him. And of Uncle Lester, there was no trace at all. V Time passed; and then time was all gone, and it was midnight, nearly the Nexus Point. In front of the hotel, a drowsy cab-driver gave them an argument. "The Public Liberry? Listen, the Liberry ain't open this time of night. I ought to--Oh, thanks. Hop in." He folded the five-dollar bill and put the cab in gear. Harse said ominously: "Liberry, Mooney? Why do you instruct him to take us to the Liberry?" Mooney whispered: "There's a law against being in the Park at night. We'll have to sneak in. The Library's right across the street."