Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net THE Adventurer BY C. M. KORNBLUTH ILLUSTRATED BY FREAS For every evil under the sun, there's an answer. It may be a simple, direct answer; it may be one that takes years, and seems unrelated to the problem. But there's an answer--of a kind.... President Folsom XXIV said petulantly to his Secretary of the Treasury: "Blow me to hell, Bannister, if I understood a single word of that. _Why_ can't I buy the Nicolaides Collection? And don't start with the rediscount and the Series W business again. Just tell me _why_." The Secretary of the Treasury said with an air of apprehension and a thread-like feeling across his throat: "It boils down to--no money, Mr. President." The President was too engrossed in thoughts of the marvelous collection to fly into a rage. "It's _such_ a bargain," he said mournfully. "An archaic Henry Moore figure--really too big to finger, but I'm no culture-snob, thank God--and fifteen early Morrisons and I can't begin to tell you what else." He looked hopefully at the Secretary of Public Opinion: "Mightn't I seize it for the public good or something?" The Secretary of Public Opinion shook his head. His pose was gruffly professional. "Not a chance, Mr. President. We'd never get away with it. The art-lovers would scream to high Heaven." [Illustration] "I suppose so.... _Why_ isn't there any money?" He had swiveled dangerously on the Secretary of the Treasury again. "Sir, purchases of the new Series W bond issue have lagged badly because potential buyers have been attracted to--" "Stop it, stop it, _stop_ it! You know I can't make head or tail of that stuff. Where's the money _going_?" The Director of the Budget said cautiously: "Mr. President, during the biennium just ending, the Department of Defense accounted for 78 per cent of expenditures--" The Secretary of Defense growled: "Now wait a minute, Felder! We were voted--" The President interrupted, raging weakly: "Oh, you rascals! My father would have known what to do with you! But don't think I can't handle it. _Don't_ think you can hoodwink me." He punched a button ferociously; his silly face was contorted with rage and there was a certain tension on all the faces around the Cabinet table. Panels slid down abruptly in the walls, revealing grim-faced Secret Servicemen. Each Cabinet officer was covered by at least two automatic rifles. "Take that--that traitor away!" the President yelled. His finger pointed at the Secretary of Defense, who slumped over the table, sobbing. Two Secret Servicemen half-carried him from the room. President Folsom XXIV leaned back, thrusting out his lower lip. He told the Secretary of the Treasury: "_Get_ me the money for the Nicolaides Collection. Do you understand? I don't care how you do it. _Get_ it." He glared at the Secretary of Public Opinion. "Have you any comments?" "No, Mr. President."