"Pretty good, Uncle Angus," said the lad seriously. "They got the Mexican and Black Hawk War units mixed up, but I guess we can't blame them for that." "I guess we can't," said MacReedy. He turned to the General, added, "Now, sir, what can I do for you? Or need I ask?" "I have a hunch you know pretty well what I'm after," said the General. "My predecessor must have given you some idea." "I've been afraid of this," said MacReedy with a sigh. "It's what I deserve for trying to show off to Toby." "I don't understand," said the General. "I was trying to show Toby how good I was," he said, ruffling the boy's curly hair. "Then, when I got that seventy-five AA-gun doped out ahead of time--and it proved correct--I had to go one step further. I should never have let the model out of the house." "I'd like to see your workshop," said the General. Angus MacReedy removed his pipe and said, "Come along." * * * * * The basement ran the length and width of the house. Although furnace and fuel-storage were walled off in a separate room at one end it still provided a sizable workroom, enough for three long wooden tables. On one of them MacReedy carved his tiny figures and cannon and vehicle parts from solid chunks of lead. Another was used for painting, a third for drying. On this third table were a half-dozen more of the XT-101's--along with a group of Confederate cannoneers and their field-pieces, some Indians, a small group of knights in armor, and what appeared to be Roman Legionaries. The General pointed to these and said, "I didn't know you went in for them. I thought you were strictly an American specialist." MacReedy puffed at his pipe, then said, "I'm doing these for Toby--in return for his services as delivery boy and all-around helper. I'm trying to teach him history in reverse." "Odd concept," said the General. "It works--doesn't it, Toby?" MacReedy said to the lad. "Uncle Angus says it will help me when I take history in college," Toby said stoutly. "This is King Henry the Fifth at Agincourt--just like Sir Lawrence Olivier in the movie. And this is Genghis Khan. And here is Tamerlaine, and Charles Martel, and Caesar...." "I see," said the General. He was a little overwhelmed at so much evidence of one man's individual craftsmanship and industry. He eyed the XT-101's with malevolent interest, then studied a nearly-finished weapon on the carving table. It looked like.... It was! One of the just-conceived, self-reloading rocket-launchers on armored mobile carriage with amphibious tractor-treads. He said, his voice dry and tight, "Where'd you get this, MacReedy?"