"Achievements in welfare activities are similarly lacking. No notable intentions or discoveries, with the exception of one patent on a new kind of beehive, appear in the record." [Illustration: _... But liars figure ...!_] "And this keeps us from getting a research grant in physics? What _did_ our progenitors do, anyway? Get hung for being horse thieves?" "No criminal activities were reported by your people, but there is a record of singular restlessness and dissatisfaction with established conditions." * * * * * "What did they do?" "They were constantly on the move, for the most part. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they were primarily pioneers, frontiersmen, settlers of new country. But when the country was established they usually packed up and went somewhere else. Rovers, trappers, unsettled people." "This is not good?" Fenwick glanced at the chart that was open now. It was almost uncolored. "I regret to say that such people are not classed as the stable element of communities," said Baker. "We cannot evaluate the index of hereditary accomplishment for the Clearwater faculty very high." "It appears that our grandpas were among those generally given credit for getting things set up," said Fenwick. "Such citizens are indeed necessary," said Baker. "But our index evaluates stability in community life and accomplishments with long-range effects in science and culture." "We haven't got much of a chance then, grandpa being foot-loose as he was." "Other factors could completely override this negative evaluation. You see, this is the beauty of the Index; it doesn't depend on any one factor or small group of factors. We evaluate the whole range of factors that have anything to do with the situation. Weaknesses in one spot may be counterbalanced by strength in others." "It looks like Clearwater is staffed by a bunch of bums without any strong spots." "I wouldn't say it in such terms, but the reason I am pointing these things out to you, John, is to try to persuade you to disassociate yourself from such a weak organization and go elsewhere. You have fine talents of your own, but you have always had a pattern of associating with groups like this one at Clearwater. Don't you see now that the only thing for you to do is go somewhere where there are people capable of doing things?" "I _like_ Clearwater. I like the people at the College. Where else are we in the bums category?" Baker suddenly didn't want to go on. The whole thing had become distasteful to him. "There are a good many others. I don't think we need to go into them. There is the staff reading index, the social activity index, wardrobe evaluation, hobbies, children--actual and planned." "I want to hear about them," said Fenwick. "That wardrobe evaluation--that sounds like a real fascinating study."