When Brookings arrived he was shown into DuQuesne's study. The two men shook hands perfunctorily and sat down, the scientist waiting for the other to speak. "Well, DuQuesne, you were right. Our man couldn't handle it. But of course you didn't mean the terms you mentioned before?" DuQuesne's lips smiled; a hard, cold smile. "You know what I said, Brookings. Those terms are now doubled, twenty thousand and ten million. Nothing else goes." "I expected it, since you never back down. The Corporation expects to pay for its mistakes. We accept your terms and I have contracts here for your services as research director, at a salary of two hundred and forty thousand dollars per annum, with the bonus and royalties you demand." DuQuesne glanced over the documents and thrust them into his pocket. "I'll go over these with my attorney to-night, and mail one back to you if he approves the contract. In the meantime, we may as well get down to business." "What would you suggest?" asked Brookings. "You people stole the solution, I see...." "Don't use such harsh language, Doctor, it's...." "Why not? I'm for direct action, first, last and all the time. This thing is too important to permit of mincing words or actions, it's a waste of time. Have you the solution here?" "Yes, here it is," drawing the bottle from his pocket. "Where's the rest of it?" asked DuQuesne as he noted the size of the bottle. "All that we found is here, except about a teaspoonful which the expert had to work on," replied Brookings. "We didn't get it all, only half of it. The rest of it was diluted with water, so that it wouldn't be missed. After we get started, if you find it works out satisfactorily, we can procure the rest of it. That will certainly cause a disturbance, but it may be necessary...." "Half of it!" interrupted DuQuesne. "You haven't one-twentieth of it here. When I saw it in the Bureau, Seaton had about five hundred milliliters--over a pint--of it. I wonder if you're double-crossing me again?" "No, you're not," he continued, paying no attention to the other's protestations of innocence. "You're paying me too much to want to block me now. The crook you sent out to get the stuff turned in only this much. Do you suppose he is holding out on us?" "No. You know Perkins and his methods." "He missed the main bottle, then. That's where your methods make me tired. When I want anything done, I believe in doing it myself, then I know it's done right. As to what I suggest, that's easy. I will take three or four of Perkins' gunmen tonight. We'll go out there and raid the place. We'll shoot Seaton and anybody else who gets in the way. We'll dynamite the safe and take their solution, plans, notes, money, and anything else we want." "No, no, Doctor, that's too crude altogether. If we have to do that, let it be only as a last resort."