“I know,” the doctor said slowly, “Okay, so while we’re showing our cards, let me add this: that’s one of the reasons I want this job. _Another_ one of the reasons. I know what you’re trying to do--but I don’t want to see Johnny fouled up any more either.” “Okay, so stick around and keep an eye on me. That’s all right too. The way it is right now, Kutler, I can see a good chance of every damn thing we’ve done so far going right swoosh down the drain for God only knows how long--another ten, twenty, thirty years, maybe. Unless the Reds make it, that is--” “Yeah, that’s something else. What’s _with_ them over there? You’ve had these bugs Johnny brought back and the other stuff to work on--I take it the bugs get the most attention now?” Chris nodded. “So what are they doing there? They run shuttles up and down, and from what I saw coming up, and the scuttlebutt hither and yon, there’s enough espionage going on to support a half dozen space programs. So what are they _doing_?” “I wish to hell I knew! About the only thing I’m pretty sure of is, they haven’t got anything big going out soon. If they _did_--well, frankly, I’d be the last to know. But the Decagon boys would know all about it before the New Kremlin did, I’ll guarantee. Then maybe we’d see some changes here too. _Maybe, hell!_ That’s the _only_ thing that would get us off the ground again, the way it is now.” “_A la_ Sputnik?” Chris nodded. “_And_ Muttnik, _and_ Lunik, _and_ Mechta--and the _Lenin_, for that matter. Frankly, Phil--” He hesitated. It was tempting to talk to this man; it would be a damn big help to have _someone_ to talk to. But--“I wonder if some of the big-scare reaction to the whole _Lenin-Colombo_ bust wasn’t--encouraged a little? After all, Johnny _did_ bring the ship back. It _went_ to Mars. It came _back_. He’s alive, in one piece, sane--as much as anyone, I guess?” Phil nodded, smiling. “So why the big scare? The way it adds to me--bearing in mind that I’m a wild-eyed scientist, see? Not a politico--” He grinned. “I keep thinking, the _Colombo_ puts us one-up. As long as they don’t make another move, we stay one-up. As far as the politicians go, that means the Space Program has done its bit for God and country--for now, anyhow. And meantime, for this new Undersea Corporation.... And the Arctic Circle crowd has some big money behind it too. So why throw away the taxpayers’ hard-earned loot on spaceships? No profits, no porkbarrel, not even any damn propaganda value. See?” “That figures,” Kutler said thoughtfully. “So?”