Gene sat silent after that. He thought about it for some time before answering. "The answer to that," he said very slowly and very carefully, "is this: If some force is being generated to prevent full use of the human brain, a counter-force may be set up to nullify the field. That will be simple enough once we isolate the field that prevents thought. But on the other hand, if no such field exists and it is just one of those paradoxes, we'll have considerable working to do to generate a force-field that _will_ permit one hundred percent brain-usage." "Right. And remembering that this may be the answer to Terra's existence, we'll have to keep it silent." "You're handing me the job?" "Yes. You're a practising psychologist. You're also an amateur technician. If you need anything, no matter what, requisition it and I'll see that it is O.K.'d. Send the thing to me marked _personal_ so that some clerk won't toss it out for not belonging to the publishing business." "You know how much this will cost?" "Sure. You'll start off with a copy of the I.Q. Register and recorder and work your way up through the intent-register. From there on in, Gene, you're on your own. And--alone! I do not want to know what you're doing. I might let it out before Rayne or his wife. Come to me as soon as you find something." "Right. But look, Andy. Why not give me a batch of signed requisitions so that you won't know what I'm working on next?" "Good. I'll sign me one block, and mail it to your home. You are fired as of now for ... for--" "Differing with the management in a matter of policy." "Excellent. And when the requisition numbering the last of the block comes in, I'll sign up and mail another block to your home. Leave a forwarding address. The bank will honor your signature on company checks to the tune of one thousand dollars per month." "Applied psychology is wonderful," smiled the tall, thin man. "You wouldn't have trusted me a thousand years ago." "There are a lot of people I wouldn't trust now, today." "But the difference is, Andy, that nowadays you know whom you can trust." * * * * *