"Mrs. Lopez has some very rare and special qualifications for this kind of procedure, Mr. Sherman. She is quick-witted, inventive, very fast and she has a useful grasp of what Doctor Matthews would have said under almost any sort of circumstance. She has to concentrate totally, so much so that I am surprised she can handle it properly for four hours. I don't think I could last two hours."

Sherman stared at him for a time without answering, and then said, "No one else has this earthshaking talent you attribute to Mrs. Lopez?"

"No one else working here," she said.

Sherman leaned back and put his clipboard aside.

"Let me make an observation. Let us put everything in its proper perspective. In my years of varied experience I have learned that whenever people from factory workers to executives become involved in a new technique, they tend to think of it in terms of it being some sort of mystique. And that, of course, is nonsense. We have a tendency to humor ourselves, and while doing so, make routine tasks seem far more important and difficult than they are."

"I would like to see you try to ' "Hush, please, Mrs. Lopez. Mr. Efflander ran a very loose operation here. That is becoming more evident everywhere I look. He was, as you know, a very relaxed and languid person.

I have the hunch he was a person of limited energies. He let all of you go your own way. He allowed too much free rein. That is not my way of directing complex operations. I intend to keep on top of every detail, every bit of procedure and policy. In your case, Mr. Oshiro, and in yours, Mrs. Lopez, Efflander permitted a slackness I will not stand for. Your free ride is over, Mr. Oshiro, as of the end of the business day tomorrow. You have not made any changes in the last week in the basic synthesis program. And as for you, Mrs. Lopez, from now on you will operate the program as an ongoing and permanent aspect of our solicitations, getting your prospect list each day from Deets's people based on degree of delinquency. You will work the program for six hours each day, and during the remaining two hours you will train two more operators. I estimate that ten hours of training should suffice for each one.

Deets's people will set up the new work stations when you get the other two women trained, and we will then have a man hour total of twenty-four hours a day of solicitation using voice synthesis. I have thought this through very carefully, and I am willing to reward you, Mrs. Lopez, for special effort, say a ten percent pay raise. Please be on time the next time I want to meet with you."

As Sherman started to rise, clipboard in hand, Oshiro said, "Can you believe this clown, Glinda?"

She shook her head.

"I can hear him and I can see him but I don't believe him. Where did they get him anyway?"

"Listen, Harold baby," Mickey said.

"I've been assembling a work manual as we went along. It's all there, right beside the work station. I wouldn't want to take it away and give you a lot of excuses. So you go right ahead, bone up on it, break in some new people, have your fun. You'll really know how it works when you get through."

"Are you people trying to tell me you are irreplaceable?"

"I'm not trying to tell you anything," Glinda said.

"The only reason I kept going was because I was trying to please Mickey here. I mean, he worked it all out and I guess I was trying to please him by making the darn program work. But every day I've been hating it a little bit more. I couldn't have kept going.

Those poor people, losing their houses and their cars. Sick kids. Death in the family, hospitalizations. Car accidents. And there I am, sucking up to them in the old man's voice, wheedling, telling them that their tithe is their prayer to the Lord, and when they are having hard times, that is the worst possible time to stop giving, because if they keep giving to the Lord, He will help them out of their troubles. And, Mr. Sherman, that is a crock. A real crock. The worst of it is, they believe him. They promise they'll get the money somehow.

And when I hear that I want to bust in with my own voice and say, Hey, don't listen to that shit! Get yourself out of the hole first. Pay your bills. Save your house. And then come back to the Church and make your tithe." She spun and looked at Mickey.

"The old broad that needed the operation, you remember her, on Monday?"

"Yes. I remember her."

"It's wicked work I've been doing, Mr. Sherman, and I couldn't have kept on much longer with or without Mickey."

"I'm glad to hear that," Oshiro said quietly.

Harold Sherman said, "Those people who touch your bleeding heart pledged their support. They made an agreement. If they can't live up to it, they should resign from the Church.

And I believe you owe the Church some consideration, Mrs. Lopez. From your personnel records I believe you came here to us because you were emotionally disturbed, and we found work for you."

"And I did more than enough to clean the slate."

"Mrs. Lopez, I find your attitudes distasteful and unpleasant, and not in keeping with the discipline I intend to establish in this organization. You are really not a person I would wish to have working on delicate and confidential matters. Two weeks' termination pay will be arranged. Do you have any personal things in this building you wish to retrieve? Either of you?"

They shook their heads.

"Then I will go with you to the gate, and leave orders you are not to be readmitted to this area."

"He didn't even realize I'd already quit!" Glinda said wonderingly.

"I told you he's a comic. He's got a great routine there."

"Wow, he's really going to keep this place on its toes, isn't he, Mick?"

"Right up there on tippy toe, saluting every minute."

As they got to the doorway, it was evident that Harold Sherman actually intended to accompany them to the gate.

Oshiro spun, went into a half crouch, hands all poised for the judo chop.

"Try to follow me, round eyes," he said, 'and you have a long painful recovery, if you recover."

"You are threatening me!" Sherman said in a thin small voice, backing away.

"Damn right."

When they got to the stairway they looked back. Sherman had not come out of the room.

"Hey," Mickey said, 'that stuff is pretty good. I keep seeing it in the movies but I never tried to use it before."

She giggled all the way past the security station and she finally had to stop, breathless, and lean against the concrete wall, hugging her stomach.

"Oh, I haven't laughed like this in so long, Mick. Oh boy.

That was absolutely wonderful.

"Round eyes"I Did you see his face?"

"Hell yes. I wondered what I'd do if he knew judo. They say you're supposed to watch their eyes. But what do you watch for?"

As they strolled on, the laughter died away and she said, "Okay, so what am I laughing at? Unemployment insurance?"

"What do you plan to do anyway?" he asked.

"Find work, but not here, and not up home either. Bad memories up there, my friend."

"Tell you what. I'm willing to invest in a plane ride for you.

Coach. I'm basically a cheap Jap."

"To where?"