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sion-incredulity, shock, anger.

At the end of London's recital, Eric Humphrey added, "I hope you

understand, Paul, why I decided that this matter-painful as it is-had to be

brought to your attention."

Yale nodded, his face flushed, still revealing the conflict of emotions.

"Yes, that part I understand. But as to the rest . . ." He spoke sternly to

Harry London. "This is a serious accusation. Are you certain of your

facts?"

"Yes, sir. Absolutely sure." London met the old man's gaze unflinchingly.

"The D.A. is definite, too. He believes he has ample evidence to convict."

Eric Humphrey interjected, "I should explain to you, Paul, that Mr.

London's record with us has been outstanding. He has put teeth into our

Property Protection program and shown himself to be a responsible

executive. He is not given to making accusations lightly."

Nim added, "Especially one this serious."

"It is certainly serious." Mr. justice Yale had regained his composure and

was speaking in measured tones as if, Nim thought, he were once more

occupying the highest judicial bench. "For the moment I accept what you

gentlemen say, though later I will insist on examining the evidence."

"Naturally," Eric Humphrey said.

"Meanwhile," Yale continued, "I assume it is clearly understood and

accepted that, until this moment, I had no knowledge myself of anything you

have described."

Humphrey assured him, "That goes without saying. None of us had the

slightest doubt of it. Our main concern was about embarrassment to YOU."

"And to Golden State Power," Nim added.

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Yale shot him a quick, shrewd glance. "Yes, there is that to be con-

sidered." He permitted himself a slight smile. "Well, I thank you for

your confidence in me."

"It never wavered," Humphrey said.

Briefly Nim wondered: Wasn't the chairman overdoing it a bit? Then he

thrust the thought away.

Paul Yale seemed to want to go on talking. "Apart from this unfortunate

incident, I find the entire concept of power theft interesting. Frankly,

I had no idea such a thing existed. I have never heard of it before. Nor

did I know there were such people in the public utility business as Mr.

London." He told the Property Protection chief, "On some other occasion

I would be interested to bear more about your work."

"Be glad to fill you in anytime, sir."

They went on talking, the initial strain gone. It was arranged that later

in the day Harry London would disclose to Mr. justice Yale the detailed

evidence relating to Ian Norris and the Yale Family Trust properties.

Yale announced his intention to retain private legal counsel to protect

his interests vis-A-vis Norris. He explained, "The question of succession

of trustees for that family trust has always been something of a problem.

My grandfather made provisions which were inelastic and have not worn

well with time. It will require a court order to have Norris removed. In

the circumstances, I shall seek it."

Nim contributed little to the discussion. Something, somewhere in his

mind, was bothering him. He wasn't sure what.

Two days later, Harry London returned to Nim.

"Got some news you'll like about that Norris case."

Nim looked up from the latest draft of his NEI convention speech. "Such

as?"

"Ian Norris has made a statement. He swears your friend Paul Sberman Yale

knew nothing whatever about what was going on. So the old boy's story is

confirmed."

Nim asked curiously, "Why would Norris make a statement?"

" Deals within wheels. I'm not sure the scales of justice are dead level,

but here's the way it is: Norris' lawyer has been talking with the D.A.

First, it's been agreed GSP & L will be paid what's owing-or rather, what

we estimate is owing, which is a belluva lot of money. After that, Norris

will plead 'no contest' to a charge of criminal stealing under Section

591."

:'What's that?"

'Part of the California Penal Code. Covers stealing from public utilities

like us and the phone companies, and allows for a fine and a prison term

of up to - five- -years. - Anyway, the- D.A. will -ask for the maximum

fine but will agree not to press for imprisonment. Put it all together

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and there'll be no evidence presented in court, so the name of the Yale

Family Trust won't be in the record."

Harry London stopped.

"Getting information from you," Nim complained, "is like drawing corks.

Tell me the rest of that under-the-counter deal."

"Some of it I don't know; probably never will. One thing that comes through

is that our Mr. Yale has powerful friends. The D.A. bas been under pressure

to get the case settled and keep the Yale name under wraps." London

shrugged. "I suppose that's best for dear old GSP & L."

"Yes," Nim agreed, "it's best."

Afterward, with London gone, Nim sat, silent, thinking. It was true: There

would have been harmful publicity for the company if one of its directors

and its official spokesman bad been involved in a case of power theft,

however innocently. Nim supposed he should feel relieved. Yet something

continued to nag at him, as it had for two whole days, a burr in his

subconscious, a conviction that he knew something important if he could

only remember what.

There was something else. This time not subconscious.

Why should Mr. justice Yale have made such a heavy-handed point -as he did

at the meeting with Eric Humphrey, Harry London and Nim-about never having

heard of power theft? Of course, it was entirely possible be hadn't. True,

there had been reports in the press and an occasional mention on TV, but no

one person could be expected to know everything in the news, even a Supreme

Court judge. just the same, the insistence had seemed-to Nim-overdone.

He returned to his first thought: The nagging doubt. What in hell was it

that he knew? Maybe if he didn't try so bard it would drop quietly into his

mind.

He continued working on his speech for the National Electric Institute

convention, only four days away.

16

A day of glory nears!

The valiant people's army, Friends of Freedom, fighting the vile

capitalists who keep Amerika in chains, will strike a blow to be

acclaimed in history.

All preparations are A-okay for countdown.

Georgos Winslow Archambault, writing in his journal, hesitated.

Then, using his stub of pencil (it was getting uncomfortably short and

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he would have to discard it soon, Gandhi's precepts or not), he crossed

out the last four words. They had capitalist overtones, he realized, as

he substituted:

have been brilliantly executed by the Friends of Freedom high

command.

Better. Much better! He went on writing.

The people's enemies, consorting under the infamous, fascist-front

banner of the National Electric Institute, begin assembling in two

days' time.

They are in for a grand surprise-and a deserved punishrnent.

Georgos smiled as he put the pencil stub down and rested from composing,

which, as usual, tired him mentally. Standing, he surveyed the basement

workshop, now jammed tightly with new supplies and equipment. He

stretched his lean, lithe body. Then he dropped to the floor in a space

he had deliberately kept clear and did forty push-ups rapidly. It pleased

Georgos that he sailed through the exercise easily and his breathing was

normal at the end. Three days from now he might be glad of his physical

fitness.

He would get back to the journal in a minute. With significant history

in the making, it must not be neglected because some day it should find

an honored place in the archives of revolution.

He reflected: Everything for the impending operation was knitting

together perfectly-planning, supplies, the logistics of getting explosive

and incendiary bombs into the Christopher Columbus Hotel. The first set

of bombs (containing high explosive) would detonate at 3 A.m. during the

second night of the NEI convention, the fire bombs from five to ten

minutes later. Both sets of bombs, disguised as fire extinguishers, would

be placed in position the preceding day-roughly sixteen hours before

detonation.

Thanks to Georgos' resourceful leadership, all was proceeding like . .

. he groped for a metaphor . . . like those excellent clockwork

mechanisms Davey Birdsong bought in Chicago and delivered here.

Georgos bad revised his earlier opinions about Birdsong. Now he felt

admiration and love for the big, bearded man.

Not only was Birdsong's original idea sheer genius, but in helping im-

plement it he was taking active risks. In addition to the shopping trip

to Chicago, Birdsong had helped to buy up fire extinguishers locally, a

few at a time from different sources. In the basement workshop there were

now almost three dozen-ample for the Friends of Freedom plan. Georgos had

been cautious in bringing them to the house, mostly after dark. He had

taken one calculated risk in delivering six extinguishers in

28.2

daylight-he urgently needed the space in his VW van to pick up more -but had

surveyed the street carefully first~ then moved quickly, and was satisfied

afterward that be bad not been observed.

As well as collecting the thirty-odd extinguishers, Georgos bad already

done the needed work on half of them. First he had emptied the original

contents, then machined the insides of the casings to weaken them. After

that, in those which were to be fire bombs, be inserted plastic bottles

filled with gasoline, plus explosive charges with detonators, and timing

mechanisms. In the case of the high explosive bombs, which would block off

exits from the hotel, he substituted four pounds of dynamite for the

gasoline.

Soon, when he had finished writing his journal, he would continue with the

remaining extinguishers. It would be necessary to work steadily through the

next forty-eight bours-and with great care because the amount of explosive

now in the workshop was sufficient to wipe out the entire block if anything

went wrong. But Georgos bad confidence in his own ability and that he could

finish in time.

His thin, ascetic face lighted in gleeful contemplation as be recalled

Birdsong's words when they first discussed their plan to block off escape

from the hotel, then start fierce fires on the upper floors: "If you do it

right, not one person on those upper floors will leave that building

alive."

A further plus for Birdsong: He had come through with all the money Georgos

asked for, even though the cost of everything had been greater than

expected.

Tlen there was the diversion Birdsong had planned. It would help Georgos,

aided by the other freedom fighters, to get the bombs safely into the

hotel.

As he bad done several times already, Georgos went over the details in his

mind.

With some more of Birdsong's money, Georgos had bought a Dodge pickup