With my heredity, it should be.

"Under the power vested in me--" I started.

"Aw, shet up," he said, turning to walk to the door. "I reckon I know the rest!"

Anita stayed behind after Fred Plaice dragged the snake out with him. "Better get me George Kelly on the 'visor," I said to her.

"Right away," Anita said, coming over to my desk. "But first--"

I looked up. "Yes?"

"Fred Plaice is throwing you a curve, Gyp."

The instant she used my nickname, _I_ knew Anita felt that it was important. She never did that unless we were alone and talking seriously.

"What the devil!"

"Fred caught _another_ telepath last night, at the same time he got the snake you just saw," Anita said. "You didn't know that, did you, Gyp?"

"Hell, no," I growled. "Does George Kelly know?"

"No," she said.

"How did you find out, Anita?"

She shrugged. "I stand pretty good with a couple of the guys in Fred's section. One of them tipped me on the 'visor at home before I came to work. That's how I knew to be down here, actually."

I scowled over that one. "What did your buddy tell you?"

"Fred had said he'd have your O.K. to execute the second snake by noon and that everything about her was top-secret."

That was enough. "Get Fred and this top-secret snake in here, Anita, and right now! Forget about that call to the Director."

"Yes, _sir_!" she said, and went out with a swish of skirts.

* * * * *

But Fred came in alone. I decided it was about time to get him back on his heels. "Don't you give a damn about my orders?" I growled at him. His eyebrows shot up. "I distinctly told Anita I wanted you to bring that other snake in _with_ you. I know Anita got the message to you."

[Illustration]

But it didn't shake him up. Fred Plaice came right toward my desk, leaned over and put his hands on it, and looked me in the eye. "Gyp," he said. "Gyp, this is once you're going to let me have _my_ way."

"Not that it makes any difference," I snapped. "But why?"

"That's exactly what I'm not going to tell you," he said. "Listen, Gyp, have I ever tried to stick it in you, in any form?"

Fred's a hot-shot. He's the hardest-charger among my Section Chiefs. But I had never found his ambitions extending to my own job as head of the Division of Psychic Investigation. "You're still here," I conceded. "I guess I never caught you at it, Fred."

"And you never will, Gyp," he said. "You've given me the greatest breaks a guy ever got. This time I'm returning the favor."

"By _executing_ a telepath?" I demanded. "And a woman, at that!"

He didn't ask me how I knew, but I could see it annoyed him.

"The biggest break you ever got," he insisted. "This thing is so hot it will burn you to death. Another crypto-telepath, right here in the District. I want to make summary disposition of her, and I don't want you to so much as look at the papers. Just give me instructions to use my own discretion."

Talk about a blank check. "Fred," I said, searching for words that wouldn't offend him.