human
Ken, he said in a strained voice,
gpt
No, he said at last.
human
It's just that when a nutty one comes along, we get it.
gpt
That's what I mean, Boyd said.
human
I wonder why that is.
gpt
It takes a thief to catch a thief,
human
But these aren't thieves, Boyd said.
gpt
I mean--they're just nutty. He paused.
human
Oh,
gpt
And, two thieves are better than one,
human
Anyhow, Boyd said with a small, gusty sigh,
gpt
Sure,
human
What's our next step, Ken?
gpt
First, he said finally,
human
It sounds like a big assumption,
gpt
It isn't really, he said.
human
After all, we can't figure it's the work of one person: it's too widespread for that. And it's silly to assume that everything's accidental.
gpt
All right, Boyd said equably.
human
It's an organization.
gpt
Trying to subvert the United States, Malone went on.
human
Reducing everything to chaos. And that brings in everything else, Tom. That brings in the unions and the gang wars and everything.
gpt
How?
human
Obvious, Malone said.
gpt
Strife brought on by internal confusion--that's what's going on all over. It's the same pattern. And if we assume an organization trying to jam up the United States, it even makes sense.
human
Sure it makes sense, Boyd said.
gpt
But who's the organization?
human
If I were doing the picking, Boyd said,
gpt
I'd pick the Russians. Or the Chinese. Or both. Probably both.
human
It's a possibility, Malone said.
gpt
Anyhow, if it's sabotage, who else would be interested in sabotaging the United States? There's some Russian or Chinese organization fouling up Congress, and the unions, and the gangs. Come to think of it, why the gangs? It seems to me that if you left the professional gangsters strong, it would do even more to foul things up.
human
Who knows? Boyd said.
gpt
Maybe they're trying to get rid of American gangsters so they can import some of their own.
human
That doesn't make any sense, Malone said,
gpt
We do?
human
Sure we do, Malone said.
gpt
The question is: How?
human
Hm-m-m.
gpt
How are the saboteurs doing all this? Malone said.
human
It just doesn't seem very probable that _all_ the technicians in the Senate Office Building, for instance, are spies. It makes even less sense that the labor unions are composed mostly of spies. Or, for that matter, the Mafia and the organizations like it. What would spies be doing in the Mafia?
gpt
Learning Italian,
human
Don't be silly, Malone said.
gpt
If there were that many spies in this country, the Russians wouldn't have to fight at all. They could _vote_ the Communists into power--and by a nice big landslide, too.
human
Wait a minute, Boyd said.
gpt
If there aren't so many spies, then how is all this getting done?
human
That's the question, he said.
gpt
And I think I have the answer.
human
You do? Boyd said. After a second he said:
gpt
Oh, no.
human
Suppose you tell me,
gpt
Magic?
human
Not exactly, Malone said cheerfully.
gpt
But you're getting warm.
human
I'm not going to stand for it, he announced.
gpt
I'm not going to take any more.
human
Any more what? Malone said.
gpt
Tell me what you have in mind.
human
I won't even consider it, Boyd said.
gpt
It haunts me. It gets into my dreams. Now, look, Ken: I can't even see a pitchfork any more without thinking of Greek letters.
human
Which Greek letter?
gpt
You know very well, Boyd said.
human
What a pitchfork looks like. _Psi_. And I'm not even going to think about it.
gpt
Well, Malone said equably,
human
What I'd rather do, Boyd said,
gpt
Next year, Malone said instantly.
human
For now, you can wait around until the dossiers come up--they're for the Senate Office Building technicians, and they're on the way. You can go over them, and start checking on any known Russian agents in the country for contacts. You can also start checking on the dossiers, and in general for any hanky-panky.
gpt
Hanky-panky?
human
It's a perfectly good word, Malone said, offended.
gpt
Or two words. Anyhow, you can start on that end, and not worry about anything else.
human
It's going to haunt me,
gpt
Well, Malone said,
human
Malone, Burris said instantly,
gpt
I just got a complaint from the State Department that ties in with your work. Their translator has been acting up.
human
Malone, Burris went on.
gpt
I said--
human
I heard you, Malone said.
gpt
And it doesn't have one.
human
It doesn't have one what?
gpt
A pig-Latin circuit, Malone said.
human
What else?
gpt
Malone, he said,
human
You said--
gpt
I said one of the State Department translators was acting up, Burris said.
human
If you want details--
gpt
I don't think I can stand them,
human
Some of the Russian and Chinese releases have come through with the meaning slightly altered, Burris went on doggedly.
gpt
And I want you to check on it right away. I--
human
Thank God,
gpt
What?
human
Never mind, Malone said.
gpt
Never mind. I'm glad you told me, Chief. I'll get to work on it right away, and--
human
You do that, Malone, Burris said.
gpt
And stop calling me Chief! Do I look like an Indian? Do I have feathers in my hair?
human
Anything, Malone said grandly,