The demolished man Read Free

hundred 2nds at present."
    "Will you get to the point?"
    "Finally there are less than a thousand 1st Class Espers in the Guild. The 1sts
    are capable of deep peeping, through the conscious and preconscious layers down
    to the unconscious... the lowest levels of the mind. Primordial basic desires
    and so forth. These, of course, hold premium positions. Education, specialized
    medical service... analysts like Tate, Gart, @kins, Moselle... criminologists
    like Lincoln Powell of the Psychotic Division... Political Analysts, State
    Negotiators, Special Cabinet Advisors, and so on. Thus far Monarch Utilities has
    never had occasion to hire a 1st."
    "And?" Reich muttered.
    "The occasion has arisen, Mr. Reich, and I believe Blonn may be available.
    Briefly..."
    "It says here."
    "Briefly, Mr. Reich, Monarch is hiring so many Espers that I have suggested we
    set up a special Esper Personnel Department, headed by a 1st like Blonn, to
    devote itself exclusively to interviewing telepaths."
    "He's wondering why you can't handle it."
    "I have given you the background to explain why I cannot handle the job, Mr.
    Reich. I am a 2nd Class Esper. I can telepath normal applicants rapidly and
    efficiently, but I cannot handle other Espers with the same speed and economy.
    All Espers are accustomed to using mind-blocks of varying effectiveness
    depending on their rating. It would take me one hour per 3rd for an efficient
    screening interview. It would take me three hours per 2nd. I could not possibly
    peep through the mind-block of a 1st. We must hire a 1st like Blonn for this
    work. The cost will be enormous, of course, but the necessity is urgent."
    "What's so urgent?" Reich said.
    "For heaven's sake! Don't give him that picture! That isn't diversion. It's
    waving a red flag. He's sore enough now."
    "I have my job to do, Madam." To Reich, the Chief said: "The fact is, sir, we
    are not hiring the best Espers. The D'Courtney Cartel has been taking the cream
    of the Espers away from us. Over and over again, through lack of proper
    facilities, we have been mouse-trapped by D'Courtney into bidding for inferior
    people while D'Courtney has quietly appropriated the best."
    "Damn you!" Reich shouted. "Damn D'Courtney. All right. Set it up. And tell this
    Blonn to start mouse-trapping D'Courtney. You'd better start, too."
    Reich tore out of Personnel and over to Sales-city. The same unpleasant
    information was waiting for him. Monarch Utilities & Resources was losing the
    gut-fight with the D'Courtney Cartel. It was losing the fight in every
    sector-city---Advertising, Engineering, Research, Public Relations. There was no
    escaping the certainty of defeat. Reich knew his back was to the wall.
    He returned to his own office and paced in a fury for five minutes. "It's no
    use," he muttered. "I know I'll have to kill him. He won't accept merger. Why
    should he? He's licked me and he knows it. I'll have to kill him and I'll need
    help. Peeper help."
    He flipped on the v-phone and told the operator; "Recreation."
    A sparkling lounge appeared on the screen, decorated in chrome and enamel,
    equipped with game tables and a bar dispenser. It appeared to be and was used as
    a recreation center. It was, in fact, headquarters of Monarch's powerful
    espionage division. The Recreation Director, a bearded scholar named West,
    looked up from a chess problem, then rose to attention.
    "Good morning, Mr. Reich."
    Warned by the formal `Mister,' Reich said: "Good morning, Mr. West. Just a
    routine check. Paternalism, you know. How's amusement these days?"
    "Modulated, Mr. Reich. However, I must complain, sir. I think there's entirely
    too much gambling going on." West stalled in a fussy voice until two bona fide
    Monarch clerks innocently finished their drinks and departed. Then he relaxed
    and slumped into his chair. "All clear, Ben. Shoot."
    "Has Hassop broken the confidential code yet, Ellery?"
    The peeper shook his head.
    "Trying?"
    West smiled and nodded.
    "Where's