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the more money Webb loses, the less taxes we pay. But the books Webb publishes are important to the rest of Tarantula. The magazines and newspapers even more so."
    Hawks nodded to show he understood. He did not agree, of course, but if the Old Man thought publishing was that important, he was not going to argue.
    "This device," Weldon went on, "this electronic book doohickey . . . it's the wave of the future. We've got to have it!"
    "But—"
    "Don't you understand?" Weldon's eyes began to shine, he seemed to vibrate with inner energy. "With electronic books we can undercut all the other publishers. We can corner the entire publishing industry!"
    "Do you really think so?" Hawks felt entirely dubious. Clearly the Old Man's trolley was derailed.
    Weldon's eyes were glowing now. His arms stretched out to encompass the world. Hawks almost thought he was going to rise out of his chair and walk.
    "First we take over publishing here in the States," he said, his voice deep, powerful. "But that's just the spring freshet that precedes the flood. From the States we go to Japan. From Japan to Europe. Soon all the world will be ours! One publishing house, telling the whole world what to think!"
    The Old Man sank back in his chair, panting with the exertion of his dynamic vision.
    "I . . . I think I understand," Hawks murmured. And he almost did.
    "This young engineer—what's his name?"
    "Carl Lewis, sir."
    "We've got to have his invention. One way or the other, we've got to have it!"
    "I've already taken steps in that direction, sir."
    Weldon scowled at him. "Such as?"
    Feeling pleased as a puppy laying his master's slippers before the great man's feet, Hawks said, "I have arranged for one of our editors to be hired away from us by Bunker Books."
    The Old Man's scowl melted into a crooked grin. "A spy in their camp, eh?"
    "A Mata Hari, in fact."
    "Ms. Dean, isn't it? Very attractive woman. Very formidable."
    Again Hawks shuddered inwardly. He has bugged my office. He knows everything I'm doing.
    "Well, if you don't have anything else to tell me, get on with your work. Get me that electronic book." Weldon made a shooing motion with his long-fingered, liver-spotted hands.
    Hawks got up from his chair, dreading the trek through the Old Man's jungle. There were a lot of snakes between him and the elevator.
    "Oh, one little thing more," the Old Man said, with a slight cackling that might have been laughter. "There's going to be a few changes at Webb. I've hired a new assistant for you."
    Hawks turned back to face Weldon. He had to stand on tiptoe to see over the plants on his desk. "An assistant?" His voice nearly cracked with anxiety.
    "Yes. A corporate systems engineer. What we used to call an efficiency expert in the old days."
    "Corporate . . ." Hawks knew what the title meant: hatchet man.
    "Gunther Axhelm." Weldon's wrinkled face was grinning evilly. "You may have heard of him."
    Hawks's knees turned to water. Heard of him? Who hadn't heard of Axhelm the Axe, the man who single-handedly reduced General Motors to a museum with a staff of six, the man who fired four thousand management employees of AT&T in a single afternoon and drove Du Pont out of business altogether. He was coming to Webb! Might as well get in line for unemployment compensation now, before the rush.
    "Don't get scared," the Old Man said, almost kindly.
    "Scared? Me?"
    "You're white as an albino in shock, son."
    Hawks tried to control the fluttering of his heart. "Well, Axhelm's got quite a reputation. . . ."
    "Nothing for you to worry about, son. I promise you. Just give him a free hand. It'll all work out for the best."
    "Yessir."
    "And get that electronic book for me! I want it in our hands. I want this brilliant young inventor on our team—or out of the picture altogether. Do you understand me?"
    "Certainly, sir." Hawks saw the diamond-hard glint in the Old Man's eyes and decided that he would rather face the snakes.
    Weldon W. Weldon watched his protégé slink away