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there’s a big stinkin’ load of fine Texas manure!" Chow Winkler exclaimed. "As if Tom’s folks would ever skimp on anything fer their crew!"
    "Perkins must really be worried about his circulation!" grumbled Bud bitterly.
    "Dan is always worried about his circulation," Tom responded with at least an attempt at calm. "He’s got a chip on his shoulder where Enterprises is concerned, because we avoid giving our hometown paper any big advantage in breaking the news we always make. Dad doesn’t think it’s right, and neither do I."
    "There could be somebody else behind it, too," Bud pointed out. "From what you told me, that Shining Path Power guy wouldn’t mind seeing Enterprises taken down a few pegs—even put out of business."
    "Could be," Tom concurred grimly. "They say Mr. Ajax is the ruthless, calculating type."
    "Tom, I want to say once again, Mom and Ray and I have no problems at all with how the company treated us after the accident," said Ted, looking at Tom very soberly. "We know you investigated everything carefully. I mean—T-man— everybody knows how loyal Enterprises is to its employees."
    "Durn right!" Chow declared. "Even paid fer my new tooth!" He opened his big broad mouth and pointed.
    "Let’s see what Dad has to say," Tom urged. "I’m sure he’ll call here any minute."
    Tom was right, and after a hurried and angry conversation the telephone discussion expanded to include Jake Aturian, head of Swift Construction Company, Harlan Ames, and Enterprises’ chief legal counsel, Willis Rodellin.
    "There’s no reason in the world to think our investigation of Dakin Spring’s death was compromised in any way," stated Jake Aturian plainly. "Four federal agencies signed off on it, too."
    "Is Dan Perkins saying anything?" Tom asked.
    "No, of course not!" snorted Mr. Swift. "Press immunity—confidentiality."
    Rodellin interrupted with, "Well, I intend to have a talk with our Mr. Perkins. He needs to be reminded that his immunity has limits when it comes to reckless defamation. This is an outrage, Damon."
    "It feels that way," agreed Tom’s father. "Still, if there’s anything behind it that we should be aware of—"
    "I looked into the background of that attorney, Hampshire," Ames said. "Fernell J. Hampshire, admitted member in good standing to the Bar of the State of New York. Admitted by what they call ‘reciprocal courtesy’ in other states. He’s had an office in Manhattan for eight years now."
    Tom asked what sort of cases he specialized in. "Mostly defending big landlords against criminal negligence charges, but also a fair amount of litigation stuff," Ames replied. "Willis here could explain it better than I could. But there’s something a little interesting if you’re seeking a justification for paranoia. Before moving to our fair state, Hampshire had a big practice in Minneapolis, which just happens to be the home town of Lewton Ajax!"
    With promises on several hands for further investigation, the conference call ended inconclusively. "Hampshire’s a phony all right," Tom declared to his friends, "real attorney or no." He chewed thoughtfully on an apple from his breakfast plate. "But I still don’t see what his game is. The Bulletin says nothing’s actually been filed in court yet—it’s all just threats and hot air."
    "I’m stickin’ with my dee-scription!" snorted Chow.
    Bud shrugged and hitched his chair closer to his pal’s side. "Look, Tom. What worries me is that stuff about the elevator servos. The investigation showed that none of the servo units had been tampered with—right?"
    Tom nodded. "Sure. And I also remember the findings of the official report at the end. Ted’s father got into a slipstream so strong that the servo unit on one of the elevators couldn’t stand the skin resonance—the vibration. When it failed the jet went into an uncontrolled dive at better than Mach 2. The report concluded that the plane failed under stress, not that any part had been faulty or