The Adventurer

ILLUSTRATED BY FREAS
For every evil under the sun, there's an answer. It may be a simple, direct answer; it may be one that takes years, and seems unrelated to the problem. But there's an answer—of a kind....
President Folsom XXIV said petulantly to his Secretary of the Treasury: Blow me to hell, Bannister, if I understood a single word of that. Why can't I buy the Nicolaides Collection? And don't start with the rediscount and the Series W business again. Just tell me why .
The Secretary of the Treasury said with an air of apprehension and a thread-like feeling across his throat: It boils down to—no money, Mr. President.
The President was too engrossed in thoughts of the marvelous collection to fly into a rage. It's such a bargain, he said mournfully. An archaic Henry Moore figure—really too big to finger, but I'm no culture-snob, thank God—and fifteen early Morrisons and I can't begin to tell you what else. He looked hopefully at the Secretary of Public Opinion: Mightn't I seize it for the public good or something?
The Secretary of Public Opinion shook his head. His pose was gruffly professional. Not a chance, Mr. President. We'd never get away with it. The art-lovers would scream to high Heaven.
I suppose so.... Why isn't there any money? He had swiveled dangerously on the Secretary of the Treasury again.
Sir, purchases of the new Series W bond issue have lagged badly because potential buyers have been attracted to—
Stop it, stop it, stop it! You know I can't make head or tail of that stuff. Where's the money going ?
The Director of the Budget said cautiously: Mr. President, during the biennium just ending, the Department of Defense accounted for 78 per cent of expenditures—
The Secretary of Defense growled: Now wait a minute, Felder! We were voted—
The President interrupted, raging weakly: Oh, you rascals! My father would have known what to do with you! But don't think I can't handle it. Don't think you can hoodwink me. He punched a button ferociously; his silly face was contorted with rage and there was a certain tension on all the faces around the Cabinet table.