"I think not."
"But listen, Mr. Isaacson—please! How do you expect me to build up a staff if you snatch every good man I find away from me?"
"You didn't find him. Birkenfeld did. He was here only on a test. He is going into Department Q."
Clancy, who had opened his mouth to continue his protests, shut it wordlessly. He knew that department Q was—
DEPARTMENT Q.
[CHAPTER 15]
Costigan was not surprised to see the man he had known as Birkenfeld in Uranium's ornate conference room. He had not expected, however, to see Isaacson. He knew, of course, that Spaceways owned Uranium, Inc., and the planet Eridan, lock, stock, and barrel; but it never entered his modest mind that his case would be of sufficient importance to warrant the personal attention of the Big Noise himself. Hence the sight of that suave and unrevealing face gave the putative Jones a more than temporary qualm. Isaacson was top-bracket stuff, 'way out of his class. Virgil Samms ought to be taking this assignment, but since he wasn't—
But instead of being an inquisition, the meeting was friendly and informal from the start. They complimented him upon the soundness of his judgment and the accuracy of his decisions. They thanked him, both with words and with a considerable sum of expendable credits. They encouraged him to talk about himself, but there was nothing whatever of the star-chamber or of cross-examination. The last question was representative of the whole conference.
"One other thing, Jones, has me slightly baffled," Isaacson said, with a really winning smile. "Since you do not drink, and since you were not in search of feminine ... er ... companionship, just why did you go down to Roaring Jack's dive?"