"What d'you 'spose it all means?"
"Have no data yet. It could be something—or nothing."
"I'll keep Irad in mind, then, and watch for a place to fit him in. Oh, by the way, how long before he takes over?"
"About two years, I think. Why?"
"Just thought that might be important. I'll hunt around and find out." Hanlon paused a moment, then continued slowly, "but the more you tell me of what you and the boys have not found out, the more certain I am that my way is best—for me, at least—and that I can get some dope through the gangs here."
"I'm willing to buy that now. I'll grant that whoever is back of all this opposition may be, and probably is, using the criminals, and you may get the first leads, at that. In fact, you already have more than we have. But I think we'll find—if we ever learn—that someone far above their level is the prime operator."
"You think there's a possibility it might be some alien—like Bohr was on Simonides?"
His father sat upright and looked at him penetratingly. "I hadn't thought of that." Then he slumped down again. "But I wouldn't say so. It would really be stretching coincidence 'way out of shape for it to be the same sort of set-up you found there. You haven't found anything to make you think that, have you?"
"No, I don't really suspect anything of the sort—just can't forget how surprised we were back there when we found out about Bohr."
"Well, we'll just have to keep on plugging. The campaign is so obvious—so open with all its use of pamphlets, spreaders of rumor, and the same arguments everywhere ... it seems we certainly ought to find some leads somewhere. But ..." he shrugged helplessly.