"Personnel Incorporated is not Atlantic Motors, Burger," Whiteford said sarcastically. "We've never failed! Never failed!" He repeated it like a liturgy. "We don't intend to fail now. Come back in a week and we'll have your man."
"Just like the Royal Canadian Mounted," Maxwell muttered.
When they had gone, Whiteford flipped the switch of the intercom.
"Miss Hancock? Cancel my appointment with the directors of AT&T. Call in the company psychologists to prepare a personnel test. Contact Haskins at our London office and Schubert in Paris and tell them we intend to launch a campaign for rocket pilots immediately. Examination papers for applicants will be forwarded at once. Notify our other branch offices to the same effect. All on the QT, you understand. And Miss Hancock—have the psychologists test our advertising for confidence appeal. A representative of Atlantic Motors just implied we couldn't supply them with help!"
"Those cards represent exactly 250,342 applicants," Whiteford said proudly, gesturing to stacks of tabulating cards by the sorting machine. Burger looked mildly surprised. "All of them qualified to be the pilot?"
Whiteford smiled indulgently. "Probably only a small proportion—several thousand or so. Each hole punched in the card represents either the applicant's physical condition, his technical knowledge, or answers to carefully phrased questions which will reveal his mental state. The sorting machine here,"—he patted the mechanical monster at his side—"has been set to sort out only those cards that meet with the qualifications the company psychologists have set up.
"I've arranged this demonstration to show the efficiency of the corporation; we have quite a reputation for fulfilling contracts." He shot a glance at Burger. "We'll run through this large stack here—applicants from England—first."
Maxwell pointed curiously to a small pile. "Where's that stack from?"
Whiteford glanced at it casually. "That stack was forwarded from our branch office in Hindustan. Some Indians make darn good pilot material."