FBI Agent Cowles was always the personification of courtesy, but he could assert himself when necessary. He did so now.
"Excuse me, General," he interrupted, "but first there are some other matters we must go into with Dr. Smith."
The General nodded reluctantly. He took out an envelope and made some notes of his own on the back of it.
"Now, Dr. Smith," said Cowles, "let's get back to the explosion.... Why do you feel someone wanted to destroy you and Eddie?"
"I believe they had copied Eddie's circuit design and wanted to make sure another one wasn't built—at least in the immediate future."
"Why not?"
Dr. John O'Hara Smith showed a neat flair for timing as he waited just long enough to build suspense, before answering:
"Because Eddie knew that our security system for safeguarding the missile program is about as up to date as the horse and buggy!"
His words couldn't have been better chosen to startle his audience. Amos Busch took them as a personal affront.
"Horse and buggy!" he snorted. "You'd better spell that out, Dr. Smith!"