"I told you to watch out for Fred Plaice!"
"It's not his fault," I protested. "Catching telepaths is his job."
"Within limits," she said scornfully. "I thought it was just one more of his screwball ideas! He had his whole Section concentrating on gypsies, for a couple of months. He had a long story to go with it, Gyp! How all the soothsayers and clairvoyants and finders were really short-range telepaths or pre-cogs."
"I don't believe it," I said. "You mean that Fred started with my nickname, and has been on this campaign of looking for telepaths among gypsies just in hopes he could embarrass me?"
"Yes!"
You have to like loyalty, no matter what the circumstances that incite it.
"I can't believe that of one of my boys, Anita," I said. "Fred was all broken up about it."
"I bet I can call the turn," Anita said, starting back for her own desk. "Fred's next move is to tell you that no one can blame you for disqualifying yourself from this case. After all, your own mother!"
Well, the political implications were deep. "I think I would agree," I said at length. "Let's see what happens. Send this Maude Tinker in as soon as she gets here."
"Aren't you going to take any precautions, Gyp?" Anita demanded.