"I guess so," the Operative said.
"And after all," Donegan said, "now that you're going up a grade—"
"Now that I'm what?"
"That," Donegan said, "was your promotion test, friend. And you passed."
There was a second of absolute silence. Then the Operative said: "And it was all so simple."
"Sure," Donegan said. "Simple enough so that you get a promotion out of it—and Fredericks gets sixty days for attempted assault."
"Not ADW—assault with a deadly weapon—because we've got to keep up the myth," the Operative said. "Psi Operatives are untouchable. No such thing as a deadly weapon for a Psi Operative."
"Which is nonsense," Donegan said, "but necessary nonsense. I wonder if Fredericks will ever figure out how you got him."
"I wonder," the Operative said. "He'll know about karate, of course."
"Karate's hand-to-hand fighting." Donegan said. "That was his field. No, I mean our field. Psi."