Traitor's Choice

by Paul W. Fairman

"They can't be sure, but the Crackpot File was opened on that date."

"The Crackpot File! But no one is allowed in there! All those crazy dangerous ideas!"

"I know. And one set of prints appeared to have been disturbed."

"Photographed?"

"Perhaps. The rocket they labelled Suicide One. Professor Utterback's brain child. The one they figured could never be launched."

"I remember. The brass were pretty sure it would blow half the North American continent away thirty seconds after the primer was ignited."

"Yes."

"They think Kendall photographed those prints?"

"They can't be sure, but with Centaur suddenly flaring into nova last week—"

"But that was pure coincidence. It had to be. If Kendall had a plan to get that rocket into the Centaurians' hands, why did he keep it to himself. It would have been the making of the man! He would have been a hero."