"I wouldn't rightly know, sir. But you had better watch him; I think he is jealous."
"Jealous? Why, for heaven's sake?"
"Because you spoke to his girl Jo, sir. Under the law they will mate soon to produce another generation of supervisors."
"You're a doddering old fool!" Jonathan's face was pink.
"Yes, sir; anything else, sir?" Tom turned stiffly toward the door.
"I'm sorry, Tom. Forget it. I've got the jumps trying to figure out a way to shut down that factory. Can you suggest anything?"
"You might try locking the doors tonight, as soon as everybody is out. But...."
"Splendid idea; that might break the chain. We'll try it."
In the brief dusk after sunset they slipped across the valley and padlocked the sagging doors of the plant. Then, as they turned to retrace their steps, Jonathan grasped the old man's arm.
"I've been thinking," he said softly. "Perhaps I'm going at this thing backwards. Maybe I ought to try to win Jock over first. Do you know where he lives?"