"Schutler! But he was executed five years ago."
Curt Varga shook his head. "No, Schutler is still alive; his twin brother took his place before the firing squad."
Horror was in the girl's eyes. "You mean that you forced him to sacrifice his life?"
The Falcon's tone was grimly brooding. "A man does what he thinks is right."
"But such a thing isn't right," Jean Harlon said defiantly.
Curt Varga turned, his face like chiseled granite. "Do you know why Schutler was sentenced to be executed?"
"Of course—treason."
The Falcon's grin was raw savagery.
"He invented a growth-stimulator which brought plants to full maturity in five days from seed-planting. The Food Administrators' empire might have toppled."
Jean Harlon stepped back, anger in her face. "I don't believe it," she declared. "I happen to know the true factor."