“Suppose you were Notified, and suppose I’m the first one Taun-ton knocks off-what happens to Venus Project?” “You may have a point,” he admitted. “I’ll level with you, Mitch. There has been no Notification.” “Thanks, Fowler,” I said sincerely. “I did get shot at. And that accident in Washington-maybe it wasn’t an accident. You don’t imagine Taunton would try anything without Notifying you, do you?” “I haven’t provoked them to that extent, and they’d never do a thing like that anyhow. They’re cheap, they’re crooked, but they know the rules of the game. Killing in an industrial feud is a misdemeanor. Killing without Notification is a commercial offense. You haven’t been getting into any of the wrong beds, shall I say?” “No,” I said. “My life’s been very dull. The whole thing’s crazy. It must have been a mistake. But I’m glad that whoever-it-was couldn’t shoot.” “So am I, Mitch, so am I! Enough of your personal life. We’ve got business. You saw O’Shea?” He had already dismissed the shooting from his mind. “I did. He’s coming up here today. He’ll be working closely with me.” “Splendid! Some of that glory will rub off on Fowler Schocken Associates if we play our cards right. Dig into it, Mitch. I don’t have to tell you how.” It was a dismissal. O’Shea was waiting in the anteroom of my office. It wasn’t an ordeal; most of the female personnel were clustered around him as he sat perched on a desk, talking gruffly and authoritatively. There was no mistaking the looks in their eyes. He was a thirty-five-inch midget, but he had money and fame, the two things we drill and drill into the population. O’Shea could have taken his pick of them. I wondered how many he had picked since his return to Earth in a blaze of glory. We run a taut office, but the girls didn’t scatter until I cleared my throat. “Morning, Mitch,” O’Shea said. “You over your shock?” “Sure. And I ran right into another one. Somebody tried to shoot me.” I told the story and he grunted thoughtfully. “Have you considered getting a bodyguard?” he asked. “Of course. But I won’t. It must have been a mistake.”
“Like that cargo nacelle?” I paused. “Jack, can we please get off this subject? It gives me the horrors.” “Permission granted,” he beamed. “Now, let’s go to work-and on what?” “First, words. We want words that are about Venus, words that’ll tickle people. Make them sit up. Make them muse about change, and space, and other worlds. Words to make them a little discontented with what they are and a little hopeful about what they might be. Words to make them feel noble about feeling the way they do and make them happy about the existence of Indiastries and Starrzelius Verily and Fowler Schocken Associates. Words that will do all these things and also make them feel unhappy about the existence of Universal Products and Taunton Associates.” He was staring at me with his mouth open. “You aren’t serious,” he finally exclaimed. “You’re on the inside now,” I said simply. “That’s the way we work. That’s the way we worked on you.” “What are you talking about?” “You’re wearing Starrzelius Verily clothes and shoes, Jack. It means we got you. Taunton and Universal worked on you, Starrzelius and Schocken worked on you-and you chose Starrzelius. We reached you. Smoothly, without your ever being aware that it was happening, you became persuaded that there was something rather nice about Starrzelius clothes and shoes and that there was something rather not-nice about Universal clothes and shoes.” “I never read the ads,” he said defiantly. I grinned. “Our ultimate triumph is wrapped up in that statement,” I said. “I solemnly promise,” O’Shea said, “that as soon as I get back to my hotel room I’ll send my clothes right down the incinerator chute-” “Luggage too?” I asked. “Starrzelius luggage?” He looked startled for a moment and then regained his calm. “Starrzelius luggage too,” he said. “And then I’ll pick up the phone and order a complete set of Universal luggage and apparel. And you can’t stop me.” “I wouldn’t dream of stopping you, Jack! It means more business for Starrzelius. Tell you what you’re going to do: you’ll get your complete set of Universal luggage and apparel. You’ll use the lug-