“He knows all this. Everybody does. Get to the point, long-wind!”

“Permit me, if I may, to arrive at the point in my own way. Next, there are approximately ten thousand 2^nd Class Espers in the Guild,” the Personnel Chief continued frostily. “They are experts like myself who can penetrate beneath the conscious level of the mind to the preconscious. Most 2^nds are in the professional class… physicians, lawyers, engineers, educators, economists, architects and so on.”

“And you all cost a fortune,” Reich growled.

“Why not? We have unique service to sell. Monarch appreciates the fact. Monarch employs over one hundred 2^nds at present.”

“Will you get to the point?”

“Finally there are less than a thousand 1^st Class Espers in the Guild. The 1^sts are capable of deep peeping, through the conscious and preconscious layers down to the unconscious… the lowest levels of the mind. Primordial basic desires and so forth. These, of course, hold premium positions. Education, specialized medical service… analysts like Tate, Gart, @kins, Moselle… criminologists like Lincoln Powell of the Psychotic Division… Political Analysts, State Negotiators, Special Cabinet Advisors, and so on. Thus far Monarch Utilities has never had occasion to hire a 1^st.”

“And?” Reich muttered.

“The occasion has arisen, Mr. Reich, and I believe Blonn may be available. Briefly…”

“It says here.”

“Briefly, Mr. Reich, Monarch is hiring so many Espers that I have suggested we set up a special Esper Personnel Department, headed by a 1^st like Blonn, to devote itself exclusively to interviewing telepaths.”

“He’s wondering why you can’t handle it.”

“I have given you the background to explain why I cannot handle the job, Mr. Reich. I am a 2^nd Class Esper. I can telepath normal applicants rapidly and efficiently, but I cannot handle other Espers with the same speed and economy. All Espers are accustomed to using mind-blocks of varying effectiveness depending on their rating. It would take me one hour per 3^rd for an efficient screening interview. It would take me three hours per 2^nd. I could not possibly peep through the mind-block of a 1^st. We must hire a 1^st like Blonn for this work. The cost will be enormous, of course, but the necessity is urgent.”

“What’s so urgent?” Reich said.

“For heaven’s sake! Don’t give him that picture! That isn’t diversion. It’s waving a red flag. He’s sore enough now.”

“I have my job to do, Madam.” To Reich, the Chief said: “The fact is, sir, we are not hiring the best Espers. The D’Courtney Cartel has been taking the cream of the Espers away from us. Over and over again, through lack of proper facilities, we have been mouse-trapped by D’Courtney into bidding for inferior people while D’Courtney has quietly appropriated the best.”

“Damn you!” Reich shouted. “Damn D’Courtney. All right. Set it up. And tell this Blonn to start mouse-trapping D’Courtney. You’d better start, too.”

Reich tore out of Personnel and over to Sales-city. The same unpleasant information was waiting for him. Monarch Utilities & Resources was losing the gut-fight with the D’Courtney Cartel. It was losing the fight in every sector-city — Advertising, Engineering, Research, Public Relations. There was no escaping the certainty of defeat. Reich knew his back was to the wall.