"All kinds," said Roberts sourly. "They're saying the hunt for the
Alien is a fraud, that nobody is doing anything at all about it. There
were a couple of out-and-out charges that Psi-Highs are teaming up with
the Alien to make an attack on the government--"
"My god, can't somebody put the lid on that man?"
"That wasn't Towne's work. It was some other Federal Isolationist
Senator on one of the propaganda programs the Normal Supremacy party
has on TV. There's talk that the Civil Rights bloc in the Liberal
Council is getting ready to switch to the American Council side and
force a Presidential election. And that could put Towne in the White
House. He's getting ready to move, Paul. We haven't got very long. The
word has been sneaking out all over. Towne is behind it, of course,
but he's smooth; oh, he's smooth. Congress hasn't been joined into two
solid political parties for two hundred years, but they're doing it
now, and it'll be a bloody battle. If Towne can get the Civil Rights
bloc to switch to his Council he's got the Senate in the palm of his
hand."
"Who's the leader of the Civil Rights men?" Faircloth's voice was sharp.
"That's just the thing. It has been Mike Veriday. His brother's a
Psi-High. But his stock has taken an awful nosedive since this rumor
campaign started. The polls have got him trailing Kingsley from
Kentucky by three per cent, losing ground fast. Now Kingsley, it
seems, is in some mean financial trouble that Towne got him into, and
Towne is ready to clear him of some nasty charges if he plays along--"
He paused for a long moment. "We haven't got much time, Paul."
"Well, I hope we don't need much. But I think you can call in as many
of our men as you need to. If things get too hot for you, list Jean
and myself as missing, and throw out a dragnet for us. Because I think
we'll be very much outside the law in another day or so."