"Of course," said Mr. Beldman, and laughed barkingly, being well aware
of the permanent film record taken of all meetings. But he was not
joking. Nobody there was joking.
The detective agency and the hired killers would be arranged for.
Bryce Carter leaned back with the slight cynical smile on his lean
face that was his habitual expression. "Suppose the top man is high in
the company?" he suggested softly. "What then?" He did not need to
point out that the disappearance of such a man would be enough to
start a police and stock-holders investigation of the company in
itself. The implication was clear. Such a man could not be touched.
"A hypnotist," suggested Raal. "Someone to make our top man back track
and clean up his own mess."
"Illegal, dangerous and difficult, Mr. Raal," Irving said sourly.
"There are extremely severe penalties against any complicity in the
unsupervised use of hypnotism or hypnotic drugs, and their use against
the will of the subject is a major crime."
"A circulating company psychologist would be legal," suggested the
lean blond man whose name was Stout.
"We have over seventy-five of those on the company payrolls already
and I fail to see what use--"
"One of the special high priced boys who iron out kinks in groups by
joining them and working with them for a while, like that Conference
Manager we had with us last year. Every member of the group that hires
one has to sign an application for treatment, and a legal release.
They are very quiet and don't broadcast what they do or who they
talked with, but they have a good record of results. The groups who
hire them report better work and easier work. We could use one as a
trouble shooter."
"Are they a special organization?" someone asked. "I think I've heard
of them."
"Yes, some sort of a union. I can't remember the name."
"What would you expect them to do for us?" asked Irving.
"I hear--" Stout said vaguely, his eyes wandering from face to face,
"that they have a special tough technique for hard case trouble
makers." For those who knew him, the vague look was a veil over some
thought which pleased him. Presumably he was thinking the thing which
had occurred to them all.
* * * * *
The culprit might be a member of the Board. There was a sudden
cheerful interest visible among them as they wondered who was quarry
for the "tough treatment."
"I've heard of that," said Wan Lun, remembering. "It has been said
that they not only do not inform others of the fact of treatment but
frequently do not inform the man under treatment but seem to be only a
new friend until--poof." He smiled. "I think the guild name is Manoba.
The Manoba Group."