Assuming that you cared
to do so, is there no way you could avoid this necessity?"
"None that I can discover. I must obey orders as long as I'm a
government officer."
"Exactly," said Oldham. "Now we reach the main issue. What if you were
not a government officer?"
"But I am."
"Assume that you were not."
"Naturally my successor would carry out the same orders."
"But," suggested Oldham, "it might very well be that another man would
not be--well, quite so qualified to carry out the case--"
"You mean I'm the only one who heard Baker say he was going to cheat the
Government," put in Bob bluntly.
"You and Mr. Welton and Mr. Baker were the only ones present at a
certain interview," he amended. "Now, in the event that you were not
personally in charge of the case would you feel it necessary to
volunteer testimony unsuspected by anybody but you three?"
"If I were to resign, I should volunteer nothing," stated Bob.
Oldham's frosty eyes gleamed with satisfaction behind their glasses.
"That's good!" he cried.
"But I have no intention of resigning," Bob concluded.
"That is a matter open to discussion," Oldham took him up.
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