of the end of the line she was facing was a frightening one. But what about the process? Now it was up to Jeremy to figure it out! CHAPTER III Plastic Compact Hal had done his astute best to explain the process to Jeremy Jedd in that letter. Somewhere in that letter, somewhere in the odd fact of Phyllis's being here—in these three places were components of the process. She was quieter now. "Sorry," she sniffled. "I'm in a bad way, I guess. Do you know why I was crying? It was because you didn't get up and leave when I told you all this. You will help me, Jeremy? You will?" "Help you? How can I?" "Tell me the process." She leaned closer, excitedly. "Or tell me something almost as good as your process, but better than what Genex has." "You're very flattering." She really thought he had the process, then. Be good, little man. He'd have to be. But good. "I gather Genex has set up a welding plant on Mars. Why are they worried?" "Power," she answered. "There are only two power-piles on Mars, and they're worked to the limit. They're so heavy, with the shielding and all. Shipping space is so scarce, with foodstuffs, development equipment and so on, that piles aren't set up until they are absolutely essential. Power is rationed, and it is costing Genex a fortune for the piddling amount they need to process sheet-stock into pipe. Their advantage, of course, is to procure the space for themselves and get rid of one more independent outfit." "Uh-huh. The fight is really over a much bigger thing than pipe. Hmm. And the outfit that finds a way to ship pipe in less space than sheet-stock, gets the contract and for once has a solid footing against the corporation's expansion." "But how can you do it, Jeremy? How can you possibly ship pipe in less space than stacks of plastic sheet?" He smiled. "You really think I'll tell you, don't you? I have no reason to trust you. You have thrown yourself on my mercy, more or less, and given me the choice of saving your skin—your career, anyway—I suppose you call it that—at the risk of having you hand the process to Genex and not
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