u gave him his
diet of scavengers, Dr. Lett. Do you ever yawn like that ... so you
make sure you've always your vaccine with you to stop it? Aren't you a
para, Dr. Lett? In fact, aren't you the ... monstrous cause of ...
paras?"

Murgatroyd cried "_Chee! Chee! Chee!_" in great agitation, because Dr.
Lett had snatched up a dissecting scalpel and crouched to leap upon
Calhoun. But Calhoun said:

"Easy, Murgatroyd! He won't do anything regrettable!"

He had a blaster in his hand, bearing directly upon the greatest and
most skillful physician on Tallien Three. And Dr. Lett did not do
anything regrettable. But his eyes burned with the fury of a madman.

III

Five minutes later, or possibly ten, Calhoun went out to where the
Minister for Health paced miserably up and down the corridor outside
the laboratory. The Minister looked white and sick, as if despite
himself he'd been picturing the demonstration Lett would have given
Calhoun. He did not meet Calhoun's eyes. He said uneasily:

"I'll take you to the Planetary President, now."

"No," said Calhoun. "I got some very promising information from Dr.
Lett. I want to go back to my ship first."

"But the President is waiting to see you!" protested the Minister for
Health. "There's something he wants to discuss!"

"I want," Calhoun observed, "to have something to discuss with him.
There is intelligence back of this para business. I'd almost call it
demoniac intelligence. I want to get back to my ship and check on what
I got from Dr. Lett."

The Minister for Health hesitated, and then said urgently:

"But the President is extremely anxious----"

"Will you," asked Calhoun politely, "arrange for me to be taken back
to my ship?"

The Minister for Health opened his mouth and closed it. Then he said
apologetically--and it seemed to Calhoun--fearfully:

"Dr. Lett has been our only hope of conquering this ... this epidemic.
The President and the Cabinet felt that they had to ... give him full
authority. There was no other hope! We didn't know you'd come. So ...
Dr. Lett wished you to see the President when you left him. It won't
take long!"

Calhoun said grimly:

"And he already has you scared! I begin to suspect I haven't even time
to argue with you!"

"I'll get you a car and driver as soon as you've seen the President.
It's only a little thing----"

Calhoun growled and moved toward the exit from the laboratory. Past
the sentries. Out to the open air. Here was