said.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

"I've got to do some work on the para condition," Calhoun told him. "I
need to be undisturbed in the ship, and I need a patient further along
toward being a para than I am. It'll save time. If you'll help, we may
be able to beat the thing. If not, I've still got to disable the
grid."

The grid operator said in a savage, unhuman voice:

"I'm a para. I'm trying to spray everything I've touched. Then I'm
going to go off somewhere and kill myself--"

Calhoun drew his blaster. He adjusted it again to non-lethal
intensity.

"Good man!" he said approvingly. "I'll have a similar job to do if I'm
not a better medical man than Lett! Will you help me?"

Murgatroyd sneezed again. He said plaintively:

"_Chee!_"

The grid's operator looked down at him, obviously in a state of shock.
No ordinary sight or sound could have gotten through to his
consciousness. But Murgatroyd was a small, furry animal with long
whiskers and a hirsute tail and a habit of imitating the actions of
humans. He sneezed yet again and looked up. There was a handkerchief
in Calhoun's pocket. Murgatroyd dragged it out and held it to his
face. He sneezed once more and said, "_Chee!_" and returned the
handkerchief to its place. He regarded the grid operator
disapprovingly. The operator was shocked out of his despair. He said
shakenly:

"What the devil--" Then he stared at Calhoun. "Help you? How can I
help anybody? I'm a para!"

"Which," said Calhoun, "is just what I need. I'm Med Service, man!
I've got a job to do with what they call an epidemic! I need a para
who's willing to be cured! That's you! Let's get this grid fixed so it
can't work and--"

There was a succession of loud clicks from a speaker unit on the wall.
It was an emergency-wave, unlocking the speaker from its Off position.
Then a voice:

"_All citizens attention! The Planetary President is about to give you
good news about the end of the para epidemic!_"

A pause. Then a grave and trembling voice came out of the speakers:

"_My fellow-citizens, I have the happiness to report that a vaccine
completely protecting normals against the para condition, and curing
those already paras, has been developed. Dr. Lett, of the planetary
health service, has produced the vaccine which is already in
small-scale production and will shortly be available in large
quantities, enough for everyone! The epidemic which has threatened
ev