ly on the shoulder. "It's all right, Fred.
Don't take it so hard. It could be worse."

"How?" he asked hollowly. "Have this stuff milked from a kangaroo?"

* * * * *

Back in his office, Peterson waved off a dozen calls while he gave
orders for fresh quantities of the blue milk to be rushed to the
Argonne laboratories for further radiation tests and confirmation of
the Nevada results. He ordered a test set up for the brown fluid for
the following morning and then took a call from the AEC commissioner.

"Yes, John," he said, "we've got something."

Operation Milkmaid was in full swing!

The following morning observers again clustered about the monitoring
room as Peterson prepared to duplicate the tests, using a sample of the
Melody's brownish milk.

There was the same involuntary remote cringing as the first drop of egg
fell towards the beaker, but this time, Peterson forced himself to
watch. Again the gentle plop was heard through the amplifiers and
nothing more. A similar clouding spread through the already murky fluid
and when the entire contents of one egg had been added, the beaker took
on a solid, brown and totally opaque appearance. The scientists watched
the glass container for several minutes, anticipating another possible
delayed blast.

When nothing occurred, Peterson nodded to an assistant at an adjoining
console. The aide worked a series of levers and a remotely-controlled
mechanical arm came into view on the screen. The claw of the arm
descended over the beaker and clasping it gently, bounced it lightly on
the cement bunker floor. The only sound was the muffled thunk of the
glass container against the concrete.

The assistant wiggled his controls gently and the beaker jiggled back
and forth, a few inches off the floor.

Peterson, who had been watching closely, called out. "Do that again."

The operator jostled the controls. "Look at that," Peterson exclaimed.
"That stuff's hardened."

A quick movement confirmed this and then Peterson ordered the beaker
raised five feet from the floor and slowly tipped. Over the container
went as the claw rotated in its socket. The glass had turned almost
180 deg. towards the floor when the entire mass of solidified glob slid
out.

The watchers caught their breath as it fell to the hard floor. The glob
hit the floor, bounced up a couple of inches, fell back, bounced again
and then quivered to a stop. What was soon to b