en, and there was a bit of confusion when we were changing over.
They didn't say anything about the box when I relieved."

"Fog?" Forster queried. "How could fog form on a warm morning like
this?"

"You're the scientist, sir. You tell me. Went as fast as it came."

"Well--it looks like very sloppy security. The contents of this thing
must almost certainly be classified. Give me the book and I'll sign for
it. I'll phone you the file number when I find the covering
instructions."

* * * * *

Forster was a nervous, over-conscientious little man, and his day was
already ruined, because any departure from strict administrative routine
worried and upset him. Only in his field of aviation medicine did he
feel competent, secure.

He knew that around the center they contemptuously called him
"Lilliput." The younger researchers were constantly trying to think up
new ways to play jokes on him, and annoy him.

Crawley Preston, the research center's director and his chief, had been
summoned to Washington the night before. Forster wished fervently that
he was around to deal with this matter. Now that relations between East
and West had reached the snapping point, the slightest deviation from
security regulations usually meant a full-scale inquiry.

He signed for the container, and carried it out to the car, still
seething impotently over the guard's insolence.

He placed it beside him on the front seat of his car and drove up to the
building which housed part of the labs and also his office.

He climbed out, then as he slammed the door he happened to glance into
the car again.

The seat covers were made of plastic in a maroon and blue plaid pattern.
But where the box had rested there was a dirty grey rectangular patch
that hadn't been there before.

Forster stared, then opened the door again. He rubbed his fingers over
the discolored spot; it felt no different than the rest of the fabric.
Then he placed the box over the area--it fitted perfectly.

He flopped down on the seat, his legs dangling out of the car, fighting
down a sudden irrational wave of panic. He pushed the container to the
other end of the seat.

_After all_, he rationalized, _plastics are notoriously unstable under
certain conditions. This is probably a new alloy Washington wants tested
for behavior under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure.
What's gotten into you?_

He took a deep breath, picked up the box