s been some unforeseeable difficulty
involving the new metal-foil wrappers."

"Metal-foil wrappers? Were _you_ responsible for those?"

"Yes, sir. Last-minute recalculations showed that the extra lightness of
the new loaf might be great enough to cause drift during stackage.
Drafts in stores might topple sales pyramids. Metal-foil wrappers, by
their added weight, took care of the difficulty."

"And you ordered them without consulting the Board?"

"Yes, sir. There was hardly time and--"

"Why, you fool! I noticed that order for metal-foil wrappers, assumed it
was some sub-secretary's mistake, and canceled it last night!"

Roger Snedden turned pale. "You canceled it?" he quavered. "And told
them to go back to the lighter plastic wrappers?"

"Of course! Just what is behind all this, Mr. Snedden? _What_
recalculations were you trusting, when our physicists had demonstrated
months ago that the helium loaf was safely stackable in light airs and
gentle breezes--winds up to Beaufort's scale 3. _Why_ should a change
from heavier to lighter wrappers result in complete non-delivery?"

* * * * *

Roger Snedden's paleness became tinged with an interesting green. He
cleared his throat and made strange gulping noises. Tin Philosopher's
photocells focused on him calmly, Rose Thinker's with unfeigned
excitement. P.T. Gryce's frown grew blacker by the moment, while Megera
Winterly's Venus-mask showed an odd dawning of dismay and awe. She was
getting new squawks in her earphones.

"Er ... ah ... er...." Roger said in winning tones. "Well, you see, the
fact is that I...."

"Hold it," Meg interrupted crisply. "Triple-urgent from Public
Relations, Safety Division. Tulsa-Topeka aero-express makes emergency
landing after being buffeted in encounter with vast flight of objects
first described as brown birds, although no failures reported in
airway's electronic anti-bird fences. After grounding safely near
Emporia--no fatalities--pilot's windshield found thinly plastered with
soft white-and-brown material. Emblems on plastic wrappers embedded in
material identify it incontrovertibly as an undetermined number of
Puffyloaves cruising at three thousand feet!"

Eyes and photocells turned inquisitorially upon Roger Snedden. He went
from green to Puffyloaf white and blurted: "All right, I did it, but it
was the only way out! Yesterday morning, due to the Ukrainian crisis,
the government stopped sales and de