liveries of all strategic stockpiled
materials, including helium gas. Puffy's new program of advertising and
promotion, based on the lighter loaf, was already rolling. There was
only one thing to do, there being only one other gas comparable in
lightness to helium. I diverted the necessary quantity of hydrogen gas
from the Hydrogenated Oils Section of our Magna-Margarine Division and
substituted it for the helium."

"You substituted ... hydrogen ... for the ... helium?" Phineas T. Gryce
faltered in low mechanical tones, taking four steps backward.

"Hydrogen is twice as light as helium," Tin Philosopher remarked
judiciously.

"And many times cheaper--did you know that?" Roger countered feebly.
"Yes, I substituted hydrogen. The metal-foil wrapping would have added
just enough weight to counteract the greater buoyancy of the hydrogen
loaf. But--"

"So, when this morning's loaves began to arrive on the delivery
platforms of the walking mills...." Tin Philosopher left the remark
unfinished.

"Exactly," Roger agreed dismally.

"Let me ask you, Mr. Snedden," Gryce interjected, still in low tones,
"if you expected people to jump to the kitchen ceiling for their
Puffybread after taking off the metal wrapper, or reach for the sky if
they happened to unwrap the stuff outdoors?"

"Mr. Gryce," Roger said reproachfully, "you have often assured me that
what people do with Puffybread after they buy it is no concern of ours."

"I seem to recall," Rose Thinker chirped somewhat unkindly, "that dictum
was created to answer inquiries after Roger put the famous
sculptures-in-miniature artist on 3D and he testified that he always
molded his first attempts from Puffybread, one jumbo loaf squeezing down
to approximately the size of a peanut."

* * * * *

Her photocells dimmed and brightened. "Oh, boy--hydrogen! The loaf's
unwrapped. After a while, in spite of the crust-seal, a little oxygen
diffuses in. An explosive mixture. Housewife in curlers and kimono pops
a couple slices in the toaster. Boom!"

The three human beings in the room winced.

Tin Philosopher kicked her under the table, while observing, "So you
see, Roger, that the non-delivery of the hydrogen loaf carries some
consolations. And I must confess that one aspect of the affair gives me
great satisfaction, not as a Board Member but as a private machine. You
have at last made a reality of the 'rises through the air' part of
Puffybread's