etting
furloughs, lack of knowledge of what is going on in my own field, it's
just a little too much. It's personally irritating, but it greatly
hampers my work as well. Frankly, I'm against the entire security
program as it now stands. If it isn't stopped research will ... well,
simply be impossible. Free interchange of information is essential to--"
His fingers were gripping the arms of his chair.

"Yes, of course, Milt, but corny as it sounds there is a war on you
know. Oh, not a war with military weapons--yet, but a cold war of
science and engineering, a struggle for supremacy in many fields of
knowledge. If information of our work leaks out, gets to the enemy, we
might as well not do that work. We can't be too careful."

"I agree, but it goes too far." He leaned forward. "My private mail is
read, and on my last furlough I am certain I was watched from the time I
left the gates out there until I returned, and I don't like it. I can't
prove it, but-- That's getting to the point that life's not worth
while."

"Come now, Milt, don't you think you're taking this a little too
seriously? You're getting stale, overwrought. You need a fresh point of
view. Lots of our people feel as you do at one time or another, but most
of us learn to live with these necessary regulations, and do our work in
spite of them. Let me make a suggestion, relax, take a little time off,
develop a hobby. Why not do some reading in a field of science other
than your own. It's good for you. Several of the people here are doing
it. I do it, Carter, even Mason for instance--"

Collins could feel the anger rising in him again.

"Look, Gordon, I'm not going to mince words. I'm sick and tired of
this mess, and you might as well know it. You can have all your damn
relaxations and hobbies, or what have you. I want to do my work, and
if I can't do it here, I'm going somewhere where I can do it. In plain
English unless we can have an understanding right now--I resign."

It had come out, and Collins was breathing hard, but Gordon's expression
hardly changed as he looked over the tips of his joined fingers, while
the younger man stopped and crushed out his cigarette viciously in the
ash disposer on the arm of his chair. Gordon doodled on a small pad for
a moment, his eyes not meeting Collins'. Then he spoke slowly.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Milt. I ... I'm afraid I cannot accept
your resignation. You see," he said softly, "none of us can leave Fair