rning I
received a message, delivered in person by our old schoolmate Lanza, to
report to Leader Marley on Wednesday, and Marley hasn't paid any
attention to me since he last inspected our lab, years ago. For another
thing, Leah Hachovnik is making a nuisance of herself with her curiosity
about my affairs. If she weren't so clumsy about her prying, I'd almost
believe she was under orders to spy on me."

Karl moved impatiently. "I hope you're not turning psychotic. You have a
clean record of continuous production and you've never mixed in
politics. You've never expressed what you may really think of our Leader
even to me, although we've been friends since we were in Medschool, and
I hope you never will. And you're making progress with White Martian.
Why, my boy, you're all set! What's treasonable about that?"

Someone knocked at the door. Hastily David uncovered the fragrant beaker
and waved it about as he called, "Come in!"

The watchguard looked in for an instant, wrinkled his nose, and quickly
shut the door. Laughing, David covered the beaker, and began walking
about with long nervous strides, snapping his fingers as he tried to
explain.

"I'm in trouble, Karl. I've run into something I don't know how to deal
with, and I need help, I need advice, I need cooperation. I've lived
alone with this thing for ten long years, hoping month after month that
something would turn up so I could evade the issue. But nothing has. And
now there's going to be a showdown."

Karl touched his arm sympathetically. "My dear boy--"

"_That's it!_" shouted David.

"What's what?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Why do you always call me your
'dear boy?' You know I'm a year older than you are."

"It's just habit, I suppose. You _look_ so young--your hair is black,
while mine is nearly white. You're full of vigor, while I begin to creak
with middle age. I didn't realize that I irritated you with my little
phrase. I should think you'd be pleased that you have somehow managed to
sip at the fountain of youth."

David sank down on a stool. "I'm not pleased. I'm terrified."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that's exactly what's happened. I have sipped at the fountain of
youth. I've discovered how to keep people from growing old. I myself
have not aged a bit in the last ten years."

There was a long silence. Karl sat unmoving, his face like stone.

"I don't believe you," he said at last.

"It's no longer a question of belief. In