is thing? Laymen, outsiders coming
to investigate and to pass judgment upon the most complex electronic
organism in the world! In two hours at the most they expect to be fully
informed as to how The Brain works and somehow to be magically
transformed into authorities entitled to mouth considered opinions about
radioactive pyramidal cells in houses of government. Do you really think
you could survive it, Lee?"

"At least I can try," Lee smiled.

"Good man." There was a new spring in Scriven's step as he came over to
shake hands. "I can never thank you enough for this."

"I suppose I could hold the hospitality front," Oona said calmly.

Standing between the two, Scriven put his hands upon their shoulders.
"Oona, you arm yourself with a phone. Lee, you rush over to The Brain.
Oona will give you a pass to the Thorax. Every assistance you need will
be at your disposal. I'll sit down and whip up some kind of a speech.
We'll all meet again afterwards."

* * * * *

Seven hours later, one hour before sunrise and just in time to see the
big official plane from Washington shoot up into the first grey streak
of dawn, they met. They were all pale and shivering with the chill of
the air, of physical and nervous exhaustion. There was a note of
hysteria even in Oona's voice as she ordered a tremendous breakfast from
the Skull Hotel. But then as the fragrance of coffee mingled with that
of bacon and eggs, things rapidly improved and there were sudden
uncontrollable bursts of laughter. They had only to look at one another
to feel the tickle of renewed mirth.

The first thing to strike Lee, as he remembered, as he met the
senatorial group in the subterranean dome of the murals, was their
incongruity with the functional beauty which surrounded them, and the
sharp contrast they formed to the scientific workers of The Brain. As
they descended from their cars after a late dinner at the Skull Hotel
they resembled an average tourist group in Carlsbad Caverns bent upon a
good time and in a holiday mood.

There were seven. Two women senators among them, as they ascended with
Lee at the head along "Glideway Y," the "Visitors' Special" as the
brain-crews called it. It was wider than the service glideways and
equipped with comfortable seats. It led through The Brains median
section in-between the two hemispheres describing a loop which opened
vistas into but did not enter any of the grey matter convolutions. I