cal obsession. Existence of some old neurosis, partially submerged,
was established already in your first analysis. Now the barriers which
you had built against this war neurosis have broken down. Quite a
natural breakdown considering the very great stress under which you have
been living of late. No, I don't say that you are actually demented, but
there is a very real danger that you might lose complete control over
your mind. As it stands, your scientific work already is impaired by the
fixed ideas you have formed about The Brain. We are here to help you, so
please be calm and cooperate with us; we have got to decide upon some
course of action."

"You must get away from it all. Lee," Bondy chimed in; "Take a
sabbatical year. The Braintrust operates a really first-class sanitarium
out on the West Coast. Your insurance plan covers every expense. All you
have to do is to sign these papers and we'll get us a plane and I'll
personally bring you there. That's the safe, the sane course for you to
take. Here, take my pen."

Lee had raised his gaunt frame from the table. For a moment he sat with
his face buried in his hands trying to control his swimming head. A hand
patted his shoulders: "Don't take it so hard, old man; come on, be
sensible and let's get out of here."

He stood up; vertigo made him sway and he felt the supporting, the
restraining grip of the two medic's hands upon his arms. And then, in a
flash, he saw red. "I had it coming to me," he thought, "I would have
gone like a lamb. If only they had been shooting straight; if they
hadn't tried to frame me with their dirty trickery. It's all over now
but I might as well go down fighting." He didn't know which he loathed
more of the two; it just happened that Bondy was standing to his right
and took it on the chin and nose as Lee's fist shot up.

"Mellish, quick, the straight jacket," he screamed, toppling over.

* * * * *

Mellish, stark horror in his eyes, started towards the alarm button by
the door. Old and forgotten combat technique reacted automatically to
the move: one foot shot out, it tripped the lunging man and sent him
sprawling down before he reached the button. But then it was as if a
hand had pressed that button anyway: The loudspeaker built into the
panel over the door broke into shrill sharp peals: Fire alarm. It froze
the violent commotion of the three. From their prostrate position on the
floor Mellish and Bondy st