n said 'double
damn'."

"_Factorial_ damn, then!" said de Hooch.

"What's the matter?"

"Apparently the foul-up is on the _other_ side of the firewall."

"Are you going in?"

"I'll have to."

"All right. Watch yourself."

"I will." He went over to the periscope that surveyed the part of the
reactor beyond the firewall. Everything looked normal enough. He
carefully checked the pressure gauge. Normal.

"Check the spectro for me, will you?" he asked. "Make sure that's just
the normal helium atmosphere in there."

"Sure." A pause. "Nothing but helium, Guz. What were you expecting?"

"I don't think I'd care to walk into a hydrogen atmosphere at three
hundred Centigrade."

"Neither would I, but how could there be hydrogen in there?"

"There shouldn't be. But there's something screwy going on here, and I
can't put my finger on it."

"Well, whatever it is, it isn't hydrogen in the reactor room."

"O.K. Stand by. I'm going in."

He walked over to the firewall door. On the other side of it was a small
chamber where the oxygen and nitrogen of normal air would be swept out
before he opened the inner door to go into the inner chamber itself.
There was no need for an air lock, since small amounts of impurities in
the He-4 didn't bother anything.

It was just as he turned the lever that undogged the firewall door that
he realized his mistake.

But it was too late.

The door jerked outward, and a hot wind picked him up and slammed him
against the far wall.

There was a moment of pain.

Then--nothing.

* * * * *

_There was something familiar about the man who was turning the wheel,
but de Hooch couldn't place it. The man was wearing a black hood, as
befitted a torturer and executioner._

_"Idiot," said the hooded man, giving the wheel of the rack a little
more pressure, "explain the following: If a half plus a half is equal to
a whole, why is halfnium plus halfnium not equal to wholmium?"_

_Stretched as he was on the rack, de Hooch could not think straight
because of the excruciating pain._

_"Because a half is eight point two eight per cent heavier than a hole,"
said de Hooch._

_"You are an idiot, none the less," said the torturer. He gave the wheel
another twist. De Hooch wanted to scream, but he couldn't._

_"Try again," said the torturer. "What is a half plus four plus four
plus four plus four plus--"_

"Stop!" _screamed de Hooch_. "Stop! _Stop at the osmium!_"