to smile and she said
soothingly, "Don't misunderstand, Mr. Crowley. May I call you Don? I'm
sure we're going to be associates. You see, Don, we need your
assistance."

This was more like it. Crowley sat down again and finished the can of
beer. "O.K., it won't hurt to listen. What's the pitch?"

The older man cleared his throat. "We'll cover it quickly so that we can
get to the immediate practical aspects. Are you interested in
biodynamics ... umah ... no, of course not. Let me see. Are you at all
familiar with the laws pertaining to refraction of ... umah, no." He
cleared his throat again, unhappily. "Have you ever seen a medusa, Mr.
Crowley? The gelatinous umbrella-shaped free swimming form of marine
invertebrate related to the coral polyp and the sea anemone?"

Ross Wooley scratched his crew cut and grimaced. "Jellyfish, Doctor,
jellyfish. But I think the Portuguese Man-of-War might be a better
example."

"Oh, jellyfish," Crowley said. "Sure, I've seen jellyfish. I got an aunt
lives near Baltimore. We used to go down there and swim in Chesapeake
Bay. Sting the devil out of you. What about it?"

Patricia leaned forward, still smiling graciously. "I really don't see a
great deal of point going into theory, gentlemen." She looked at Ross
and Dr. Braun, then back at Crowley. "Don, I think that what the doctor
was leading up to was an attempt to describe in layman's language the
theory of the process onto which we've stumbled. He was using the
jellyfish as an example of a life form all but invisible. But I'm sure
you aren't interested in technical terminology, are you? A good deal of
gobbledygook, really, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that's what I say. Let's get to the point. You mean you think
it's possible to make a guy invisible. Nobody could see him, eh?"

"It's not a matter of thinking," Ross said sourly. "We've done it."

Crowley stared at him. "Done it? You mean, you, personal? You got
invisible?"

"Yes. All three of us. Once each."

"And you come back all right, eh? So anybody can see you again."

The doctor said reasonably, "Here we are, quite visible. The effect of
the usual dosage lasts for approximately twelve hours."

They let him assimilate it for a few minutes. Some of the ramifications
were coming home to him. Finally he got up and went into the back again
for another can of beer. By this time Ross Wooley was wishing he would
renew his offer, but the other had forgotten his duties as a host.