I hoped to bring to your attention, among
several other matters, when you had finished giving your instructions to
me."

Marley continued implacably, "And how did this epidemic begin? It was my
understanding that no insect existed here on Earth that could transmit
the virus. Yet several people from your lab came down with the disease
on the same day. What is your explanation?"

"It's very simple. To prepare the vaccine, as I am sure you will
remember from your last visit to us, we have to keep in the lab a
limited number of the _Fafli_, the Martian insects which act as hosts at
one stage of the virus's life. Last week a Menial carelessly knocked
over one of the cages and several _Fafli_ escaped. The Menial was
discharged, of course, and put in Punishment, but the damage had already
been done."

"You have a very ready explanation."

"Would you rather I had none at all, Leader Marley?"

"Well, let that go." Marley drummed his plump fingers on the desk as he
continued. "There was another report for me just now. A report so wild,
so incredible, so staggering that I can scarcely bring myself to take it
seriously. From an Office Category at the Institute."

David's heart beat wildly, but he forced a smile to his lips. "Oh, yes.
You must mean Miss Hachovnik. I've been worried about that poor girl for
some time."

"What do you mean, 'poor girl'?"

"It's very distressing to me, because she has been a good and loyal
worker for many years. But she is becoming unstable. She has a tendency
to burst into tears over nothing, is sometimes hysterical, seems to have
secret grievances, and is extremely jealous of all women whom she
considers more attractive. She was never too bright, to be sure, but
until recently she has done her work well, so I've hated to take any
action. Just this morning I had to send her home because she was ill."

"Do you mean to say," asked Marley, "that none of her story is true?"

"I don't know. What is her story?"

"She reports that you have been working on a private project of your
own, instead of on White Martian. That you have discovered a way to make
people immortal, by infecting them with Blue Martian. What is your
explanation?"

David only stared, his mind so blurred with panic that he could not
speak. His stunned silence was broken by a laugh. It was Dr. Lanza,
leaning backward in his chair, holding himself over the stomach as he
shook his head.

"These hysterical women!" His laughter tr