[p 60]
“You can see it—you can watch it—but mustn’ttouch!” And what could possibly be more frustrating… when you need, most violently, toget your hands on it for just one second…
HE man finally enteredthe office of GeneralGeorge Garvers. As thedoor closed behind him,he saw the general, whosprang from his chair to greet him.
“Max! You finally came.”
“Got here as soon as I could. Iwager half my time was taken up bythe security check points. You arecertainly isolated in here.”
“All of that,” agreed the general.“Have a seat, won’t you?” he asked,indicating a chair.
His friend sank into it gratefully.“Now, what’s this vital problem youcalled me about? You weren’t too specific.”
“No,” said Garvers, “I wasn’t. Thisis a security matter, after a fashion.It’s vitally important that we gettechnical help on this thing, and sinceyou and I are friends, I was asked tocall you in.”
“Well?”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to make a storyof it.”
“Quite all right by me, but don’tmind if I interject a question nowand then. Mind if I smoke?”
“Go right ahead,” said Garvers,fumbling out a lighter. “Just don’tspill ashes on the rug.
“This all began on the Third ofMay. I was working here on sometop-security stuff. I had suddenly gotthe feeling of being watched. I knowit seems silly, what with all the checkpoints that a potential spy wouldhave to go through to get here, butthat’s just how I felt.
“Several times I glanced aroundthe office, but of course it was empty.Then I began to think that it was mynerves.”
“You always were a bit of a hypochondriac,”observed his friend.
“Be that as it may,” continuedGarvers, “it was the only explanationI had at the time. Either someonewas watching me, which seemed impossible,or I was beginning to crackunder the strain.
“Well, I put my papers away and[p 61] tried to take a short break. I wasreaching into my drawer where I keepmagazines when, so help me, a manstepped out of the wall into my office.”
“What? It seems as if you just saida guy stepped out of the wall.”
“That’s just what I did say. Itsounds crazy, but let me finish, willyou? I’m not kidding, and I’ll showyou proof later if necessary.
“Anyway, this bird stepped straightout of the wall as if it had been awaterfall or something, but the wallitself was undamaged. The only proofI had that he had actually done it wasthe fact that he was in my office, butthat was proof enough.
“To put it mildly, I was thunderstruck.After jumping to my feet, Icould only stand there like an idiot.I was so shaken that I couldn’t speaka word. But he spoke first.
“‘General Garvers?’ he asked,just as if he had run in