"Odd stuff," murmured Neilson as he surveyed the preliminary sheet punched out by the reporting machine. "It's a living organism and—and it's silicon-based! That's a real weird one. Its biological action in the human body wouldn't be like any narcotic, completely new. Can't read the next stuff—ah, here's the translation—heightened hormone discharges, not one of which is detrimental. Metabolic cycle of bacteria somewhere between three and four hours."
"The spin period for the asteroid! This stuff's likely to be available hundreds of places in the asteroid belt, wherever the spin period's in that range. Might have an endless supply because in its native habitat it reappears after the heating phase even though something in the human body destroys it permanently."
Now summaries were being pumped out more rapidly and Neilson was scanning them with unwonted speed. "Fleck dose too small for any endocrine upset. None for musculature either. Gastro-intestinal negative. Bone Marrow negative. Ten minutes after entering the body this stuff dissolves completely into lower elements! Physiologically non-habit-forming. Hartley, if this gives all the pleasure you claim it's the answer to our wildest prayers. I will try a fleck."
As soon as he inhaled the infinitesimal dosage he began grinning at the pair in speechless wonder. Hartley joined him and offered to set a bit up for Cramer.
"No," Cramer said, "I don't care what the analyzers say. You can't get something for nothing."
"This is beyond price," Neilson sighed contentedly. He moved to a wall mirror. "Not even a little retinal contraction. The dosage is so small the silicon base couldn't hurt you even if you took one an hour for the rest of your life. And there can't be any hangover."
"No law on the books against it and I don't think the public would tolerate a prohibition. This stuff is actually good for you!" Hartley exulted.
"And we are the only ones on Earth who have it for at least the next few weeks!" He jotted down some calculations. "Figure a hundred thousand doses in the capsule and at least fifty dollars a microscopic flake slice, seventy-five dollars, more probably. Anybody can lay his hands on cryogenic capsules—they're all over the place. We'd only need a few dozen runners and I can get them easily enough. Are we in business, Hartley?"
"Let's give a free sample to your friends first."
"Fair enough, they're going to be among our best customers."