"Yes, sir, but—"
"And the longer it takes you, the more ridicule will be directed at you, at me, and the Bureau of Operations?"
"But, sir—"
"Mr. Reed, I'll also point out that there will be no promotion until your assignment is complete."
"I'm aware of that sir, but—"
"But what, Mr. Reed?"
Reed said, "Sir, may I speak without annoying you?"
"If you've something to say, go ahead. I can hardly promise not to be annoyed before I hear what the subject is."
"Thank you, sir. In trying to solve Hansen's Folly I engaged in some physical experiment and measurement because I couldn't find any flaw in the mathematical argument on the abstract scale. As you know, sir, one of the ways to find out why something won't work is to try it. It isn't often the easiest or the simplest, but it is often the only way."