"It's a roughly square plastic container, bright yellow, about a foot thick. What about it?"
Kayle's voice sounded strained. "I've made inquiries. No one here seems to know the exact present location of the Master Tape. Each department says that they were under the impression that another handled the matter. I'm unable to learn who, precisely, removed the Tape from the vault. Now you say there is a yellow plastic container—"
"I know what the Master Tape looks like," I said. "This is either it or a hell of a good copy."
"Granthan," Kayle said. There was a note of desperation in his voice now. "There have been some blunders made. I knew you were under the influence of the Gool. It didn't occur to me that I might be too. Why did I make it possible for you to successfully penetrate to the Central Vault? There were a hundred simpler ways in which I could have dealt with the problem. We're in trouble, Granthan, serious trouble. The tape you have there is genuine. We've all played into the enemy's hands."
"You're wasting valuable time, Kayle," I snapped. "When does the bomb go up?"
"Granthan, there's little time left. Bring the Master Tape and leave the vault—"
"No dice, Kayle. I'm staying until I finish the transmitter, then—"
"Granthan! If there's anything to your mad idea of such a machine, destroy it! Quickly! Don't you see the Gool would only have given you the secret in order to enable you to steal the tape!"
I cut him off. In the sudden silence, I heard a distant sound—or had I sensed a thought? I strained outward....
"... volunteered ... damn fool ... thing on my head is heavy ... better work....