"It has further been alleged that there is some connection between Patent Number 90,732,440B and the hospitalization of Mr. William Barger of Barger Electronics Company, Incorporated, who is currently afflicted with"—the Senator breathed a chuckle—"laryngitis.
"It has even been supposed by certain Senators that the non-fatal stabbing of Nathan Bonaparte, a part-time employee...."
Silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the voice from within the hospital said, "we will tune in again when the matter is brought to a vote. And now—Dr. Hamilton."
A long pause filled with buzzing.
"People," said the Director, and the buzzing ended. "There is no war. Let me repeat: there is no atomic war going on." He paused.
"Now there has been a lot of fuss over a steel tower on a factory across the river. I want to make it clear that no advertising gimmicks will change our job here. All hospitals—public, like ours, or even our esteemed allies, the private hospitals—are bound by medical and staff ethics to pay no official attention to the world of advertising.
"I am especially amazed by rumors that Nat Bonaparte, or 'Boney,' who does clean-up work here from time to time, was silenced because he 'knew something' about this wonderful advertising gimmick. Nothing can be sillier. It just happens that the fellow left my office shortly before he must have been wounded by delinquents from the nearby slums. He was giving me 'inside information,' as he called it, about light-ray guns, and mechanical hypnotism, and plots against the patients. These, apparently, are the things which Boney 'knew,' and he has been talking endlessly about them since I first came into office, and presumably before."
Brooks struck two cigarettes against his pack and handed one to Miss Knox. Their first puff obscured his puzzled frown.
"This fuss I am talking about," continued the Director, "has been taken as grounds for wild infringement of any and all regulations by personnel of this hospital. I want it made perfectly clear that motorbeds not in official use should be stored in the proper supply rooms, according to the chart in the Commissary office. We are setting up a daily check-in system—"