Mike stared at him and grimaced.
“You don’t get it,” he said brittlely. “All right. I may be crazy, at that.”
Joe rejoined Sally. The idea of a picnic was brand new to him, but he approved of it completely. They went to the small exit that led to the security building. They were admitted. There was remarkable calm and efficiency here, even though routine had been upset by the need to stop all work. As they went toward Major Holt’s office, Joe heard somebody dictating in a matter-of-fact voice: “... this attempt at atomic sabotage was defeated outside the Shed, but it never had a chance of success. Geiger counters would have instantly shown any attempt to smuggle radioactive material into the Shed....”
Joe glanced sidewise at Sally.
“That’s for a publicity release?” he asked.
She nodded.
“It’s true, too. Nothing goes in or out of the Shed without passing close to a Geiger counter. Even radium-dial watches show up, though they don’t set the sirens to screaming.”
Joe said: “I’ll get my order for new parts off on the facsimile machine.”
But he had to get Major Holt’s secretary to show him where to feed in the list. It would go east to the nearest facsimile receiver, and then be rushed by special messenger to the plant. Miss Ross gloomily set the machine and initialed the delivery requisition which was part of the document. It flashed through the scanning process and came out again.
“You and Sally,” remarked Sally’s father’s secretary with a morose sigh, “can go and relax this afternoon. But there’s no relaxation for Major Holt. Or for me.”