"I'll take you to the Planetary President, now."
"No," said Calhoun. "I got some very promising information from Dr. Lett. I want to go back to my ship first."
"But the President is waiting to see you!" protested the Minister for Health. "There's something he wants to discuss!"
"I want," Calhoun observed, "to have something to discuss with him. There is intelligence back of this para business. I'd almost call it demoniac intelligence. I want to get back to my ship and check on what I got from Dr. Lett."
The Minister for Health hesitated, and then said urgently:
"But the President is extremely anxious——"
"Will you," asked Calhoun politely, "arrange for me to be taken back to my ship?"
The Minister for Health opened his mouth and closed it. Then he said apologetically—and it seemed to Calhoun—fearfully:
"Dr. Lett has been our only hope of conquering this ... this epidemic. The President and the Cabinet felt that they had to ... give him full authority. There was no other hope! We didn't know you'd come. So ... Dr. Lett wished you to see the President when you left him. It won't take long!"
Calhoun said grimly: