The door opened and a handsome woman came in, an expectant questioning tilt to the dark wings of her brows. She was in her middle thirties, her bright blond hair tucked into a trim bun, and wore a severely tailored linen suit that almost managed to hide an interesting body.
"Julie, this is Major Peter Hall. He sat out part of the war with me at Wright Field. Pete, Doctor Julie Mosby. Chair of Physics, builder of vigorous martinis and good guy."
The Major scrambled to his feet and took the cool hand she offered him. "Well, hello! I can see why Ed left Northwestern."
"You drafting him? I hope not." She looked from Major Hall to Wilkes to the booklet before them. "What gives?"
"Pete here," said Wilkes as they seated themselves, "bears gifts and assorted tidings. I want you to hear his yarn."
"Well...." Major Hall picked up the document and ahemed. "Special Testing and Materials needs a job done. I thought Ed was the man for it, so they sent me down to talk things over.
"The prize is a calculator we'll install and leave here and—"
Julie's dark eyes sparkled. "Lawd, Ed! Sign up quick. A calculator! I can see next fall's catalogue now. It'll jump enrollment thirty percent at the very least."
"Yeah," said Wilkes cautiously. "That it might. But hear the soldier man out."