"I won't bite you."
"Strictly platonic?"
"You call the tune, I'll play it."
She stood up abruptly and reached out her hand to me. "We're wasting time," she said. "Let's go!"
I was thinking over those pleasant days and too platonic but still exciting nights as I came to the door of the Director's office. Dr. George Hallam, that straight backed old soldier, was sitting at his desk when I walked in. He was shuffling a pile of black and white photographs and, as they riffled over, I saw that they were some of Polly's electron microscope pictures of elementary particles. Hallam was a large man, but not fat, with black thinning hair combed straight back. Ordinarily a pleasant expression rested in the light brown eyes behind his rectangular spectacles, and a slight smile brightened his round, firm-fleshed face. Today he was definitely not happy, and under the white lab coat his big shoulders hunched forward determinedly like a fullback ready for a plunge through the line. I was wondering what bothered him until I caught a glimpse of the headlines in the "Sun" lying on the desk. EXTRA! Greatest Epidemic Ever! I noted the edition was later than the one I had bought. Flu Epidemic Spreads Through B.C. it said.
"Good morning, sir."
He nodded at me and I waved at the paper.
"What goes on since I left?"
"Five thousand cases of Flu." Bang! He slapped the desk. "Just like that. In one day!" He ran one big hand over his chin and was silent, leaning on his elbows.