"Very good." The vice-president then spoke into the communicator. "Please ask Mr. Graves to step in." Graves, the manager of T. P.'s branch upon the planet Deka--planetographically speaking, Dekanore III--was a short, fat man; and he possessed, upon the surface at least, the fat man's proverbial geniality and good nature. "Mr. Graves--Dr. Stonely." "Mighty glad to meet you, Doctor," Graves shook hands effusively. "Splendid accomplishment. You've been working on it five years or more, I hear." "Six years and two months," the scientist said precisely. "I cannot accompany you, of course," the vice-president interposed busily, "and you appreciate that the less of communication or contact hereafter, the better. Good day." * * * * * The two went out, took a cab, and soon were in Dr. Stonely's ultra-private laboratory. It was a large room, artificially lighted, lined throughout with sheet metal--metal which, when properly charged, formed a barrier through which no harmful radiation or particle could pass. The scientist snapped on the wall shield and set to work, explaining each step to his visitor. "Here are the seeds. For the present you will have to take my word for it that I produced them here. I will go through as many cycles as you please. Here are the containers--miniatures, you will observe, of the standard hydroponics tanks. The formula of the nutrient solution, while of course crucial, contains nothing either rare or unduly expensive. I plant the seed, thus, in each of the two tanks. I cover each with a bell-jar of plastic--transparent to the frequencies to be employed. I enclose the whole with a similar envelope--so. I align the projectors--thus. We will now put on our armor, as the radiation is severe and the atmosphere, which displaces our own of oxygen--" "Synthetic or imported?" Graves asked. "Imported. Synthesis is possible, but prohibitive in cost. Importation in tank ships is easy, simple, and comparatively cheap. I will now energize the projectors, and growth will begin." He did so, and in the glare of blue-green radiance the atmosphere within the bell-jars, the very ether, warped and writhed. In spite of the distortion of vision, however, growth could be perceived--growth at an astonishing rate. In a few minutes the seeds had sprouted. In an hour the thick, broad, glossily-green leaves were inches long. In seven hours each jar was full of a lushly luxuriant tangle of foliage. "This is the point of maximum yield," Stonely remarked as he shut off the projectors. "I assume that you will want to take a sample." "Certainly," the fat man agreed. "How else would I know it's the clear quill?" "If you were a scientist, the sight of it would be sufficient," came the dry rejoinder. "Knowing that you are not, however, I am running two tanks, as you see. Take either one you like."