"George, we've just read those testicular biopsies. There's a sub-acute inflammation in those with the flu, as we saw before; in the convalescent ferrets there is complete absence of spermatozoa with no evidence of new formation." I looked at Pat. "Now who should be worried?" "I've never heard of this before in ferrets with the flu," Hallam was saying. "I'd think of mumps except that it isn't easily transmitted to the weasel tribe and this isn't like mumps clinically." "What do you propose to do now?" Hallam thought for a moment. "Carry on with our animal experiments; but we can't afford to wait for the monkeys. We shall have to start working on people." "How?" "Get in touch with the Public Health Department and see if you can round up volunteers for testicular biopsy in convalescents from the first attack. If they don't want a biopsy maybe you can persuade them to give us a sperm count." "You know we can't keep this hushed up if we do that. The papers are bound to get hold of it." "I realize that," Hallam said grimly, "but they're going to know sooner or later. Maybe this will soften the blow when it does come." "OK George, you're the boss. We can't do anything until morning. I'm going to close up shop and let everybody get some sleep." "Good idea. Keep away from the flu if you can." "Huh, fat chance. I've got my family anyway. It's my kids I'm worried about." "There are times when I'm glad I'm a bachelor," Hallam replied and shut off the speaker. "Doesn't look too good, does it?" I said. "We'll know by tomorrow night, I hope." "I can't figure this thing at all. An inflammation that destroys the testicular cells should give a lot of swelling and pain. Those ferrets were frisky enough and they didn't show any signs of orchitis." "Neither did most of the human victims," Hallam said. "Perhaps it's only a temporary arrest in the maturation of the sperm rather than destruction of the spermatogonia themselves. That could be the explanation for the low grade inflammation and the minimal symptoms." "You mean there might be some interference with an enzyme system?" Pat said. "Yes. We see it in anemias where the cells don't mature properly because of a lack of some vitamin like B12. The same sort of thing could be happening here, I suppose." "Then it might be only temporary?" "I sincerely hope so, especially if Smith finds the same in man as he reports in the ferrets." "I wish I could share your optimism John," the Director said, "but if this is a weapon it won't have just a temporary effect. There would be no point to that." He yawned. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, as the Good Book says. Let's go to bed." * * * * *