"It's a hard decision," Micheals said. Since he wasn't an official member of the investigating team, he had given his information and left. "The physicists consider it a biological matter, and the biologists seem to think the chemists should have the answer. No one's an expert on this, because it's never happened before. We just don't have the data." "It's a military problem," O'Donnell said harshly. "I'm not interested in what the thing is--I want to know what can destroy it. They'd better give me permission to use the bomb." Micheals had made his own calculations on that. It was impossible to say for sure, but taking a flying guess at the leech's mass-energy absorption rate, figuring in its size and apparent capacity for growth, an atomic bomb _might_ overload it--if used soon enough. He estimated three days as the limit of usefulness. The leech was growing at a geometric rate. It could cover the United States in a few months. "For a week I've been asking permission to use the bomb," O'Donnell grumbled. "And I'll get it, but not until after those jackasses end their damned talking." He stopped pacing and turned to Micheals. "I am going to destroy the leech. I am going to smash it, if that's the last thing I do. It's more than a matter of security now. It's personal pride." That attitude might make great generals, Micheals thought, but it wasn't the way to consider this problem. It was anthropomorphic of O'Donnell to see the leech as an enemy. Even the identification, "leech," was a humanizing factor. O'Donnell was dealing with it as he would any physical obstacle, as though the leech were the simple equivalent of a large army. But the leech was not human, not even of this planet, perhaps. It should be dealt with in its own terms. "Here come the bright boys now," O'Donnell said. * * * * * From a nearby tent a group of weary men emerged, led by Allenson, a government biologist. "Well," the general asked, "have you figured out what it is?" "Just a minute, I'll hack off a sample," Allenson said, glaring through red-rimmed eyes. "Have you figured out some _scientific_ way of killing it?" "Oh, that wasn't too difficult," Moriarty, an atomic physicist, said wryly. "Wrap it in a perfect vacuum. That'll do the trick. Or blow it off the Earth with anti-gravity." "But failing that," Allenson said, "we suggest you use your atomic bombs, and use them fast." "Is that the opinion of your entire group?" O'Donnell asked, his eyes glittering. "Yes." The general hurried away. Micheals joined the scientists. "He should have called us in at the very first," Allenson complained. "There's no time to consider anything but force now." "Have you come to any conclusions about the nature of the leech?" Micheals asked.