Alone at last, he looked sadly through the pages of David's notebook, at
the tantalizing curls and angles of the Coptic letters, cryptic symbols
of a discovery which prevented a man from growing old. Well, no one
could read them now. That secret was dead, along with its discoverer,
because, in this world, no study was permitted without a practical end
in view. And perhaps it was just as well. Could any man be trusted, he
wondered, to deal wisely with a power so great?
After closing the notebook, he dropped his head into his hands.
How his head ached! He felt cold, suddenly, and his whole body began to
shake with a hard chill. He lifted his head, his vision blurred, and
suddenly he knew.
He had Blue Martian fever!
Teeth chattering, he paced wildly about the room, puzzling things out,
trying to remember. That booster shot! And then he realized the amazing
truth: David Wong had given him a chance! He had inoculated him with the
seeds of immortality, giving him a chance to help right the wrongs of
this Categorized world. And now he was left alone in a world of mortals.
David and the others had been annihilated, and he was left to live on
and on, alone.
He staggered toward his private apartments, then sank into his chair as
his secretary once again ran into the room. With a supreme effort he
controlled his trembling.
"Yes?"
"Leader Lanza. Another report."
"Just a minute," said Lanza, trying to bring his eyes into focus on the
excited girl. "I am in need of a rest. As soon as you have gone, I shall
retire into seclusion for a few days. There are to be no interruptions.
Is that clear? Now, proceed."
"There's a new epidemic of Martian Fever reported where one never was
before."