Angry and disgusted at once, Celia said, "You did not have to do that for me!" "Do what?" It was Martin's voice behind her. He had come in quietly, and now took in the scene. After a moment, and with equal quietness, he instructed, "Celia, please wait outside.”
As Celia left, Martin was glaring at Yates and breathing heavily. While she waited, through the intervening door she heard Martin's angrily raised voice.”Don't ever again!... not if you want to go on working here... my orders, always to use the CO, box which is painless, no other way!... get that other monstrosity out of here o:- break it up... I will not have cruelty, do you understand?" She heard the voice of Yates saying weakly, "Yessir.”
When Martin emerged, he took Celia's arm and escorted her to the conference room where they were alone, a thermos jug of coffee between them, from which Martin poured. "I'm sorry that happened; it shouldn't have," he told her.”Yates got carried away, probably because he isn't used to having an attractive woman watch him at work-at which he's very good, incidentally, and it's the reason I brought him here from Cambridge. He can dissect a rat's brain the way a surgeon would.”
Celia said, her mild annoyance past, "It was a small thing. It doesn't matter.”
"It matters to me.”
She said curiously, "You care about animals, don't you?" "Yes, I do.”
Martin sipped coffee, then said, "It's impossible to do research without inflicting some pain on animals. Human needs come first, and even animal lovers have to accept that. But the pain should be kept to a minimum, which you ensure by an attitude of caring; otherwise it's all too easy to become callous. I've reminded Yates of that. I don't think he'll forget.”
The incident made Celia like and respect Martin even more than before. But, she reminded herself, likes or dislikes must not affect her purpose here. "Let's get back to your progress," she said briskly.”You've talked about differences in the brains of young and old animals, also your plans to synthesize a DNA. But you haven't yet isolated a protein-the peptide you're looking for, the one that counts. Correct?" "Correct.”
Martin gave his swift, warm smile, then continued confidently.. "What you just described is the next step, also the toughest. We're working on it, and it will happen, though of course it all takes time.”
She reminded him, "When the institute opened, you said, 'Allow me two years.' You expected to. have so mething positive by then. That was two years and four months ago.”
He seemed surprised.”Did I really say that?" "You certainly did. Sam remembers. So do L" "Then it was reckless of me. Working, as we are here, at the frontier of science, timetables can't apply.”
Again Martin seemed untroubled, yet. Celia detected strain beneath the surface. Physically, too, Martin seemed out of condition. His face was pale; his eyes suggested fatigue, probably from long hours of work; and there were lines on his face which had not been there two years ago. "Martin," Celia said, "why won't you send progress reports? Sam has a board of directors he must satisfy, and shareholders 11
T he scientist shook his head, for the first time impatiently.”It's more important that I concentrate on research. Reports, so much writing and paperwork, take up valuable time.”
He asked abruptly, "Have you read John Locke?" "At college, a little.”
"He wrote that man makes discoveries by 'steadily intending his mind in a given direction.' A scientific researcher must remember that.” Celia abandoned the subject for the time being, but raised it later that day with the administrator, ex-Squadron Leader Bentley, who suggested a different reason for the absence of reports. "You should understand, Mrs. Jordan," Nigel Bentley said, "that Dr. Peat-Smith finds it excruciatingly difficult to put anything in writing. A reason is that his mind moves forward so quickly that what was important to him yesterday may be out of date today, and even more so tomorrow. He is actually embarrassed by things that he wrote earlier-two years ago, for example. He sees them as naive even though, at the time, they may have been incredibly perceptive. If he could have his way, he'd wipe out everything he's written in the past. It's a trait not uncommon in scientists. I've encountered it before.”
Celia said, "Tell me some more things I should know about the scientific mind.”
They were sharing the privacy of Bentley's modest but neatly organized office where Celia was having increasing respect for this competent, sparrowlike man she had chosen to run the research institute's business side. Nigel Bentley considered, then began, "Perhaps the most important thing is that scientists stay so long in the educational process, become so involved in their chosen, sometimes narrow, specialties, that they come to the realities of everyday life much later than the rest of us. Indeed, some great scholars never come to grips with those realities at all.”
"I've heard it said that they stay, in some ways, childlike.”
"Precisely, Ws. Jordan, and in certain areas very much that way. It's why one sees, so often, childish behavior in academic circles-petty squabbles and the like, over trivial issues.”
Celia said thoughtfully, "I would not have thought any of that was true of Martin Peat-Smith.”
"Possibly not, within those specific limits," Bentley acknowledged.”But in other ways.”
"Tell me.”
"Well, something Dr. Peat-Smith has great trouble with is small decisions. Some days, as one might put it, he can't decide which side of the street to walk on. As an example, he agonized for weeks over which one of two technicians we employ should have preference in going on a three-day course in London. It was a minor matter, something you or I would have decided in a few minutes and, in the end, because my superior couldn't reach a decision, I made it for him. All this, of course, is in total contrast to Dr. Peat-Smith's mainstream purpose-his scientific clarity and dedication.”
"You're making several things much clearer," Celia said.”Including why Martin hasn't sent reports.”
"There's something else I believe I should point out," Bentley volunteered.”it may even have a bearing on your visit.”
"Go ahead,” "Dr. Peat-Smith is a leader and, as with any leader, it would be a mistake for him to show weakness or exhibit doubts about the progress being made here. If he did, the morale of those working with him would collapse. And something else: Dr. Peat-Smith has been usod to working alone, at his own pace. Now, suddenly, he has huge responsibilities, with many people depending on him, as well as other pressures-subtle and not so subtle-including your own presence, Mrs, Jordan, here and now. All those things are an enormous strain on any individual.”
"Then there are doubts about the work being done," Celia said.”Serious doubts? I've been wondering.”
Bentley, who was facing Celia across his desk, put the tips of his fingers. together and regarded her across them.”In working here I have an obligation to Dr. Peat-Smith, but an even larger responsibility to you and Mr. Hawthorne. Therefore I must answer your question-yes.”
"I want to know about those doubts," Celia said. ”In detail.”
Bentley answered, "I lack the scientific qualifications.”
He hesitated, and then went on, "it would be irregular, perhaps, but I believe you should speak privately with Dr. Sastri and instruct him, as you have authority to do, to open up totally and frankly.”
Dr. Rao Sastri, as Celia knew, was the nucleic acid chemist-a Pakistani, formerly a Cambridge colleague-whom Martin had recruited as his scientific second-in-command. "This is too important to worry about what's regular or isn't, Mr. Bentley," she said.”Thank you. I'll do as you suggest.”
"Is there any other way in which I can help?" Celia considered.”Martin quoted John Locke at me today. Is he a Locke disciple?" "Yes, and so am L" Bentley gave a small, tight smile.”The two of us share a conviction that Locke was one of the finer philosophers and guides this world has ever known.”