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essed； as if by accident； a superbly logical brain。 He was capable of grasping the essentials of a problem and manipulating them to get the necessary result； though he could not balance his own checkbook； mathematicians often came to him for help in resolving highly abstract problems。
Stone was going to miss that kind of brain。 Certainly the fifth man would be no help。 Stone frowned as he thought about Mark Hall。 Hall had been a promise candidate for the team； Stone would have preferred a physician with experience in metabolic disease； and the choice of a surgeon instead had been made with the greatest reluctance。 There had been great pressure from Defense and the AEC to accept Hall； since those groups believed in the Odd Man Hypothesis； in the end； Stone and the others had given in。
Stone did not know Hall well； he wondered what he would say when he was informed of the alert。 Stone could not have known of the great delay in notifying members of the team。 He did not know； for instance； that Burton； the pathologist； was not called until five a。m。； or that Peter Leavitt； the microbiologist； was not called until six thirty； the time he arrived at the hospital。
And Hall was not called until five minutes past seven。
***
It was； Mark Hall said later； 〃a horrifying experience。 In an instant； I was taken from the most familiar of worlds and plunged into the most unfamiliar。 〃 At six forty…five； Hall was in the washroom adjacent to OR 7； scrubbing for his first case of the day。 He was in the midst of a routine he had carried out daily for several years； he was relaxed and joking with the resident； scrubbing with him。
When he finished； he went into the operating room； holding his arms before him； and the instrument nurse handed him a towel； to wipe his hands dry。 Also in the room was another resident； who was prepping the body for surgery applying iodine and alcohol solutions and a circulating nurse。 They all exchanged greetings。
At the hospital； Hall was known as a swift； quick…tempered； and unpredictable surgeon。 He operated with speed； working nearly twice as fast as other surgeons。 When things went smoothly； he laughed and joked as he worked； kidding his assistants； the nurses； the anesthetist。 But if things did not go well； if they became slow and difficult； Hall could turn blackly irritable。
Like most surgeons； he was insistent upon routine。 Everything had to be done in a certain order； in a certain way。 If not； he became upset。
Because the others in the operating room knew this； they looked up toward the overhead viewing gallery with apprehension when Leavitt appeared。 Leavitt clicked on the inter that connected the upstairs room to the operating room below and said； 〃Hello； Mark。〃
Hall had been draping the patient； placing green sterile cloths over every part of the body except for the abdomen。 He looked up with surprise。 〃Hello； Peter；〃 he said。
〃Sorry to disturb you；〃 Leavitt said。 〃But this is an emergency。〃
〃Have to wait；〃 Hall said。 〃I'm starting a procedure。〃
He finished draping and called for the skin knife。 He palpated the abdomen； feeling for the landmarks to begin his incision。
〃It can't wait；〃 Leavitt said。
Hall paused。 He set down the scalpel and looked up。 There was a long silence。
〃What the hell do you mean； it can't wait？〃
Leavitt remained calm。 〃You'll have to break scrub。 This is an emergency。〃
〃Look； Peter； I've got a patient here。 Anesthetized。 Ready to go。 I can't just walk〃
〃Kelly will take over for you。〃
Kelly was one of the staff surgeons。
〃Kelly？〃
〃He's scrubbing now；〃 Leavitt said。 〃It's all arranged。 I'll expect to meet you in the surgeon's change room。 In about thirty seconds。〃
And then he was gone。
Hall glared at everyone in the room。 No one moved； or spoke。 After a moment； he stripped off his gloves and stomped out of the room； swearing once； very loudly。
***
Hall viewed his own association with Wildfire as tenuous at best。 In 1966 he had been approached by Leavitt； the chief of bacteriology of the hospital； who had explained in a sketchy way the purpose of the project。 Hall found it all rather amusing and had agreed to join the team； if his services ever became necessary； privately； he was confident that nothing would ever e of Wildfire。
Leavitt had offered to give Hall the files on Wildfire and to keep him up to date on the project。 At first； Hall politely took the files； but it soon became clear that he was not bothering to read them； and so Leavitt stopped giving them to him。 If anything； this pleased Hall； who preferred not to have his desk cluttered。
A year before； Leavitt had asked him whether he wasn't curious about something that he had agreed to join and that might at some future time prove dangerous。
Hall had said； 〃No。〃
Now； in the doctors' room； Hall regretted those words。 The doctors' room was a small place； lined on all four walls with lockers； there were no windows。 A large coffeemaker sat in the center of the room； with a stack of paper cups alongside。 Leavitt was pouring himself a cup； his solemn； basset…hound face looking mournful。
〃This is going to be awful coffee；〃 he said。 〃You can't get a decent cup anywhere in a hospital。 Hurry and change。
Hall said； 〃Do you mind telling me first why〃
〃I mind； I mind；〃 Leavitt said。 〃Change： there's a car waiting outside and we're already late。 Perhaps too late。〃
He had a gruffly melodramatic way of speaking that had always annoyed Hall。
There was a loud slurp as Leavitt sipped the coffee。 〃Just as I suspected； 〃 he said。 〃How can you tolerate it？ Hurry； please。〃
Hall unlocked his locker and kicked it open。 He leaned against the door and stripped away the black plastic shoe covers that were worn in the operating room to prevent buildup of static charges。 〃Next； I suppose you're going to tell me this has to do with that damned project。〃
〃Exactly；〃 Leavitt said。 〃Now try to hurry。 The car is waiting to take us to the airport； and the morning traffic is bad。〃
Hall changed quickly； not thinking； his mind momentarily stunned。 Somehow he had never thought it possible。 He dressed and walked out with Leavitt toward the hospital entrance。 Outside； in the sunshine； he could see the olive U。S。 Army sedan pulled up to the curb； its light flashing。 And he had a sudden； horrible realization that Leavitt was not kidding； that nobody was kidding； and that some kind of awful nightmare was ing true。
***
For his own part； Peter Leavitt was irritated with Hall。 In general； Leavitt had little patience with practicing physicians。 Though he had an M。D。 degree； Leavitt had never practiced； preferring to devote his time research。 His field was clinical microbiology and epidemiology； and his specialty was parasitology。 He had done parasitic research all over the world； his work had led to the discovery of the Brazilian tapeworm； Taenia renzi； which he had characterized in a paper in 1953。
As he grew older； however； Leavitt had stopped tr