shut down, too. I was standing there waiting for a guard to come by. I thought they might have access to a master key. Have you seen any guards?"
He shook his head.
"No, I just arrived a few moments ago. But I know the guards don't have access to masters.- Your office is on the far side of the building, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I forget how high off the ground that would put it, but what about getting in through a window?"
"Too high, without a ladder-and they're both locked, anyhow."
"Let's go inside."
Poindexter ran the back of his hand across his ruddy forehead and nodded.
Entering and moving to the rear of the building, he removed a ring of keys from his pocket and fitted one into the lock of the door Poindexter indicated. It turned, there was a click, and he pushed the door open.
"Lucky," he said.
"Where'd you get a master?"
"It's not a master, it's the key to my office. That's why you're lucky."
Poindexter's face opened into a yellowish smile.
"Thanks," he said. "Thanks a lot. Are you in a hurry?"
"No, I'm early for what I was about."
"Then let me get us something from the machine. I still want to take a break."
"All right."
He moved into the office, placed his briefcase behind the door, while the other's footsteps receded and were gone.
He stared out the window at the gathering storm. Somewhere a bell began to ring.
After a time, Poindexter returned and he accepted the steaming cup he proffered.
"How's your mother?"
"She's doing well. Should be out quite soon."
"Tell her I said hello."
"I will. Thanks. Nice of you to visit her."
They sipped at their cups, then, "It is lucky you came along," Poindexter said. "Maybe ours are the only two offices on campus with the same lock. Hell, I would have settled for the ghost if he'd gotten me in."
"Ghost?"
"You know. The latest stunt."
"I'm afraid I haven't heard of it."
"...A white thing, allegedly seen flitting around in trees and on the tops of buildings."
"When did this start?"
"Just recently, of course. Last semester it was mutagenic rocks in the Geology Building. The one before that, I think, it was aphrodisiacs in the water coolers. Same as always. A semester closes like the end of the world, I guess, full of portents and rumors. What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Have a cigarette."
"Thanks."
He heard a tiny bleat of thunder, and the ever-present odor from the laboratories aroused unpleasant memories. That's why I never liked this building, he realized. It's the smells.
"Will you be with us this coming semester?" Poindexter asked.
"I think not."
"Oh, you got your leave approved. Congratulations!"
"Not exactly."
A look of concern flashed at him through thick glasses.
"You're not quitting, are you?"
"It depends-on several things."
"If I may be selfish about it, I hope you decide to stay."
"Thanks."
"You'll keep in touch, though, if you do go?"
"Of course."
A weapon, he decided. I need something better than what I've got. But I can't ask him. It's good that I stopped in here, though.
He drew on his cigarette, glanced out the window. The sky had continued to darken; there appeared to be some moisture on the pane.
He gulped and dropped his cup into the wastebasket. Mashing out his cigarette, he stood.
"I'd better run if I'm going to make it to Walker before it starts to come down."
Poindexter stood and shook his hand.
"Well, if I don't see you again for a while, good luck," he said.
"Thanks-The keys."
"What?"
"The keys. Why don't you take them off the desk and put them in your pocket now, just in case?"
Poindexter blushed and did it. Then he chuckled.
"Yes. I wouldn't want to do that again, would I?"
"I hope not."
He retrieved his briefcase while Poindexter lit the candles above his desk. There came a flash in the sky, followed by a low rumble.
"So long."
"Good-bye."
He departed and hurried to the Walker Buiding, pausing only to break into a laboratory and steal a bottle of sulfuric acid, taping the stopper in place.
8
HE TORE OUT
He shook his head.
"No, I just arrived a few moments ago. But I know the guards don't have access to masters.- Your office is on the far side of the building, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I forget how high off the ground that would put it, but what about getting in through a window?"
"Too high, without a ladder-and they're both locked, anyhow."
"Let's go inside."
Poindexter ran the back of his hand across his ruddy forehead and nodded.
Entering and moving to the rear of the building, he removed a ring of keys from his pocket and fitted one into the lock of the door Poindexter indicated. It turned, there was a click, and he pushed the door open.
"Lucky," he said.
"Where'd you get a master?"
"It's not a master, it's the key to my office. That's why you're lucky."
Poindexter's face opened into a yellowish smile.
"Thanks," he said. "Thanks a lot. Are you in a hurry?"
"No, I'm early for what I was about."
"Then let me get us something from the machine. I still want to take a break."
"All right."
He moved into the office, placed his briefcase behind the door, while the other's footsteps receded and were gone.
He stared out the window at the gathering storm. Somewhere a bell began to ring.
After a time, Poindexter returned and he accepted the steaming cup he proffered.
"How's your mother?"
"She's doing well. Should be out quite soon."
"Tell her I said hello."
"I will. Thanks. Nice of you to visit her."
They sipped at their cups, then, "It is lucky you came along," Poindexter said. "Maybe ours are the only two offices on campus with the same lock. Hell, I would have settled for the ghost if he'd gotten me in."
"Ghost?"
"You know. The latest stunt."
"I'm afraid I haven't heard of it."
"...A white thing, allegedly seen flitting around in trees and on the tops of buildings."
"When did this start?"
"Just recently, of course. Last semester it was mutagenic rocks in the Geology Building. The one before that, I think, it was aphrodisiacs in the water coolers. Same as always. A semester closes like the end of the world, I guess, full of portents and rumors. What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Have a cigarette."
"Thanks."
He heard a tiny bleat of thunder, and the ever-present odor from the laboratories aroused unpleasant memories. That's why I never liked this building, he realized. It's the smells.
"Will you be with us this coming semester?" Poindexter asked.
"I think not."
"Oh, you got your leave approved. Congratulations!"
"Not exactly."
A look of concern flashed at him through thick glasses.
"You're not quitting, are you?"
"It depends-on several things."
"If I may be selfish about it, I hope you decide to stay."
"Thanks."
"You'll keep in touch, though, if you do go?"
"Of course."
A weapon, he decided. I need something better than what I've got. But I can't ask him. It's good that I stopped in here, though.
He drew on his cigarette, glanced out the window. The sky had continued to darken; there appeared to be some moisture on the pane.
He gulped and dropped his cup into the wastebasket. Mashing out his cigarette, he stood.
"I'd better run if I'm going to make it to Walker before it starts to come down."
Poindexter stood and shook his hand.
"Well, if I don't see you again for a while, good luck," he said.
"Thanks-The keys."
"What?"
"The keys. Why don't you take them off the desk and put them in your pocket now, just in case?"
Poindexter blushed and did it. Then he chuckled.
"Yes. I wouldn't want to do that again, would I?"
"I hope not."
He retrieved his briefcase while Poindexter lit the candles above his desk. There came a flash in the sky, followed by a low rumble.
"So long."
"Good-bye."
He departed and hurried to the Walker Buiding, pausing only to break into a laboratory and steal a bottle of sulfuric acid, taping the stopper in place.
8
HE TORE OUT
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