“I’m looking for any information that will help my friend,” he said.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” Scupman responded, “but most of our work with this bug is classified. That’s the way it is with a government lab. But I can assure you that if we had a treatment breakthrough of any kind, it would already be inside your friend.”

“That’s why I wanted you to see this document,” Lou said.

“Who wrote it?”

“I promised to pass on your reaction to what’s written there before disclosing who wrote it.”

“The truth is,” Scupman said, “it really doesn’t matter who wrote it. From what little material you brought me, I can say with some certainty that it’s not going to work. What do you think, Dr. Banks?”

Lou had watched as Banks went through the pages a second time. At least one of the scientists had shown Humphrey’s work that much regard.

“Dr. Welcome,” she said, “the truth is, Dr. Scupman and I have done some phage work, without much in the way of encouraging results. We haven’t done anything with the combination of phages that is discussed on pages three and four, but the information presented here is scant.”

“Scant?” Scupman broke in. “It’s thin as a wafer. And what’s this with these footnotes? They don’t refer to anything. There’s no bibliography and nothing at the bottom of the pages. Whoever wrote this obviously has more information than he chose to include here. Why is that?”

“I can’t say why,” Lou answered, “but I can tell you that there is more. A lot more.”

“Well, bring it in if your mystery scientist wants, but at the moment there’s not enough here for me to promise I’ll get to it in the next couple of months. Dr. Banks, anything to add?”

“It’s clear how much your friend means to you. The truth is, I agree with Dr. Scupman that the theories presented here are interesting, but nothing that new. However, if it’s really that important to you, I will try and go through the total material over the next week.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist that you don’t,” Scupman said, his expression pinched, and his irritation apparent.

Banks’s cheeks reddened.

“But I would be doing it on my own time.”

“Dr. Banks, as long as I am your superior at this lab, your time is my time. We are locked in a death struggle here against one of the most cunning, baffling, powerful bacteria man has ever encountered. Think Attila and Genghis Khan and Hitler all rolled into one. If you have free time on your hands, I strongly suggest it be used to further your work on the antibiotic you and your staff are developing.”

Lou felt a rush of heat across the back of his neck.