Argosy, September 1955 — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ELIXIR OF LOVE 73 don’t like new pools and they don’t like a change of scene. They wouldn’t start courting again until next year, most likely.” ‘““Umph,” said Macnamara. “ Well, anyway, here’s your pool. Judging by the way these fish are behaving, the active agent must be present now if there is one.” So that was how it started. After that I couldn’t call my water-lily pool my own. Macnamara or his young men were always demanding samples of the water, and I was called upon to telephone daily reports as to whether the fish were chasing, or had ceased to chase, or were starting to chase. ‘““Damned dirty water you keep in your pool,” grumbled Macnamara to me, some time that summer. “‘ We’re having a lot of trouble identifying all the impurities.” ‘““In the happy days when I could call my soul my own,” I said, “‘ I used to grow water-lilies for my own amusement, and not to further the cause of biochemistry. Water-lilies lke dirty water—they insist on it, in fact. So do goldfish.” Later on, at lunch at the Faculty Club, Macnamara con- descended to inform me regarding progress. ‘““ We’re on the track of something,” he said. “‘ We’ve spotted a rather queer substance present in great dilution. It’s an amino-acid, apparently. But there’s something strange about its composition. You say the fish are starting to chase again?” ** Yes,” I said. “Good. [ll send down and get another twenty gallons or so,” said Macnamara. ““ Have it your own way,” I said. It would not have mattered whatever I said, not with Macnamara. 'To the rabid biochemist the rights of property simply do not exist. “That amino-acid looks queerer and queerer the more we come to know about it,” said Macnamara on another occasion. “It’s not one we’ve any previous acquaintance with. ‘There’s a nitro-group in it at a point in its composition where no nitro- group has any business to be.”’ “You prostrate me with sympathy,” I said. ‘““ Not everyone contrives to be funny when they are facetious,” said Macnamara. ‘“ But the point is that at least we are on the track of a new compound. Whether it’s what we are after or not, only experiment can prove. It’s volatile and unstable, and there’s never more than a trace present. I’m pinning my hope on being able to synthesize it—we have plenty of clues as to its composition. Then it will only remain to try it on the goldfish.” ‘““ Without regard to the goldfish’s feelings, I suppose? ”’ I said. Later on that summer Macnamara came to dinner. Really I ie Comicoooks.com