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may one day lead to the successful prevention and treatment of the diseases that still afflict mankind." |
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Julius Wick stared at a spot on the carpet as the president continued the litany of praise. Beside him, his wife glowed with pride. The appointment was everything she had worked for. |
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". . . But true science is more than long hours spent in a laboratory or under a desk lamp. The ultimate purpose of science is to serve human life. It can be said that Julius Wick is a man of science who has proved himself to be a genuine benefactor of us all." |
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Julius made a side-glance at his wife. His smile was tight and humble. She made a quick little nod. Out the window she could just make out the tip of the Washington Monument that blazed approval in the sunlight. They were part of all that nowthe Mall, the halls of Congress, the Oval Office just down the hall, the Singer portrait of George Washington hanging on the wall behind them. And as the president spoke, the loose ends were being tidied up. . . |
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"On a personal note," continued President Reese, "I can say that Julius is a man of the highest personal and professional standards. He and I go back more years than I'd like to admit to . . . Not only were we classmates at Princeton but, as fortune would have it, we worked together for the Department of Defense in the early seventies. Though he was just a few years out of graduate school, he had already established a reputation for brilliant research and as a man dedicated to the highest standards of professionalism . . ." |
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When the president concluded his introduction, he stepped aside so that the new director could give a few words of thanks. Julius Wick moved to the microphone. |
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At sixty-six, Wick was still an impressive-looking man. Though he was not a big man, slightly less than six feet and of medium build, he projected authority and intelligence. His face was long and angular, setting off deeply-set brown eyes. His look was steady and keen, but what gave him a rather jarring appearance were his eyebrows. They were thick black brushes that stood in contrast to his hair, which resembled silver wool and which grew halfway back on his skull and thick about the ears. With a high-bridged, aquiline nose, it was an impressive face, one not easily forgotten. |
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"Thank you, Mr. President," he began. "There's an old saying that behind every man stands a good woman. It's a bit dated today, but |
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