Knudsen aimed his big-eyed gaze around the lab. “If it were like this all the time, I’d stay.”
Like this? Ah, Mortensen was absent. “He can be trying.”
“Trying?” Knudsen flung out one arm. “He berates my work at every turn. I was top in my class—top!—and he treats me like an imbecile. I’ll never earn my PhD in his lab, so I might as well—I’d rather teach pimple-faced boys at a Latin school than this.”
On top of the lab bench, Else’s fingers curled up. “Please don’t leave. You’re the best graduate student I’ve seen.”
“You aren’t in charge. He is.”
First, Sigurd Mortensen had driven away Norup, and now he was driving away Knudsen. No more. Else leaned closer. “Please don’t leave. Let me—let me talk to some people.”
Knudsen swatted away her offer. “Mortensen doesn’t listen toyou. He’s determined to ruin your career too. He can’t stand having anyone in his lab as talented as he is.”
Else sucked in a breath. She’d entertained that thought and dismissed it as arrogance. But Knudsen saw it too. Mortensen had no problem with Gebhardt, who was bright and competent, but not outstanding like Knudsen. And Else offended him further by being a woman.
“Please give it another few days,” Else said.
Knudsen’s lips pressed together. Then he gave a rough nod. “Only for you.”
Else marched out of the lab. She’d arrived at the sharp edge of the prism. Speaking up for herself was difficult, but speaking up for others was another matter, and courage flared in brilliant color.
Wolff was at a symposium today, so Else went straight to the director’s office. She greeted Miss Schultz. “Is Dr. Bohr in?”
“Someone is meeting with him, but he shouldn’t be long.”
“I’ll wait.”
“Excuse me. I need to run these to Miss Bruun.” With folders in her arms, Miss Schultz left the office.
Else took a seat next to the door to Bohr’s personal office. Bohr’s voice filtered through. Else couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he sounded concerned.
Then a voice she knew all too well—Mortensen, loud and strident. “I shouldn’t have to put up with her incompetence. She holds back the work in my lab.”
She? Else’s breath soured in her mouth. Else was the only woman in Mortensen’s lab.
Bohr spoke in soothing tones.
“Yes,” Mortensen said. “But she hasn’t contributed one thing of value to my work. Not one.”
Else’s nails dug into her palms. Not one? How about solving the problem that had plagued Mortensen, the solution that formed the centerpiece of an excellent article?
“She’s insubordinate and lazy,” Mortensen said. “She orders my graduate students to do her work. She’s dead weight and she has to go.”
Light shattered inside. He’d kicked her one too many times, kicked too many people, and she stood and flung open the door. “This must stop.” She heard Hemming’s strength in his words on her lips.
Niels Bohr stared at her from the chair behind his desk.
Mortensen spun to her. His eyebrows hopped up, then his gaze hardened. “Eavesdropping and interrupting? How unprofessional.”
Part of her wanted to shrink back and flee. Part of her wanted to explode. Instead, she stepped forward to address the Nobel Laureate. “Excuse me, Dr. Bohr. I came to your office to address a situation with a graduate student who has been mistreated in our lab, one of several physicists who have endured insults and mockery.”
“Ridiculous,” Mortensen said. “See what I mean? She’s lazy and can’t handle criticism.”
Bohr’s dark-eyed gaze flitted between Else and Mortensen.
Else drew in air to cool her heated lungs. “As you can see, I’ve also been insulted and mocked.”
“I’m only telling the truth.” Mortensen’s voice twisted in disdain.
