"Let me in!  Quickly!  I have it!"
    The stranger seemed quite agitated.  The guard narrowed his eyes.  It was his job to cut through all the nonsense and ensure that regulations were followed.  "Do you have a badge?" he asked.
    "A ... a what?" asked the stranger, somewhat dismayed.
    "An ID badge," repeated the guard patiently.  "No one gets by me without a badge. I haven't seen you around here before.  Are you an HPA employee?"
    "Well, no," said the stranger.  "I'm not an employee of the Human Protection Agency, but I did create human beings."
    "Not an employee," repeated the guard, focusing once again on the essential point. "Are you a vendor?"
    "No, but..."
    "A contractor?"
    "No, but..."
    "Do you, in fact, have any business here at all?"
    "Yes, yes.  I have fire!"
    "You have what?  Never mind.  I can give you a temporary badge.  Come on in and close that door behind you.  It's cold out there.  What's your name?"
    "Prometheus."
    "And whom are you here to see?"
    "The Executive Director."
    "You can't just walk in and see the ED," said the guard patiently.  Really!  These people were like 9-year-olds.
    "But I have fire!  I have stolen fire from the gods!"
    "Here," said the guard.  "Call this number.  If you're lucky, you'll be able to get an appointment in a couple of weeks."
    "But this is urgent!  Zeus is furious!  He has an eagle ready to rip my liver out.  I don't know if I have two weeks!"

Two weeks later ...

    "Mr. Promesus?"
    "Prometheus.”
    "Whatever.  I'm Mr. Phlebotomus, your Customer Satisfaction Representative."
    "I need to speak to the Executive Director.  I have something of the utmost importance to the future of humankind."
    "The Executive Director is a very busy man.  But rest assured that anything of importance that you say to me will be passed up the chain of command."
    "Oh, very well.  I have stolen fire from the gods.  Fire is great stuff.  It will solve many of the problems of humankind.  You will be able to heat your homes and office buildings, such as this monstrosity.  You will be able to cook your food.  But we have to hurry.  Do you see this fennel reed?  I have hidden the fire in there, but the reed won't hold for long.  We need to put the fire somewhere else, and we need to spread it around so that Zeus won't be able to just take it back.  The immediate problem is to find just one suitable vessel so that the fire doesn't burn out."
    Mr. Phlebotomus shook his head sadly.
    "Mr. Promephesis," he said.  "It is my duty to inform you that the resources of this agency are paid for with taxpayer money, and none of them may be used for anything except government business.  You will have to find your own vessel for your ... fire thingy."
    "But fire is critical to the survival of your species. What could be more relevant to the Human Protection Agency?"
    "Sorry.  Not government business."
    "But I'm trying to give this to you."
    "We would have to do a study first to see if we need it. It looks like it could be dangerous."
    Mr. Phlebotomus drew his coat more tightly about him.
     "Look," he continued placatingly.  "It isn't that we're not interested.  It's just that we don't have the time right now.  All available resources have to be applied to the Integrated Warm-Up System, known as IWUS, for fighting the freezing weather."
    "What's that?"
    "Security regulations prevent my disclosing any specifics to you," said Mr. Phlebotomus confidentially, "but we're now accepting bids from industry.  The company that can provide the most and warmest animal skins at the lowest cost will be the lucky winner."
    "But don't you see that fire is exactly what you need?  It provides more warmth more efficiently!”
    “What kind of skin is it?” asked Mr. Phlebotomus.
    "It isn't any kind of skin," explained Prometheus.  "It's an entirely different concept in heating ..."
    "No, no, no," chided Mr. Phlebotomus. "It has to be skins."
    "Why?"
    "Because that's the way the Request for Quotation is worded!  Your company is free to put in a bid, of course."
    "I don't have a company," Prometheus protested.  "Fire is my gift to humankind, freely given!  It won't cost the taxpayers a cent!"
    "But whom will it profit?"
    "It will profit the people," said Prometheus. "Everyone!"
    "But what company, specifically, in dollars and cents?" insisted Mr. Phlebotomus.
    "Why, none, I suppose."
    "In that case, Mr. Promiscuous, our interview is over. I think that aquiline character perched outside is waiting for you."