Sheathed in his hood, lead apron, respirator, and pieces of lead sheet torn from the walls of government offices in Chernobyl, the radiologist sprinted across the roof, glanced around quickly, and then tossed five shovelfuls of graphite over the precipice into the ruin of Unit Four. In one minute and thirteen seconds, he absorbed a dose of 15 rem and won the Order of the Red Star. His outfit had reduced his exposure by slightly more than a third, but the gamma field was so powerful that the lead made little practical difference. To the soldiers who followed him, speed remained the best
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