that had been the front door ... ) he pulled on the gloves and gingerly took the flask , and the tongs , and the bucket.. and , as an afterthought , he grabbed the plant mister from beside a luxuriant rubber plant.. and headed for his office , walking like a man carrying a thermos flask full of something that might cause , if he dropped it or even thought about dropping it , the sort of explosion that impels graybeards to make statements like `` and where this crater is now , once stood the city of wah.. shing..