Dana Lje said, “Aren’t you interested in the rest of the prediction?”
“You bet I am. Does it tell you the name of this communications device?”
“Yes,” Dana said.
“What is it?”
“The Dirac communicator.”
Weinbaum groaned and turned on the intercom again.
“Margaret, send in Dr. Wald. Tell him to drop everything and gallop. Any luck with the other thing?”
“Yes, sir,” the intercom said. “It’s a one-man outfit, wholly owned by a J. Shelby Stevens, in Rico City. It was first registered this year.”
“Arrest him, on suspicion of espionage.”
The door swung open and Dr. Wald came in, all six and a half feet of him. He was extremely blond, and looked awkward, gentle, and not very intelligent.
“Thor, this young lady is our press nemesis, Dana Lje.
Dana, Dr. Wald is the inventor of the Dirac communicator, about which you have so damnably much information.”
“It’s out already?” Dr. Wald said, scanning the girl with grave deliberation.
“It is, and lots morelots more. Dana, you’re a good girl at heart, and for some reason I trust you, stupid though it is to trust anybody in this job. I should detain you until Year Day, videocasts or no videocasts. Instead, I’m just going to ask you to sit on what you’ve got, and I’m going to explain why.”
“Shoot.”
“I’ve already mentioned how slow communication is between star and star. We have to carry all our letters on ships, just as we did locally before the invention of the telegraph. The overdrive lets us beat the speed of light, but not by much of a margin over really long distances. Do you understand that?”