sledge hammer and tried to smash the big telescope-how far would you get?”
“Not very far,” Farrington conceded. “We guard the big fellow pretty
closely.”
“Nor can the President act in an arbitrary manner,” Lentz persisted. “He’s
not an unlimited monarch. If he shuts down this plant without due process of law,
the federal courts will tie him in knots. I admit that Congress isn’t helpless,
since the Atomic Energy Commission takes orders from it, but-would you like to try
to give a congressional committee a course in the mechanics of infinitesimals?”
Harrington readily stipulated the point. “But there is another way,” he
pointed out. “Congress is responsive to public opinion. What we need to do is to
convince the public that the pile is a menace to everybody. That could be done
without ever trying to explain things in terms of higher mathematics.”
“Certainly it could,” Lentz agreed. “You could go on the air with it and
scare everybody half to death. You could create the damnedest panic this slightly
slug-nutty country has ever seen. No, thank you. I, for one, would rather have us
all take the chance of being quietly killed than bring on a mass psychosis that
would destroy the culture we are building up. I think one taste of the Crazy Years
is enough.”
“Well, then, what do you suggest?”
Lentz considered shortly, then answered, “All I see is a forlorn hope. We’ve
got to work on the Board of Directors and try to beat some sense in their heads.”
King, who had been following the discussion with attention in spite of his
tired despondency, interjected a remark. “How would you go about that?”
“I don’t know,” Lentz admitted. “It will take some thinking. But it seems
the most fruitful line of approach. If it doesn’t work, we can always fall back on
Harrington’s notion of publicity-I don’t insist that the world commit suicide to
satisfy my criteria of evaluation.”
Harrington glanced at his wrist watch-a bulky affair-and whistled. “Good
heavens,” he exclaimed, “I forgot the time! I’m supposed officially to be at the
Flag staff Observatory.”
King had automatically noted the time shown by the Captain’s watch as it was
displayed. “But it can’t be that late,” he had objected. Harrington looked puzzled,
then laughed.
“It isn’t-not by two hours. We are in zone plus-seven; this shows zone
plus-five-it’s radio-synchronized with the master clock at Washington.”
“Did you say radio-synchronized?”
“Yes. Clever, isn’t it?” He held it out for inspection. “I call it a
telechronometer; it’s the only one of its sort to date. My nephew designed it for
me. He’s a bright one, that boy. He’ll go far. That is”-his face clouded, as if the
little interlude had only served to emphasize the tragedy that hung over them-“if
any of us live that long!”
A signal light glowed at King’s desk, and Steinke’s face showed on the
communicator screen. King answered him, then said, “Your car is ready, Doctor
Lentz.”
“Let Captain Harrington have it.”
“Then you’re not going back to Chicago?”
“No. The situation has changed. If you want me, I’m stringing along.”
The following Friday Steinike ushered Lentz into King’s office. King looked
almost happy as he shook hands. “When did you ground, Doctor? I didn’t expect you
back for another hour, or so.”
“Just now. I hired a cab instead of waiting for.. the shuttle.”
“Any luck?” King demanded.
“None. The same answer they gave you: ‘The Company is assured by independent
experts that Destry’s mechanics is valid, and sees no reason to encourage an
hysterical attitude among its employees.”
Page 32
King tapped on his desk top, his eyes unfocused. Then, hitching himself
around to face Lentz directly, he said, “Do you suppose the Chairman is right?”
“How?”
“Could the three of us, you, me, and Harrington, have gone off the deep end,
slipped mentally?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Certain. I looked up some independent experts of my own, not retained by
the Company, and had them check Harrington’s work. It checks.” Lentz purposely
neglected to mention that he had done so partly because he was none too sure of
King’s present mental stability.
King sat up briskly, reached out and stabbed a push button. “I am going to