But John could see the importance of Drafting Dan. When I showed him how I could write my signature, recognizably my own, just by punching keys-I admit I had practiced-his eyebrows stayed up. “Chum, you’re going to throw draftsmen out of work by the thousand.”
“No, I won’t. The shortage of engineering talent in this country gets worse every year; this gadget will just help to fill the gap. In a generation you are going to see this tool in every engineering and architectural office in the nation. They’ll be as lost without it as a modern mechanic would be without power tools.”
“You talk as if you knew.”
“I do know.”
He looked over at Protean Pete-I had set him to tidying my workbench-and back at Drafting Dan. “Danny … sometimes I think maybe you were telling me the truth, you know, the thy we met you.”
I shrugged. “Call it second sight . . . but I do know. I’m certain. Does it matter?”
“I guess not. What are your plans for these things?”
I frowned. “That’s the hitch, John. I’m a good engineer and a fair jackleg mechanic when I have to be. But I’m no businessman; I’ve proved that. You’ve never fooled with patent law?”
“I told you that before. It’s a job for a specialist.”
“Do you know an honest one? Who’s smart as a whip besides? It’s reached the point where I’ve got to have one. I’ve got to set up a corporation, too, to handle it. And work out the financing. But I haven’t got much time; I’m terribly pressed for time.”
“Why?”
“I’m going back where I came from.”
He sat and said nothing for quite a while. At last he said, “How much time?”
“Uh, about nine weeks. Nine weeks from this coming Thursday to be exact.”
He looked at the two machines, looked back at me. “Better revise your schedule. I’d say that you had more like nine months’ work cut out for you. You won’t be in production even then-just lined up to start moving, with luck.”
“John, I can’t.”
“I’ll say you can’t.”
“I mean I can’t change my schedule. That’s beyond my control now.” I put my face in my hands. I was dead with fatigue, having had less than five hours’ sleep and having averaged not much better for days. The shape I was in, I was willing to believe that there was something, after all, to this “fate” business-a man could struggle against it but never beat it.
I looked up. “Will you handle it?”
“Eh? What part of it?”
“Everything. I’ve done all I know how to do.”
“That’s a big order, Dan. I could rob you blind. You know that, don’t you? And this may be a gold mine.”
“It will be. I know.”
“Then why trust me? You had better just keep me as your attorney, advice for a fee.”
I tried to think while my head ached. I had taken a partner once before-but, damnation, no matter how many times you get your fingers burned, you have to trust people. Otherwise you are a hermit in a cave, sleeping with one eye open. There wasn’t any way to be safe; just being alive was deadly dangerous . . . fatal. In the end.
“Cripes, John, you know the answer to that. You trusted me. Now I need your help again. Will you help me?”
“Of course he will,” Jenny put in gently, “though I haven’t heard what you two were talking about. Danny? Can it wash dishes? Every dish you have is dirty.”
“What, Jenny? Why, I suppose he can. Yes, of course he can.”
“Then tell him to, please. I want to see it.”
“Oh. I’ve never programmed him for it. I will if you want me to. But it will take several hours to do it right. Of course after that he’ll always be able to do it. But the first time. . . well, you see, dishwashing involves a lot of alternate choices. It’ s a `judgment’ job, not a comparatively simple routine like laying bricks or driving a truck.”
“Goodness! I’m certainly glad to find that at least one man understands housework. Did you hear what he said, dear? But don’t stop to teach him now, Danny. I’ll do them myself.” She looked around. “Danny, you’ve been living like a pig, to put it gently.”