Leoh fumed”And if there’s an earthquake, both duelists and much of the city may be destroyed. Young man, there is no way to make the world absolutely safe.”
“Maybe not.” But his round, puffed face showed he didn’t believe it absolutely.
They talked for a quarter-hour more. Leoh showed him the equipment involved in the three new safety circuits and tried to explain how they workedThe newsman looked professionally skeptical and unimpressed. Leoh’s exasperation mounted-
“Frankly, Professor, all you’ve told me is a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo. There’s no guarantee that the machine won’t kill people again.”
Reddening, Leoh snapped back, “The machine didn’t kill anyone! A man murdered his opponents, deliberately.” -^ “In the machine.”
“Yes, but it can’t happen again!”
Shrugging, the newsman said, “All I’ve got to go on is it. your word.”
“My reputation as a scientist means something, I should think.”
Hector interrupted. “If the Acquatainian government is satisfied that the dueling machine’s safe. .. .”
The newsman laughed. “Both-the government and the Professor claimed the machine was absolutely safe when it was first installed here. Two men died in this gadget, and who knows how many others have been lolled in Szamo and other places?”
“But that….”
Turning back to Leoh, he asked, “How many people have been killed in dueling machines in the Commonwealth?”
“None!”
“You sure? I can check, you know.”
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“Look, it boils down to this: you told us the machine was safe, and two very important men were killed. Now you’re saying it’s safe again….” He let the implication dangle.