Carson blinked. `How about my job here?’
`The engineering department will be told, likewise the accounting. Get going.’
Without replying Carson headed for the door. By the time he reached it he was hurrying.
Carson’s departure left them with nothing to do until he reported back – nothing to do, that is, but to start action on the manifold details of reproducing the physical and cultural details of three other planets and four major satellites, exclusive of their characteristic surface-normal gravitational accelerations. The assignment, although new, presented no real difficulties – to General Services. Somewhere there were persons who knew all the answers to these matters. The vast loose organization called General Services was geared to find them, hire them, put them to work. Any of the unlimited operators and a considerable percent of the catalogue operators could take such an assignment and handle it without excitement nor hurry.
Francis called in one unlimited operator. He did not even ~bother to select him, but took the first available on the ready panel – they were all `Can do!’ people. He explained in detail the assignment, then promptly forgot about it. It would be done, and on time. The punched-card machines would chatter a bit louder, stereo screens would flash, and bright young people in all parts of the Earth would drop what they were doing and dig out the specialists who would do the actual work.
He turned back to Clare, who said, `I wish I knew what Beaumont is up to. Conference of scientists – phooey!’
`I thought you weren’t interested in politics, Jay.’
`I’m not. I don’t give a hoot in hell about politics, interplanetary or otherwise, except as it affects this business. But if I knew what was being planned, we might be able to squeeze a bigger cut out of it.’
`Well,’ put in Grace, `I think you can take it for granted that the real heavy-weights from all the planets are about to meet and divide Gaul into three parts.’
`Yes, but who gets cut out?’
`Mars, I suppose.’
`Seems likely. With a bone tossed to the Venerians. In that case we might speculate a little in Pan-Jovian Trading Corp.’
`Easy, son, easy,’ Francis warned. `Do that, and you might get people interested. This is a hush-hush job.’
`I guess you’re right. Still, keep your eyes open. There ought to be some way to cut a slice of pie before this is over.’
Grace Cormet’s telephone buzzed. She took it out of her pocket and said, `Yes?’
`A Mrs Hogbein Johnson wants to speak to you.’
`You handle her. I’m off the board.’
`She won’t talk to anyone but you.’
`All right. Put her on the Chief’s stereo, but stay in parallel yourself. You’ll handle it after I’ve talked to her.’
The screen came to life, showing Mrs Johnson’s fleshy face alone, framed in the middle of the screen in flat picture. `Oh, Miss Cormet,’ she moaned, `some dreadful mistake has been made. There is no stereo on this ship.’
`It will be installed in Cincinnati. That will be in about twenty minutes.’
`You are sure?’
`Quite sure.’
`Oh, thank you! It’s such a relief to talk with you. Do you know, I’m thinking of making you my social secretary.’
`Thank you,’ Grace said evenly; `but I am under contract.’
`But how stupidly tiresome! You can break it.’
`No, I’m sorry Mrs Johnson. Good-bye.’ She switched off the screen and spoke again into her telephone. `Tell Accounting to double her fee. And I won’t speak with her again.’ She cut off and shoved the little instrument savagely back into her pocket. `Social secretary!’
It was after dinner and Clare had retired to his living apartment before Carson called back. Francis took the call in his own office.
`Any luck?’ he asked, when Carson’s image had built up.
`Quite a bit. I’ve seen O’Neil.’
`Well? Will he do it?’
`You mean can he do it, don’t you?’
`Well – can he?’
`Now that is a funny thing – I didn’t think it was theoretically possible. But after talking with him, I’m convinced that it is. O’Neil has a new outlook on field theory – stuff he’s never published. The man is a genius.’