Astounding British Edition, Vol. 6, No. 8 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

F oa os A . i ee —————— = _—— gg me - —_ - ¥ a - a « — <P Sie ee “ Se ~ = ew 4 * - — -_ Ris = - = Ay a = 10 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION - PAR PNl ime Lari ee oa my present stature now. And I might add _ that my present stature is not too far below your own, Miss Doctor Ward.” . ; “IT have authority to stop you.” Barden looked down at her with a cryptic smile. “Yeah?” he drawled. “Go ahead and “And do you think I can’t?” “Nope,” he said. “How are you going to stop me?” she blazed. “I won't have to,” he said. “Public opinion will. Don’t forget, Miss Ward, that people are still running this system. People are and always have been entirely in favor of the*’man who came up from nowhere and did things on a big plan. Horatio Alger died a long time ago, Miss Ward, but he’s still a popular idea. When you stop me I shall Spheat to the people.” “In what way?” _ “You wouldn't be using your feminine jealousy to stall me while the Solar Lab a = interstellar drive, would you?” ou— 39 “Nah,” he warned her blithely. “Mustn’t swear!” “Oh damn!” “Now look, Miss Ward,” said Barden quietly, “we’ve had our snarling-session twice. Once when you laughed me out of the Terran Physical Society’s big meeting and now when [I tell you that I am big enough so that you'll not stop me by merely expressing a personal opinion. Since ['m now big enough to command a little respect in my own right, supposing you give me some of yours and I'll see if I can find any in me to show you. Take the pee as a partial apology if you must. ut I’m wanting to know by what basis you state that pursuing this job is danger- ous—or say more dangerous than working on high-tension lines or space travel as it now exists.” — “The theory you present has one danger factor. According to my own interpreta- tion of your theory, the fields you require in your spacecraft to achieve superspeed are powerful enough to cause a magneto- striction in nonmagnetic materials. This magnetostriction is an atomic magnetostric- tion which causes the alignment of the plan- etary planes of the electron orbits. The re- - sult is a minor chain fission reaction that becomes major after the first nineteen microseconds.” “My theory is that nothing of that nature ‘will take place,” said Barden. : “Remember,” she said, “despite your dislike of me personally, that I am trained in physics. Therefore my interpretation of physical phenomena and my predictions of such are more—” “IT agree,” interrupted Barden. “But again do not forget that this is a field. that is new to all scientists.” “Agreed again,” she said. with a slight smile. “But I’ve had several trained men working on your theory. They agree with me 3° “Don’t believe that anyone can formu- late an opinion on the material that you have available.” “Oh, but we can.” “Then you have experimented—” “No, we have not.” “Then exactly where did you get this extra information?” demanded Barden. Dr. Edith Ward looked at Tom Barden carefully. “From the same place where you got yours!” she said slowly and deliberately. Barden wondered, did she know? He grinned. “I dreamed mine,” he said. “Everything that Pve produced emanated from a dream.” Then Barden embellished it thoroughly, knowing that the flagrance of his embroidery would sound like a lie to anyone who was really unaware of the truth. “I was invaded in a dream by a gentleman who used a mechanical educator on me and taught me everything that I’ve produced, everything that I’ve invented, and every advanced theory that I’ve had. I have become a scientist of an alien cul- ture that I have full intention of making into a solar science.” “Then it is true,” she breathed. “What is true?” he demanded. “Tom Barden, listen. Not only do I accept your apology of a few moments ago, but I offer mine. I—was afraid. Just as you were afraid to let the truth be known. 1 blustered and took my attitude because I could not let it be known that I, head of the Solar Labs, could be influenced by what the learned men would term either dream or hallucination.” : “You've had one too?” he asked quietly. She nodded. Tom grunted. “Let’s compare notes,” he said. “Seems as how we got different stories out of our friends.” Edith nodded again and said: “It was a strange dream that came to me one night about a year and a half ago. I was the soul and master of a mighty castle, an impreg- nable fortress with but five roadways en- tering. Interpretation of that is simple, of course the five roadways were the five senses. A ...-messenger came, but- instead of using -any of the roadways, he came through the very walls, and warned me.” “Just what was his story?” asked Barden. “That Sol was a‘menace to a certain race. This race—never defined nor located save that it was a stellar race—was incapable of conquering Sol excepting by stealth. How- ever it could be done by giving one smart man a partial truth, and that it was more> than probable that this would be done. The partial truth was the technique of a new science that would if-not used pro- Eomichooksnco