Astounding British Edition, Vol. 6, No. 8 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

> THE CATSPAW perly, cause complete destruction of the sysiem. in the final usage, there would be a fission-reaction of whatever planet it was used near. The reaction would create a planetary nova and the almost-instantane- ous explosion of the planet would wipe out all life in the system and the counter bom- bardment of the sun by the exploding planet would cause the sun itself to go nova, thus completing the process.” “I presume your informant was quite concerned over the possible destruction of a friendly race?” “That is why he “Certainly,” she said. contacted me.” “If I were a member of the conquer-all faction of my story, Miss Ward, I would be trying to-contact someone here to warn them of a terrible danger if the science were exploited. That would delay our work ong enough for them to arrive, wouldn’t 1 39 “There is nothing so dangerous as a half- truth,” said Edith Ward flatly. “Nor as dangerous as a little know- ledge,” agreed Barden. “However, Miss Ward, my story is just as valid as yours, And since neither story may be checked for veracity, how do you propose to proceed?” “{ think you’d better stop!” Barden sat down on the edge of the desk and looked down‘at her. She was sit- ting relaxed in the chair alongside, though it was only her body that was relaxed. Her face was tense and her eyes were half- narrowed as in deep concentration. Barden looked at her for a moment and then smacked a fist into the palm of his hand. “Look,” he said, “that’s apparently what your informant wants. Now as to veracity, for every statement you make about the impossibility of interpreting theoretical logic into a complete prediction of physical phenomena without experimental evidence, I can state in your own. words that you can’t tell! anybody what the outcome will be. You want me to stop. If my story is true, then Terra will have interstellar travel and will meet this incoming race on its own terms. Either proposition is O.K.” Edith Ward muttered something and Barden asked what she said. “T said that I wondered how many men were too successful in mixing nitroglycerine before they had one smart enough to mail the formula to a friend—before he went up. I also wonder how many men tried Ben Franklin’s experiment with the kite and— really got electricity out of the clouds and right through his body and was found slightly electrocuted after the storm had blown over. Number three—novas often occur in places where there seems to be “no reason. Could they be caused by races who have just discovered some new source of power? And double-novas? A second Lh race analyzing the burst. and trying their own idea out a iew- years later?” “My dear young woman,” said Barden, “your attitude belies your position. You seem to be telling me not to advance in science. Yet you yourself are head of the Solar Space Laboratory, an institution of considerable renown that is dedicated to the idea of advancement in science. Do you think that your outfit has a corner on brains—that no one should experiment in any line that you do not approve?” “You are accusing me of egomania,”’ she retorted. “That’s what it sounds like.” “All right,” she snapped. “You’ve given your views. I'll give mine. You’ve shown reasons why both your informant and mine would tell their stories in support of your - own view. Now admit that I can do the same thing!” “O.K.,” laughed Barden uproariously. “I admit jt. So what?” “So what!” she cried furiously. “You'll play with the future of an entire stellar race by rushing in where angels fear to tread!” “Careful, Miss Ward. Metaphorically, you’ve just termed me a fool and yourself an angel.”. “You are a fool!” “O.K., lady, but you're no angel!” “Mr. Barden,” she said icily, “tossing insults will get us nowhere. I’ve tried to give you my viewpoint. You’ve given me yours. Now—” “We're at the same impasse we were a half hour ago. My viewpoint is as valid as yours because there’s nobody within a number of light-years that can tell the truth of the matter. You are asking me to suppress a new science. Leonardo Da Vinci was asked to suppress the submarine for the good of the race. He did it so well that we know about the whole affair.” “Meaning?” “That true covered the incident, too, But the sub- Marine was suppressed only until men de- veloped techniques and sciences that made undersea travel practical. If I suppress this science, how long do you think it will be before it is started again by someone else? How did either of our informants get the information?” si ... ah—” “By trying it themselves!” said Barden, banging a fist on the desk for emphasis. “Suppression is strictly ostrich tactics. Miss Ward. You can’t avoid anything by hoping that if you don’t admit it’s there it may go away. It never does. The way to live honor- ably and safely is to meet every obstacle and every danger as it comes and by facing them, learn how to control them. Shake- speare said that—‘The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune... or nobler in the heart to take arms against a sea of troubles . .. and by facing them, to, con- MIGIOOKS (e) (E(0) suppression would have.