Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition) — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

68 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION “It’s what you have said, isn’t it?” “So I know it without your telling me.” “Do you? You're ready to quit school, quit your job, quit science. Where’s your consistency, Rog? Do you abandon a problem when your first experiment fails? Do you give up when one theory is shown to be inadequate? The same philosopny of experimental science that holds for inanimate objects should hold for people as well.” “All right. What do you suggest I try? Bribery? Threats? Tears?’ James Sarle stood up. “Do you really want a suggestion?” “Go ahead.” “Do as Dr. Morton said. Take a vacation and to hell with levitation. It’s a problem for the future. Sleep in bed and float or don’t float; what’s the difference. Ignore levitation, laugh at it or even enjoy it. Do: anything but worry about it, because it isn’t your problem. That’s the whole point. It’s not your immediate problem. Spend your time considering how to make scientists study something they don’t want to study. That is the immediate problem and that is exactly what you’ve spent no thinking time on as yet.” Sarle walked to the hall closet and got his coat. Roger went with him. Minutes passed in silence. Then Roger said without looking up, “Maybe you're right, Jim.” “Maybe I am. Try it and then tell me. Good-by, Roger.” Roger Toomey opened his eyes and blinked at the morning brightness of the bedroom. He called out, “Hey, Jane, where are you?” Jane’s voice answered, “In the kitchen. Where do you think?” *“Come in here, will you?” She came in. “The bacon won’t fry itself, you know.” “Listen, did I float last night?” “T don’t know. I slept.” “You're a help.” He got out of bed and slipped his feet into his mules. ‘Still I don’t think I did.” “Do you think you’ve forgotten how?’ There was sudden hope in her Voice. “JT haven’t forgotten. See!’’ He slid into the dining room on a cushion of air. “I just have a feeling I haven’t floated I think it’s three nights now.” “Well, that’s good,” said Jane. She was back at the stove. “It’s just that a month’s rest has done you good. If I had called Jim in the beginning—”’ “Oh, please, don’t go through that. A month’s rest, my eye. It’s just that last Sunday I made up my mind what to do. Since then I’ve relaxed. That’s all there is to it.”’ “What are you going to do?” “Every spring Northwestern Tech gives a series of seminars on physical topics. Pll attend.” “You mean, go way out to Seattle.” “Of course.” ‘““What will they be discussing?” ‘““What’s the difference? I just want to see Linus Deering.” “But he’s the one who called you crazy, isn’t he?” “He did.” Roger scooped up a forkful of scrambled eggs. “But he’s also the best man of the lot.” He reached for the salt and lifted a few inches out of his chair as he did so. He paid no attention. He said, “I think maybe I can handle him.” The spring seminars at North- western Tech had become a nationally known institution since Linus Deering had joined the faculty. He was the perennial chairman and lent the pro- ceedings their distinctive tone. He introduced the speakers, led the ques- tioning periods, summed up at the ECoOmichooksnco i