Conquest Over Time Page 7

added that I had heard that Earthmen would shortly be leaving hisplanet. Very unhappily I told him he could not expect to produce atelescope of the necessary power within at least the next hundredyears. And even then, it would be many more years before they actuallyfound it. I was very sorry about the whole business, so I just thoughtI'd drop by to offer my regrets."

  "And he leaped at the chance."

  "No. You rush to conclusions. He did not leap at the chance. He satvery quietly thinking about it. It was a gruesome sight. I couldsympathize with him. On the one hand he had us, the unknown,moon-moving Us, with which he wanted no traffic whatever. But on theother side there was the knowledge of that planet moving all unwatchedout in the black, casting down its radiations, be they harmful orgood, and no way to know in what sign the thing was, or what house, orwhat effect it would have on him, _was having_ on him, even as he satthere. Oh he struggled, but I knew I had him. He signed the contract.I think I may say, that it is among the most liberal contracts we haveever signed."

  There was a long moment of silence in the ship. The young men satgrinning foolishly.

  "So let me hear no more about luck," said Travis firmly. "In thefuture, sons, put your shoulders to the wheel...."

  But the attention of the two was already wandering. They were bothbeginning to gaze once more upon the lovely Navel, who was quite shylybut very womanly gazing back. He saw Trippe look at Dahlinger,Dahlinger glare at Trippe, their hackles rising. He looked down atNavel in alarm.

  Born to cause trouble?

  Oh no, he thought abruptly, seeing a whole new world beginning to openup, oh no, oh no....

  * * * * *