That seemed to disappoint him. He said: "No, no--I mean, what do you
make of it? Do you agree with the others?"
"With Stabilizer Groating, you mean?"
He nodded.
I said: "You'll have to give me a little time to think it over. It's
rather--startling."
"By all means," he said, escorting me to the door, "do think it over.
Although"--he hesitated with his hand on the knob--"I shouldn't agree
with your choice of the word 'startling.' After all, it's only what
we expected all along. The Universe must come to an end one way or
another."
Think? Boys, the massive brain practically fumed as I went back
downstairs. I went out into the press room and I wondered what there
was about a picture of a black cloud that could have upset the
Stabilizer. I drifted out of the Prog Building and decided I'd better
go down to the controller's office for another bluff, so I didn't
drift any more. There was a pneumatic pick-up at the corner. I caught
a capsule and clicked off the address on the dial. In three and a half
minutes I was there.
As I turned the overhead dome back and started to step out of my
capsule, I found myself surrounded by the rest of the newspaper crowd.
The _Ledger_ said: "Where you been, my friendly, we needed your quick
brain but bad."
I said: "I'm still looking for Hogan. I can't cover a thing until I've
seen him. What's this need for brains?"
"Not just any brains. Your brain."