"We are about to enter a new era," he continued. "The Era of Space!"
His voice dropped to a low, comradely whisper. "And I have chosen you,
my boy, to assist me in forging this trail to new suns, new worlds, new
civilizations! The whole Galaxy lies before us!"
I could see only Professor Burdinghaugh's massive girth before me, but I
assumed he could see things much more clearly than I.
The Professor filled our glasses from the bottle I had bought, then put
his face close to mine. "Do you know why no one has ever invented an
anti-gravity belt?" he confided. "_I'll_ tell you--it takes research,
and research takes money. And money is very hard to get. Especially," he
added, gazing somberly at his highball, "in _my_ field of research."
He shrugged, then busied himself with some adjustments on the belt he
had wrapped around me. "There," he said finally, stepping back, "it's
ready." We went outside to the garden behind his laboratory.
"All my life," he mused, "I've wanted to be the first to defy gravity,
but--" here a suspicious wetness glistened in his eyes--"my fondness for
good food and good drink has paid its price. I am far too heavy for the
belt. That's why I am giving _you_ this chance to roar to fame.
You--_you_ will have the glory, while I...." He choked, then quickly
drained his glass.
"Enough! The stars are waiting! The experiment must begin!" He paused to
refill his glass from the bottle he had brought out with him.
"When I say, '_Go!_' push this button on the belt," he explained.
"Ready?"