Walter Stanton set his jaw. "If I give the word, we'll evacuate, all
of us. _If_ I give the word." He glanced down the row of faces. "I'm
toying with the idea of allowing volunteers to stay."
There was a chorus of assent. With a chill, Walter Stanton remembered
Petrovski. He glanced at him and the big Russian, blond and
bespectacled, arose ponderously and leaned on the table.
"Gentlemen.... Could I speak?"
"Go ahead, Ski," somebody said.
"I ... I do not know whether those people who rule my country are
capable of destroying this ... this marvelous thing. I do not know
whether they would _want_ to destroy it...." He took off his glasses
and polished them fiercely. "But if you would allow me.... If it could
be arranged ... I should like to stay...."
Walter Stanton, touched, cleared his throat. He spoke quietly.
"And if it were turned into a weapon against your country?"
Petrovski looked as if he were about to cry. "If my country tries to
destroy this wonderful thing of science.... Then it is no more my
country.... And I would still like to stay...."
"Yes," said Stanton, a little embarrassed. "Well, we'll see...."
Mel Cramer leaned back suddenly in his seat. "Could a beat-up old
light colonel have a few words, seeing as how this project is slipping
rapidly from your league into mine?"