"It's about time," Orville said, "that we started figuring out a plan."
He scraped the bottom of the can. The tuna tasted fine. He took a swig
of pineapple juice and passed the can back to Harold.
"Yeah, I been thinking about that," said Harold.
"I've had more experience in that line than you, so maybe--"
"Do you think mankind is ready for my secret?"
"There, you see?" Orville laughed heartily. "Now don't you worry about
such things."
"But look what they did with the atomic bomb. And if this ever got
loose--"
"Harold!" Orville's laugh was less hearty. "Do you think you could keep
this a secret? The minute we land, they'll be all over us. The
government can impound this ship, you know."
"Won't do them any good. They can tear it all apart and never find out a
thing."
Hours later, they were still arguing.
"If the government had it, they'd build a war machine and then the
Russians would steal it--"
"Harold! That's Communist talk!"
"Shoot! I'm no Communist!"
"You're playing right into their hands...."
It went on and on. Then: "Harold--as your neighbor--won't you tell _me_
what it is?"
"I'll try...."
Orville sat up, tingling. You take gravity, Harold said. What do we know
about it? Was it like a lot of rubber bands, stretching back and forth
between everything, or was it a flow, like water? Now if it was a flow,
it would have to flow back some way, or else you'd run out, wouldn't
you? Then if you hooked onto this counter-flow--
Orville nodded. This wasn't so hard to understand. He felt a little
nervous. "Go on, Harold."
"I guess it's none of those things." Harold gave his inane giggle.
Orville felt cheated. "You call this neighborly? Remember when I drove
clear out into the country with a gallon of gas that time when you got
stuck?"
"I'm trying. You gotta think of it up to that point, then you gotta
think the _other_ way. But you can't explain it. You just do it."
* * * * *
Harold picked up two of the rings from Rosie's fruit jars and moved them
back and forth across one another. He tried with three rings, dropped
them.
"It's no use."
"Try harder."
Harold shook his head. "I suppose if I wanted to bad enough.... But now
that we been to the Moon, there's nothing else I want to do."
Orville reached for the rings and tried.