"Something about the way they move...."
Nathen shifted to glance at him.
"That's bothered me, too."
"Are you sure they're adjusted to the right speed?"
Nathen clenched his hands out in front of him and looked at them
consideringly. "I don't know. When I turn the tape faster, they're all
rushing, and you begin to wonder why their clothes don't stream behind
them, why the doors close so quickly and yet you can't hear them slam,
why things fall so fast. If I turn it slower, they all seem to be
swimming." He gave the _Times_ a considering sidewise glance. "Didn't
catch the name."
Country-bred guy, thought the _Times_. "Jacob Luke, _Times_," he said,
extending his hand.
Nathen gave the hand a quick, hard grip, identifying the name. "Sunday
Science Section editor. I read it. Surprised to meet you here."
"Likewise." The _Times_ smiled. "Look, have you gone into this
rationally, with formulas?" He found a pencil in his pocket.
"Obviously there's something wrong with our judgment of their
weight-to-speed-to-momentum ratio. Maybe it's something simple like low
gravity aboard ship, with magnetic shoes. Maybe they _are_ floating
slightly."
"Why worry?" Nathen cut in. "I don't see any reason to try to figure it
out now." He laughed and shoved back his black hair nervously. "We'll
see them in twenty minutes."
"Will we?" asked the _Times_ slowly.
There was a silence while the Senator turned a page of his magazine
with a slight crackling of paper, and the scientists argued at the
other end of the room. Nathen pushed at his lank black hair again, as
if it were trying to fall forward in front of his eyes and keep him
from seeing.
"Sure." The young man laughed suddenly, talked rapidly. "Sure we'll
see them. Why shouldn't we, with all the government ready with welcome
speeches, the whole Army turned out and hiding over the hill, reporters
all around, newsreel cameras--everything set up to broadcast the
landing to the world. The President himself shaking hands with me and
waiting in Washington--"
He came to the truth without pausing for breath.
He said, "Hell, no, they won't get here. There's some mistake
somewhere. Something's wrong. I should have told the brasshats
yesterday when I started adding it up. Don't know why I didn't say
anything. Scared, I guess. Too much top rank around here. Lost my
nerve."