The doctor closed the door behind him, crossed to the table, silently
offered the geologist a cigar, and waited until smoke was issuing from
it. Then he said:
"Well," bluntly, "what's come between you and your wife, Van?"
The geologist showed no surprise. Instead, he frowned severely at the
end of his cigar, and carefully seated himself on the corner of the
table. When he spoke there was a certain rigor in his voice, which told
the doctor that his friend was holding himself tightly in rein.
"It really began when the four of us got together to investigate
Capellette, two months ago." Van Emmon was a thorough man in important
matters. "Maybe I ought to say that both Billie and I were as much
interested as either you or Smith; she often says that even the tour of
Mercury and Venus was less wonderful.
"What is more, we are both just as eager to continue the investigations.
We still have all kinds of faith in the Venusian formula; we want to
'visit' as many more worlds as the science of telepathy will permit. It
isn't that either of us has lost interest."
The doctor rather liked the geologist's scientific way of stating the
case, even though it meant hearing things he already knew. Kinney
watched and waited and listened intently.
"You remember, of course, what sort of a man I got in touch with. Powart
was easily the greatest Capellan of them all; a magnificent intellect,
which I still think was intended to have ruled the rest. I haven't
backed down from my original position."
"Van! You still believe," incredulously, "in a government of the sort he
contemplated?"
Van Emmon nodded aggressively. "All that we learned merely strengthens
my conviction. Remember what sort of people the working classes of
Capellette were? Smith's 'agent' was typical--a helpless nincompoop, not
fit to govern himself!" The geologist strove to keep his patience.
"However," remarked Kinney, "the chap whose mind I used was no fool."
"Nor was Billie's agent, the woman surgeon," agreed Van Emmon, "even if
she did prefer 'the Devolutionist' to Powart. But you'll have to admit,
doc, that the vast majority of the Capellans were incompetents; the rest
were exceptions."