His idea was, that the profits I spoke of might go to endow research,
but that, of course, was a matter we had to settle later. “That’s all
right,” I shouted, “that’s all right.” The great point, as I insisted,
was to get the thing done.
“Here is a substance,” I cried, “no home, no factory, no fortress, no
ship can dare to be without--more universally applicable even than a
patent medicine! There isn’t a solitary aspect of it, not one of its
ten thousand possible uses that will not make us rich, Cavor, beyond
the dreams of avarice!”
“No!” he said. “I begin to see. It’s extraordinary how one gets new
points of view by talking over things!”
“And as it happens you have just talked to the right man!”
“I suppose no one,” he said, “is absolutely _averse_ to enormous
wealth. Of course there is one thing----”
He paused. I stood still.
“It is just possible, you know, that we may not be able to make it
after all! It may be one of those things that are a theoretical
possibility, but a practical absurdity. Or when we make it, there may
be some little hitch----!”
“We’ll tackle the hitch when it comes,” said I.