"How do you do," she returned with extreme politeness.
"May I ask your business?"
"I am here as a representative of the Solar Space Laboratory."
"Indeed? And what has the government to say?"
Edith Ward slammed her purse down on his desk. "You fool!" she snapped.
"Stop it!"
"Don't be upset," he said in an overly-soothing tone that was intended
to infuriate. It succeeded.
"You blind fool. You're to stop experimenting in that superspeed drive!"
"Am I?"
"Yes," she blazed. "And I have official orders to stop it."
"Miss Ward, you tried to block me before. You did not succeed. Why do
you demand that I stop it?"
"Because it will not work!"
"You've experimented?"
"I have not because it is dangerous!"
"Then any knowledge you may have about this science is either guesswork
or--feminine intuition?"
"You accused me of that before, remember?"
"I didn't get away with it then," said Barden. "But I can now. I was
unknown then, remember? Well, remember again that I've advanced from
unknown a year ago to my present stature now. And I might add that my
present stature is not too far below your own, Miss Doctor Ward."
"I have authority to stop you."
Barden looked down at her with a cryptic smile. "Yeah?" he drawled. "Go
ahead and try!"
"And do you think I can't?"
"Nope," he said.
"How are you going to stop me?" she blazed.
"I won't have to," he said. "Public opinion will. Don't forget, Miss
Ward, that people are still running this system. People are and always
have been entirely in favor of the man who came up from nowhere and did
things on a big plan. Horatio Alger died a long time ago, Miss Ward,
but he's still a popular idea. When you stop me I shall appeal to the
people."
"In what way?"
"You wouldn't be using your feminine jealousy to stall me while the
Solar Lab develops the interstellar drive, would you?"
"You--!"
"Nah," he warned her blithely. "Mustn't swear!"
"Oh damn!"
"Now look, Miss Ward," said Barden quietly, "we've had our
snarling-session twice. Once when you laughed me out of the Terran
Physical Society's big meeting and now when I tell you that I am big
enough so that you'll not stop me by merely expressing a personal
opinion. Since I'm now big enough to command a little respect in my
own right, supposing you give me some of yours and I'll see if I can
find any in me to show you. Take the previous as a partial apology
if you must. But I'm wanting to know by what basis you state that
pursuing this job is dangerous--or say more dangerous than working on
high-tension lines or space travel as it now exists."
"The theory you present has one danger factor. According to my
own interpretation of your theory, the fields you require in your
spacecraft to achieve superspeed are powerful enough to cause a
magnetostriction in nonmagnetic materials. This magnetostriction is an
atomic magnetostriction which causes the alignment of the planetary
planes of the electron orbits. The result is a minor chain fission
reaction that becomes major after the first nineteen microseconds."
"My theory is that nothing of that nature will take place," said Barden.
"Remember," she said, "despite your dislike of me personally, that I am
trained in physics. Therefore my interpretation of physical phenomena
and my predictions of such are more--"
"I agree," interrupted Barden. "But again do not forget that this is a
field that is new to all scientists."
"Agreed again," she said with a slight smile. "But I've had several
trained men working on your theory. They agree with me."
"Don't believe that anyone can formulate an opinion on the material
that you have available."
"Oh, but we can."
"Then you have experimented--"
"No, we have not."
"Then exactly where did you get this extra information?" demanded
Barden.
Dr. Edith Ward looked at Tom Barden carefully. "From the same place
where you got yours!" she said slowly and deliberately.
* * * * *