"No!" Tom said.
Livia looked at him.
"I said no!" he repeated. "The Antamundans can live. Don't you see
that?"
"No," Andrusco said, shaking his head. "On Earth, we shall die. If Mars
is closed to us ..."
"Can't you see? If Mars can be opened for Earth, then it can be opened
for you, too. For all Antamundans! Your people can make the journey,
too, once space has been cleared for Earth ships. You can still have
your new home!"
"Perhaps," Livia said dreamily. "Perhaps that is the only way. But by
then, Tom, it will be already too late. There has been no living child
born to us in the last ten years. By the time the Earth people reach
Mars and establish regular passageway--we will be too old to keep the
race alive."
* * * * *
"Then let's speed it up!" he said. "Let's make _sure_ that the space
lanes open! Let's do everything to make Space the most important project
on Earth!"
"But how?" Andrusco said, bewildered.
Tom went to the visiphone.
"Get me the Lunt Theatre!" he snapped.
Homer Bradshaw's face appeared.
"Mr. Bradshaw?"
"Hi, Tom! How's the boy?"
"Great, Homer, great. Only listen. I got a new angle for you. We're
gonna doctor up that show of yours before the opening. Don't worry about
the dough-- Homelovers will take care of it with pleasure."
"Sure, Tom! Anything you say!"
"Then take this down. The first thing we're changing is the title. From
now on it's _Mars Or Bust_ ..."