"Could Mr. House please refrain from interruptions?" snuffed the
Secretary.
June's hand, under the table, patted Archy's knee. She didn't say
anything--just patted his knee.
"I have one last question," said the President. "Mr. Kahler, I
understand these projections are extremely complex electronic
propagations. How can they be maintained by random power fields like
batteries and high-tension wires?"
"There's a difference between propagating them and maintaining them,"
said Otto. "Once you've projected them, maintenance is fairly simple."
"I see," said Conklin. "I believe that concludes our conference. Mr.
House, I don't want to see your face for five days. And I want you
to come and tell me the projections are gone. All of them. If this
happens, the damage might be--well, attended to. If it doesn't--you
will be broken, Mr. House, very thoroughly."
"Okay, Pops," said Archy. "I mean--Mr. President."
* * * * *
Back at the hotel, June and Otto accompanied Archy to his suite. He
wanted to talk to them, though he had a root-deep feeling nothing could
do any good.
Somebody was in the suite, standing with a finger stuck in a light
socket. "Hello, bud," grinned the Archy-projection passing from
translucency to opaqueness as the current vitalized it. "Thought I'd
recharge at _our_ place here."
Archy glared. "Ignore the S.O.B.," he told the others. "Without an
audience he won't stay."
It took an hour, during which the Archy-projection bragged of his plans
for forming a TV company, stage troupes, running for congress, and
producing more projections of himself, but finally he left. Archy's
face was sunk in his hands.
"Maybe you're the only people I can admit this to," he said, "but I'm
whipped."
"You actually mean that, Archy?" June's voice was not quite mocking.
"Yes. I thought there was nothing I couldn't get on top of--I was
like that damned walking marionette that just pranced out of here--a
blowhard. I'm beat, folks."
"Maybe you'll come up with something," offered Otto. "Maybe...." June
shushed him.
"You two had better get out from under," said Archy. "June, find some
nice guy to marry--hell, marry Otto, I know he likes you. I'm pulling
my money out of the bank--split it between you. It won't help me where
I'm going."
June sat on his lap.
"Honey, suppose there was a way for you to get rid of all those
projections? Then you could take the credit and come back strong as
ever."
"How could I take the credit?"
"Suppose your own staff made the plan? After all, you're smart enough
to hire them."
"Maybe this sounds crazy, coming from me, but the credit would go to
whoever deserved it. What good is it to be a big shot if you know
you've been licked, even once?"
June seemed to turn something over in her mind, looking at it; there
was silence before she spoke.
"I've got an idea," she said.
"What?" he asked hopelessly.
"Let's get married when this is all over. I'd like it better even than
a thousand a week."
"You're nuts," he said. "Marry a phony--a blowhard? That's why you
never did marry me, isn't it? _Isn't it?_"
"Yes," said June. "And I said, if you remember, that I'd marry you if
you ever figured that out. Which you have."
"I've got to go see the desk clerk," said Otto. "Told him I'd help with
his--ah--radio set. But here's an idea--why not get married Friday at
Big Butte?"
It was all too fast for Archy. "Big Butte? What's that?" But Otto was
gone, and June began to tell him.
* * * * *
It was an evening ceremony, the Big Butte, Wyoming, wedding and well
attended by everyone but projections. There were no more free-moving
projections. Every one in the nation had gathered at Big Butte, in the
middle of Wyoming, for a popularity contest and organizational meeting
organized by Archy and the Archy projections, backed by Full-projection
money. And when they were gathered--the whole fantastic crew of
them--Otto had actuated the gigantic scrambler concealed on the butte
and the insubstantial pageant faded, leaving not a wrack behind.
The honeymoon was marred by one small thing.
"You know," said Archy "one thing I've gotta do is find out who
sabotaged me in the first place."
"I guess I can let you know," said June. "I wanted to teach you a
lesson. I had no idea it'd get out of hand--what are you going to do?"
Archy had made a sudden move. "I was going to spank you," he
said, firming his grip on her. "But now I have ahold of you. I'd
rather--well--we _are_ married."