The Gods Themselves (33 page)

Denison thought back. "No, I wasn't I was looking at the stars; rather a tendency of mine on the surface."

"What was Miss Lindstrom doing?"

"I didn't see. She said she strengthened the magnetic field and the leak finally broke through."

"Is it customary for her to manipulate the equipment without you?"

"No. But I can understand the impulse."

"And would there have been some sort of an ejection?"

"I don't understand you."

"I'm not sure I understand myself. There was a dim sparkle in the Earthlight, as though something was flying through the air. I don't know what."

"I don't either," said Denison.

"You can't think of anything that might naturally have to do with the experiment that—"

"No."

'Then what was Miss Lindstrom doing?"

"I still don't know."

For a moment, the silence was heavy between them. Then the Commissioner said, "As I see it then, you will try to correct the leak-instability and will be thinking about the preparation of a paper. I will get matters into motion at the other end and on my shortly forthcoming visit to Earth will make arrangements to have the paper published and will alert the government."

It was a clear dismissal. Denison rose and the Commissioner said easily, "And think about Dr. Neville and Miss Lindstrom."

17

It was a heavier star of radiation, a fatter one, a brighter one. Denison could feel its warmth on his faceplate, and backed away. There was a distinct x-ray component in the radiation and though this shielding should take care of that there was no point in placing it under a strain.

"I guess we can't question it," he muttered. "The leak-point is stable."

"I'm sure of it," said Selene, flatly.

"Then let's turn it off and go back to the city."

They moved slowly and Denison felt oddly dispirited. There was no uncertainty any more; no excitement. From this point on, there was no chance of failure. The government was interested; more and more, it would be out of his own hands.

He said, "I suppose I can begin the paper now."

"I suppose so," said Selene, carefully.

"Have you talked to Barren again?"

"Yes, I have,"

"Any difference in his attitude?"

"None at all. He will not participate. Ben—"

"Yes?"

"I really don't think it's any use talking to him. He will not cooperate in any project with the Earth government"

"But you've explained the situation?"

"Completely."

"And he still won't."

"He's asked to see Gottstein, and the Commissioner agreed to an interview after he returns from his Earth visit Well have to wait till then. Maybe Gottstein can have some effect on him, but I doubt it."

Denison shrugged, a useless maneuver inside his space-suit. "I don't understand him."

"I do," said Selene, softly.

Denison did not respond directly. He shoved the Pionizer and its attendant apparatus into its rocky shelter and said, "Ready?"

"Ready."

They slipped into the surface entrance at Outlet P-4 in silence and Denison climbed down the entry ladder. Selene dropped past him, braking in quick holds at individual rungs. Denison had learned to do that, but he was dispirited and climbed down in a kind of rebellious refusal to accept acclimation.

They removed their suits in the staging areas, placed them in their lockers. Denison said, "Would you join me for lunch, Selene?"

Selene said uneasily, "You seem upset. Is something wrong?"

"Reaction, I think. Lunch?"

"Yes, of course."

They ate in Selene's quarters. She insisted, saying, "I want to talk to you and I can't do it properly in. the cafeteria."

And when Denison was chewing slowly at something that had a faint resemblance to peanut-flavored veal, she said, "Ben, you haven't said a word, and you've been like this for a week."

"No, I haven't," said Denison, frowning.

"Yes, you have." She looked into his eyes with concern. "I'm not sure how good my intuition is outside physics, but I suppose there's something you don't want to tell me."

Denison shrugged. "They're making a fuss about all this back on Earth. Gottstein has been pulling at strings as tough as cables in advance of his trip back. Dr. Lament is being lionized, and they want me to come back once the paper is written."

"Back to Earth?"

"Yes. It seems I'm a hero, too."

"You should be."

"Complete rehabilitation," said Denison, thoughtfully,” is what they offer. It's clear I can get a position in any suitable university or government agency on Earth."

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"It's what I imagine Lament wants, and would enjoy, and will certainly get. But I don't want it."

Selene said, "What
do
you want then?"

"I want to stay on the Moon."

"Why?"

"Because it's the cutting edge of humanity and I want to be part of that cutting edge. I want to work at the establishment of cosmeg pumps and that will be only here on the Moon. I want to work on para-theory with the kind of instruments you can dream up and handle, Selene. ... I want to be with you, Selene. But will you stay with me?"

"I am as interested in para-theory as you are." Denison said, "But won't Neville pull you off the job now?"

"Barren pull me off?" She said, tightly, "Are you trying to insult me, Ben?"

"Not at all."

"Well, then, do I misunderstand you? Are you suggesting that I'm working with you because Barron ordered me to?"

"Didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. But that's not why I'm here. I
choose
to be here. He may think he can order me about but he can only do so when his orders coincide with my will, as in your case they did. I resent his thinking he can order me otherwise, and I resent your thinking it, too."

"You two are sex-partners."

"We have been, yes, but what has that to do with it? By that argument, I can order him about as easily as he me."

"Then you
can
work with me, Selene?"

"Certainly," she said, coldly. "If I choose to."

"But do you choose to?"

"As of now, yes."

And Denison smiled. "The chance that you might not choose to, or even might not be able to, is, I think, what has really been worrying me this past week. I dreaded the end of the project if it meant the end of you. I'm sorry, Selene, I don't mean to plague you with a sentimental attachment of an old Earthie—"

"Well, there's nothing old Earthie about your mind, Ben. There are other attachments than sexual. I like being with you."

There was a pause and Denison's smile faded, then returned, perhaps a thought more mechanically. "I'm glad for my mind."

Denison looked away, shook his head slightly, then turned back. She watched him carefully, almost anxiously.

Denison said, "Selene, there's more than energy involved in the cross-Universe leaks. I suspect you've been thinking about that."

The silence stretched out now, painfully, and finally Selene said, "Oh, that—"

For a while the two stared at each other—Denison embarrassed, Selene almost furtive.

18

Gottstein said, "I haven't got my Moon-legs quite yet, but this isn't anything compared to what it cost me to get my Earth-legs. Denison, you had better not dream of returning. You'll never make it."

"I have no intention of returning, Commissioner," said Denison.

"In a way, it's too bad. You could be emperor by acclamation. As for Hallam—"

Denison said, wistfully, "I would have liked to see his face, but that's a small ambition."

"Lamont, of course, is receiving the lion's share. He's on the spot."

"I don't mind that. He deserves a good deal.... Do you think Neville will really join us?"

"No question. He's on his way at this moment. ... Listen," Gottstein's voice dropped one conspiratorial note in pitch. "Before he comes, would you like a bar of chocolate?"

"What?".

"A bar of chocolate. With almonds.
One.
I have some."

Denison's face, from initial confusion, suddenly lit with comprehension.
” Real
chocolate?"

"Yes."

"Certain—" His face hardened. "No, Commissioner."

"No?"

"No! If I taste real chocolate then, for the few minutes It's in my mouth, I'm going to miss Earth; I'm going to miss everything about it. I can't afford that. I don't want it. ... Don't even show it to me. Don't let me smell it or see it."

The Commissioner looked discomfited. "You're right." He made an obvious attempt to change the subject. "The excitement on Earth is overwhelming. Of course, we made a considerable effort to save Hallam's face. He'll continue to hold some position of importance, but he'll have little real say."

"He's getting more consideration than he gave others," said Denison, resignedly.

"It's not for his sake. You can't smash a personal image that has been built to a level of such importance; it would reflect on science itself. The good name of science is more important than Hallam either way."

"I disapprove of that in principle," said Denison, warmly. "Science must take what blows it deserves."

"A time and place for— There's Dr. Neville."

Gottstein composed his face. Denison shifted his' chair to face the entrance.

Barron Neville entered solemnly. Somehow there was less than ever of the Lunar delicacy about his figure. He greeted the two curtly, sat down, and crossed his legs. He was clearly waiting for Gottstein to speak first.

The Commissioner said, "I am glad to see you, Dr. Neville, Dr. Denison tells me that you refused to append your name to what I am sure will be a classic paper on the cosmeg pump."

"No need to do so," said Neville. "What happens on Earth is of no interest to me."

"You are aware of the cosmeg pump experiments? Of its implications?"

"All of them. I know the situation as well as you two do."

"Then I will proceed without preliminaries. I have returned from Earth, Dr. Neville, and it is quite settled as to what will be the course of future procedure. Large cosmeg pump stations will be set up on three different places on the Lunar surface in such a way that one will always be in the night-shadow. Half the time, two win be. Those in the night-shadow will be constantly generating energy, most of which will simply radiate into space. The purpose will be not so much to use the energy for practical purposes, as to counteract the changes in field intensities introduced by the Electron Pump."

Denison interrupted. "For some years, we will have to overbalance the Electron Pump to restore our section of the Universe to the point at which it was before the pump began operation."

Neville nodded. "Will Luna City have the use of any of it?"

"If necessary. We feel the Solar batteries will probably supply what you need, but there is no objection to supplementation."

"That is land of you," said Neville, not bothering to mask the sarcasm. "And who will build and run the cosmeg pump stations?"

"Lunar workers, we hope," said Gottstein.

"Lunar workers, you know," said Neville. "Earth workers would be too clumsy to work effectively on the Moon."

"We recognize that," said Gottstein, "We trust the men of the Moon will cooperate."

"And who will decide how much energy to generate, how much to apply for any local purpose, how much to radiate away? Who decides policy?"

Gottstein said, "The government would have to. It's a matter of planetary decision."

Neville said, "You see, then, it will be Moonmen who do the work; Earthmen who run the show."

Gottstein said, calmly, "No. All of us work who work best; all of us administer who can best weigh the total problem."

"I hear the words," said Neville, "but it boils down anyway to us working and you deciding. . . . No, Commissioner. The answer is no."

"You mean you won't build the cosmeg pump stations?"

"Well build them, Commissioner, but they'll be ours. Well decide how much energy to put out and what use to make of it."

"That would scarcely be efficient. You would have to deal constantly with the Earth government since the cosmeg pump energy will have to balance the Electron Pump energy."

"I dare say it will, more or less, but we have other things in mind. You might as well know now. Energy is not the only conserved phenomenon that becomes limitless once universes are crossed."

Denison interrupted. "There are a number of conservation laws. We realize that."

"I'm glad you do," said Neville, turning a hostile glare in his direction. "They include those of linear momentum and angular momentum. As long as any object responds to the gravitational field in which it is immersed, and to that only, it is in free fall and can retain its mass. In order to move in any other way than free fall, it must accelerate in a non-gravitational way and for that to happen, part of itself must undergo an opposite change."

"As in a rocketship," said Denison, "which must eject mass in one direction in order that the rest might accelerate in the opposite direction."

"I'm sure you understand, Dr. Denison," said Neville, "but I explain for the Commissioner's sake. The loss of mass can be minimized if its velocity is increased enormously, since momentum is equal to mass multiplied by velocity. Nevertheless, however great the velocity, some mass must be thrown away. If the mass which must be accelerated is enormous in the first place, then the mass which must be discarded is also enormous. If the Moon, for instance—"

"The
Moon!"
said Gottstein, explosively.

"Yes, the Moon," said Neville, calmly. "If the Moon were to be driven out of its orbit and sent out of the Solar system, the conservation of momentum would make it a colossal undertaking, and probably a thoroughly impractical one. If, however, momentum could be transferred to the cosmeg in another Universe, the Moon could accelerate at any convenient rate without loss of mass at all. It would be like poling a barge upstream, to give you a picture I obtained from some Earth-book I once read."