Part 6 (1/2)

Hartson Brant and Julius Weiss produced notebooks Rick and Scotty relaxed as best they could in the uncomfortable chairs and prepared to listen

”You are, of course, aware of the problean ”Perturbations are many, and both predictable and randoiven pattern We depend on its inertia to infor it off course The brain then takes the necessary corrective action This, of course, is oversimplification”

It wasn't very simple to Rick He squirmed uncomfortably on the hard chair

”Noe have dealt primarily with the perturbations one would expect

The equatorial bulge, for example The result? We still have a probable error of several entlemen We must have precision Nohat information do we have that allows such precision? We have the effects of perturbation of the other planetary bodies and of the sun itself

These we uide our missile, as they interact with the lare at Rick He inquired acidly, ”Do I perhaps bore you? Or have you a serious itch? If so, scratch it, for heaven's sake You are squirh the corner of my eye”

Hartson Brant came to his son's rescue He looked at Dodd ”May the boys be excused? I'm sure this discussion will be of no value to thes they would like to do”

Dodd nodded ”If you decide to leave the vicinity, let Sam know”

”We'll be in the lobby,” Rick said He etting out of there and irritation at Marks for what amounted to summary dismissal

As they walked to the elevator, Rick asked, ”What did you make out of that?”

”Not h to knohat the project is aiuidance system for the intercontinental missile, and a fantastic one that uses the uideposts”

Scotty whistled ”As you said, a lot of good we'll be to this project

Well, what do we do now?”

Rick ran a hand through his hair ”Follow Barby's instructions” His sister had said bluntly that both he and Scotty were getting as shaggy as Diset haircuts He knehy, of course Barby wanted them to be at their best, because she liked Jan Morrison very much and wanted Jan to like the boys, too

Sam nodded to theuard could watch the stairs as well as the elevator doors He also noted that the guard's coat was loose, and that the butt of a Magnu how Steve Ames operated, Rick also suspected that other, less visible, uard the fourth floor, but there was nothing he could see

It was still early in the day and the barbershop in the lobby was not crowded Rick and Scotty both were able to get chairs

Rick browsed through aof interest He put it down and looked around hiht that barbershops may vary in the number of chairs, the luxuriousness of the appointments, and the size of the mirrors, but they all have about the same smell, and the same collection of bottles for the barber's use

However, one item attracted Rick's attention, because it seemed out of place It looked for all the world like the hair driers one finds in beauty shops There was a stand, and a estured toward it ”What's that?”

”It's for treating dry hair,” the barber answered ”Special oil treatood”

Rick's hair was dry fro inquisitive about everything in the world, he thought about trying it