Part 5 (1/2)
Somehow the scientists got in their licks in the turmoil, pointed out that scientists who have to confine their discoveries to what suits the ideology of the non-scientists can only find limited solutions.”
”Quite a deal.”
”Could only happen in a world turmoil, when everything was fluid.
Anyhow, they got away with it, for a certain group, Extrapolators, had to be free to extrapolate without fear of reprisal.”
”Boy, something. Imagine. Take any dame you want. n.o.body can squawk.
Take any money, riches you want. n.o.body can stop it.”
”Funny thing. Nothing like that happens. Idea seems to be that when you don't have to fight against restrictions, they aren't important any more. At least not to an E.”
”Guess that's why one of 'em pointed out that police are the major cause of crime.”
”Whether he was right or wrong, that's what sent Gunderson into a tail spin. I wouldn't be surprised but what he's a little hipped on that subject. He'll get 'em one of these days. Even an E can make a mistake, and when one of 'em does, he'll be there.”
”I dunno, the public has a lot of hero-wors.h.i.+p for the E. Pretty tough for any politician to buck that.”
”The public! You know as well as I do--they think what we tell 'em to think, you and me.”
”You think that's why he's got a man out here on this Eden thing?
Looking for a mistake?”
”Maybe. Maybe not. He just never pa.s.ses up the chance that maybe this time he can grab something.”
”Between Gunderson and the E's, I'll take the E's.”
”Your boss feel the same way?”
”Far as I know.”
”But if your boss changed his mind, you would have an agonizing reappraisal.”
”Well, sure. A guy's got to eat.”
6
The west wall of the E club room began to glow, lose its appearance of solidity. Cal signaled his orderly to lift away his table. Now, where the west wall had been, another room seemed to join this one, an office.
A large man in a brown suit made an entrance through the door of the office and sat down back of the desk. His face was drawn with weariness.
”I am Bill Hayes,” he said. ”Sector administration chief of the Eden area. I am acting moderator of this review. We follow the usual rules of procedure. I just want to say, as an aside, that the scientists involved in this problem have been up all night reviewing every known fact about Eden. We ask the indulgence of the E's not only for the kind of knowledge that may prove too little, but for any strain caused by trying to a.s.semble such ma.s.sive data into order in so short a time.
”For the press, let me say we are aware of some questions of why we didn't immediately send out a fleet of s.h.i.+ps as soon as the call failed to come through. A military man does not rush troops into battle until he has some idea of what he must oppose; even a plumber needs to get some idea of the problem before he knows what tools to take with him. It would serve no constructive purpose to rush an unprepared fleet out to rescue, and might prove the highest folly.”
All over E.H.Q., in the various buildings where anybody was directly concerned, the same effect would be taking place as appeared here in the club room. The tri-di screen wall would seem to join the room of the person speaking. A pressed b.u.t.ton signaled the desire to speak, and like the chairman of a meeting, Bill Hayes decided whom to recognize. It was a way to conduct a meeting of two or three thousand people as intimately as a small conference.
”The E's have signaled they are ready for the Eden briefing,” Hayes continued formally. He faded out his own office, and was immediately replaced by an astrophysics laboratory. The review of Eden was under way.