Part 2 (2/2)
He went on talking, about remote controls and radio transmission and positronic brains and neutrino-circuits They believed it all, even the little they understood They would believe anything he told them about Merlin--except the truth
”But this will take e of unsecured paper currency thirty years ago ”
”I have no doubt,” Judge Ledue began, ”that the Planetary Governht influence with President Vyckhoven ”
”Huh-_uh_!” That was one of Klem Zareff's fellow planters ”We don't want Jake Vyckhoven or any of this First-Fa that bankrupted the Government with doles and work relief, and everybody else orthless printing-pressin a circle deploring things ever since Some of these days Blackie Perales and his pirates'll sack Storisende, for all they'd be able to do to stop hiet a shi+p out to Koshchei, and the next thing you knoe'll be the Planetary Governwyn said
Rodney Maxwell finished the brandy in his glass and set it on the table, then went to the pile of belts and holsters and began ru for his own Kurt Fawzi looked up in surprise
”Rod, you're not leaving are you?” he asked
”Yes It's only half an hour till tiht to have a little fresh air Besides, you knoe haven't seen each other for six years” He buckled on the heavy autoun, did you, Conn?” he asked ”Well, let's go”
III
It wasn't until they were down to the main level and outside in the little plaza to the east of the Airlines Building that his father broke the silence
”That was quite a talk you gave thehtto believe it once or twice”
Conn stopped short; his father halted beside him ”Why didn't you tell them the truth, son?” Rodney Maxwell asked
The question, which he had been throwing at hirab a couple of pistols and shoot the lot of them?” he retorted ”It wouldn't have killed them any deader, and it wouldn't have hurt as much”
”There is no Merlin Is that it?”
He realized, suddenly, that his father had known, or suspected that all along He started to say soain:
”There never was one I was going to tell them, but you saw them I couldn't”
”You're sure of it?”
”The whole thing's a ht to know Thethe War”
”Foxx Travis!” His father's voice was soft onder ”I saw hi ago Why, he must be over a hundred”
”A hundred and twelve He's living on Luna; low gravity's all that keeps him alive”
”And you talked to him?”
”Yes”