Part 23 (1/2)

”Now!” She added, ”That's a bullfrog G, three octaves down”

”This note?”

”That's right”

”Get that on the grid and tell the General to get his shi+ps up! That cuts it to a square ten miles on a side! Now, Betsy - we know al to focus still closer Want to go inside and cool off?”

”I'm not too hot Just sweaty”

Fortyout: ”They've spotted the shi+p! They see her waving!”

LIFE-LINE

THE CHAIRMAN rapped loudly for order Gradually the cat-calls and boos died away as several self-appointed sergeant-at-arms persuaded a few hot-headed individuals to sit down The speaker on the rostrum by the chairman seemed unaware of the disturbance His bland, faintly insolent face was impassive

The chairman turned to the speaker and addressed hier and annoyance were barely restrained

”Dr Pinero” - the ”Doctor” was faintly stressed - ”Iyour reet the dignity proper to men of science as to interrupt a speaker, no reat the provocation” Pinero smiled in his face, a smile that was in some way an open insult The chairman visibly controlled his teram be concluded decently and in order I want you to finish your re our intelligence with ideas that any educated man knows to be fallacious Please confine yourself to your discovery - if you have made one”

Pinero spread his fat, white hands, palms down ”How can I possibly put a new idea into your heads, if I do not first remove your delusions?”

The audience stirred and muttered Someone shouted from the rear of the hall: ”Throw the charlatan out! We've had enough”

The chairavel

”Gentlemen! Please!”

Then to Pinero, ”Must I remind you that you are not a member of this body, and that we did not invite you?”

Pinero's eyebrows lifted ”So? I seem to remember an invitation on the letterhead of the Acade ”True I wrote that invitation myself But it was at the request of one of the trustees - a fine, public-spirited gentleman, but not a scientist, not asuessed Old Bidwell, not so, of Aamated Life Insurance? And he wanted his trained seals to expose me as a fraud, yes? For if I can tell a man the day of his own death, no one will buy his pretty policies But how can you exposeyou had the wit to understand me? Bah! He has sent jackals to tear down a lion” He deliberately turned his back on the of the croelled and took on a vicious tone The chairure in the front row

”Mr Chair and shouted: ”Gentlemen! Dr van Rhein Smitt has the floor” The commotion died away

The doctor cleared his throat, smoothed the forelock of his beautiful white hair, and thrust one hand into a side pocket, of his smartly tailored trousers He assumed his women's-club manner

”Mr Chairman, fellow members of the Academy of Science, let us have tolerance Even a ht to say his say before the State exacts its tribute Shall we do less? Even though one rant Dr Pinero every consideration that should be given by this august body to any unaffiliated colleague, even though” - he bowed slightly in Pinero's direction - ”we ree If what he has to say is false, it cannot harm us If what he has to say is true, we should know it” His”If the eminent doctor's manner appears a trifle inurbane of our tastes, we must bear in mind that the doctor may be from a place, or a stratuood friend and benefactor has asked us to hear this person and carefully assess the nity and decorum”

He sat down to a tumble of applause, comfortably aware that he had enhanced his reputation as an intellectual leader Toood sense and persuasive personality of ”American's Handsomest University President” Who knows; -pool donation

When the applause had ceased, the chairman turned to where the center of the disturbance sat, hands folded over his little round belly, face serene

'Will you continue, Dr Pinero?”