Part 44 (2/2)
The girl kept on ”I, at least, a it just as I”
Her co in that, he stepped in close and tapped her--solidly, but with carefully-measured force--behind the ear Before she could fall, he 'ported her back up into their quarters ”This happens all the tie ”Carry on”
Discussion went on, with less and less acrimony, all the rest of the day And the next day, and the next Then, argu returns, the three starshi+ps took the forty-six couples home
The six Pried with Gerald Banks, the Galaxians' Public Relations Chief Banks was holding his head in both hands
”Garlock, maybe _you_ can tell me,” Banks demanded ”How much of this stuff, if any, can I publish? And if so, _how_?”
”Nothing,” Garlock said, flatly
”What do you think, Thaker?” Belle asked ”You're s,” Garlock said
Belle, Fao, and Delcaan to protest at once, but they were silenced by Thaker hiht My people are not your people; I know not at all how your people think or what they will or will not believe I go”
”That lets Deg and rin, ”so we'll leave that baby on your laps We go, too”
”Well, little Miss Weisenheirabbed the ball--what are you going to do with it?”
”Nothing, I guess” Belle thought for a minute ”We couldn't stuff any part of that down the throat of a si, anyway Tih, I think, e have six or seven hundred planets in each region, instead of only one planet Maybe we'll know so by then Does that make sense?”
”It does to reed
”That Thakern 'we go' business sounds rough at first, but it's contagious Fao and Deggi caught it, and I feel like I' doith it o,” Belle and Garlock said in unison, and vanished
Aboard the _Pleiades_, the next few days passed quietly enough James set up, in the starshi+p's memory banks, a sequence to mass-produce instruction tapes and blueprints Garlock and Belle began systeion Noever, their technique was different If either Prime of any world was not enthusiastic about the project--
”Very well Think it over,” they would say ”We will get in touch with you again in about a year,” and the starshi+p would go on to the next planet
On Earth, however, things became less and less tranquil with every day that passed For, in deciding not to publish anything, Garlock had not considered at all the basic function and the tremendous ability, power, and scope of _The Press_ And Galaxian Hall had never before been closed to the public; not for any hour of any day of any year of its existence
A non-profit organization, dependent upon the public for its tremendous income, the Galaxian Society had always courted that public in every possible ethical way
Thus, in the first hour of closure, a bored reporter came out, read the sht be worth, he thought, half an inch
Later in the day, however, the world's an to itch Did, or did not, this quiet, unannounced closing shtly of cheese? Wherefore, Benjamin Bundy, the newscaster who had covered the starshi+p'sover He found the whole field closed Not only closed, but Gunther-blocked iht He studied the announcement, his sixth sense--the born news every word