Part 45 (1/2)
”Regretresearchof such extreme delicacyvibration
terade”
He sought out his long-ti him in a temporary office half a block away from the Hall ”What's the story, Jerry?” he asked ”The _real_ story, I mean?”
”You know, as much about it as I do, Ben Garlock and Ja to detail me on that kind of business, you know”
This should have satisfied any nek, but Bundy's nose still itched
Hethat he could read nothing except Banks' outerhts
”Welled ”All you have to do, Jerry, is tell me screens-half-down that your da I can't do,” Banks admitted; and Bundy could not detect that any part of his sheepishness was feigned ”You're just too das? So that's it?”
”Yup I told Evans it ht not work”
That should have satisfied the reporter, but it didn't ”Now it doesn't smell just a trifle cheesy; it stinks like rotten fish You won't go screens down on that one, either”
”No co that Gerald Banks, the top press-agent of all time, actually doesn't _want_ publicity! The starshi+p works--this lack-of-control stuff is the bunk--fro flat--Garlock's back, and he's brought--what _have_ you got in there, Jerry?”
”The only way I can tell you is in confidence, for Evans' release I'd like to, Ben, believe me, but I can't”
”Confidence, hell! Do you think on't get it?”
”In that case, no coan
Newshounds and detectives questioned and peered and probed They dug intoThey recalled and taped and sifted all the gossip they had heard They got a picture of sorts, but it wasand incomplete And, since it was certain that inter-systeuess was far too apt to be wrong Thus nothing went on the air or appeared in print; and, although the surface remained calard Banks and harried Evans greeted Garlock with shouts of joy when the four wanderers came back to spend the week end on Earth
”I'll talk to 'e story had been told
”Have soet hold of Bundy and ask him to come out”
”Get _hold_ of him!” Banks snorted ”He's here Twenty-four hours a day
Eating sandwiches and cat-napping on chairs in the lobby All you have to do is unseal that door”
Garlock flung the door wide Bundy rushed in, followed by a more-or-less steady stream of some fifty other top-bracket newspeople, both ive us sorily
”I'll give you _all_ the screens-down”
”Clee!” ”You're crazy!” ”You can't!” ”Don't!” Belle and all the Operators protested at once
Ignoring the objections, Garlock cut his shi+eld to half and gave the whole group a true account of everything that had happened in the galaxy Then, while they were all too stunned to speak, a grin of saturnine amusement spread over his dark, five-o'clock-shadowed face