Man Who Sold the Moon Part 29

Steinke looked up at his approach. "Chief!" he called out, "Chief! I've got my mathematics back!"

King looked bewildered, then nodded vaguely, and let him be. He turned back to Harper. "How does it happen you're here?"

"Me? I'm here to report-we've done it, Chief!"

"Eh?"

"We've finished; it's all done. Erickson stayed behind to complete the power plant installation on the big s.h.i.+p. I came over in the s.h.i.+p we'll use to shuttle between Earth and the big s.h.i.+p, the power plant. Four minutes from G.o.ddard Field to here in her. That's the pilot over there." He pointed to the door, where Greene's solid form partially hid Lentz.

"Wait a minute. You say that everything is ready to install the pile in the s.h.i.+p? You're sure?"

"Positive. The big s.h.i.+p has already flown with our fuel-longer and faster than she will have to fly to reach station in her orbit; I was in it-out in s.p.a.ce, Chief! We're all set, six ways from zero."

King stared at the dumping switch, mounted behind gla.s.s at the top of the instrument board. "There's fuel enough," he said softly, as if he were alone and speaking only to himself, "there's been fuel enough for weeks."

He walked swiftly over to the switch, smashed the gla.s.s with his fist, and pulled it.

The room rumbled and s.h.i.+vered as tons of molten, ma.s.sive metal, heavier than gold, coursed down channels, struck against baffles, split into a dozen dozen streams, and plunged to rest in leaden receivers-to rest, safe and harmless, until it should be rea.s.sembled far out in s.p.a.ce.