O'Neil eyed him. «It's stolen property.»
«You're mistaken. Nor will you find anyone to take an interest in such a charge. Now about this job – »
O'Neil pulled his eyes away from the bowl. «What is it you wish me to do?»
Clare explained the problem to him. When he had concluded O'Neil shook his head. «That's ridiculous,» he said.
«We have reason to feel that it is theoretically possible.»
«Oh, certainly! It's theoretically possible to live forever, too. But no one has ever managed it.»
«We think you can do it.»
«Thank you for nothing. Say!» O'Neil stabbed a finger at him out of the screen. «You set that young pup Carson on me!»
«He was acting under my orders.»
«Then, sir, I do not like your manners.»
«How about the job? And this?» Clare indicated the bowl.
O'Neil gazed at it and chewed his whiskers. «Suppose,» he said, at last, «I make an honest attempt to the full extent of my ability, to supply what you want – and I fail.»
Clare shook his head. «We pay only for results. Oh, your salary, of course, but not
O'Neil seemed about to agree, then said suddenly, «You may be fooling me with a colorgraph. I can't tell through this damned screen.»
Clare shrugged. «Come see for yourself.»
«I shall. I will. Stay where you are. Where are you? Damn it, sir, what's your
He came storming in two hours later. «You've tricked me! The 'Flower' is still in England. I've investigated. I'll ... I'll
«See for yourself,» answered Clare. He stepped aside, so that his body no longer obscured O'Neil's view of Clare's desk top.
They let him look. They respected his need for quiet and let him look. After a long time he turned to them, but did not speak.
«Well?» asked Clare.
«I'll build your damned gadget,» he said huskily. «I figured out an approach on the way here.»
Beaumont came in person to call the day before the first session of the conference. «Just a social call, Mr. Clare,» he stated. «I simply wanted to express to you my personal appreciation for the work you have done. And to deliver this.»
«This» turned out to be a draft on the Bank Central for the agreed fee. Clare accepted it, glanced at it, nodded, and placed it on his desk.
«I take it, then,» he remarked, «that the Government is satisfied with the service rendered.»
«That is putting it conservatively,» Beaumont assured him. «To be perfectly truthful, I did not think you could do so much. You seem to have thought of everything. The Callistan delegation is out now, riding around and seeing the sights in one of the little tanks you had prepared. They are delighted. Confidentially, I think we can depend on their vote in the coming sessions.»
«Gravity shields working all right, eh?»
«Perfectly. I stepped into their sightseeing tank before we turned it over to them. I was as light as the proverbial feather. Too light – I was very nearly spacesick.» He smiled in wry amusement. «I entered the Jovian apartments, too. That was quite another matter.»
«Yes, it would be,» Clare agreed. «Two and a half times normal weight is oppressive to say the least.»
«It's a happy ending to a difficult task. I must be going. Oh, yes, one other little matter – I've discussed with Doctor O'Neil the possibility that the Administration may be interested in other uses for his new development. In order to simplify the matter it seems desirable that you provide me with a quitclaim to the O'Neil effect from General Services.»
Clare gazed thoughtfully at the «Weeping Buddha» and chewed his thumb. «No,» he said slowly, «No. I'm afraid that would be difficult.»
«Why not?» asked Beaumont. «It avoids the necessity of adjudication and attendant waste of time. We are prepared to recognize your service and recompense you.»
«Hmmm. I don't believe you fully understand the situation, Mr. Beaumont. There is a certain amount of open territory between our contract with Doctor O'Neil and your contract with us. You asked of us certain services and certain chattels with which to achieve that service. We provide them – for a fee. All done. But our contract with Doctor O'Neil made him a full-time employee for the period of his employment. His research results and the patents embodying them are the property of General Services.»
«Really?» said Beaumont. «Doctor O'Neil has a different impression.»
«Doctor O'Neil is mistaken. Seriously, Mr. Beaumont – you asked us to develop a siege gun, figuratively speaking, to shoot a gnat. Did you expect us, as businessmen, to throw away the siege gun after one shot?»
«No, I suppose not. What do you propose to do?»
«We expect to exploit the gravity modulator commercially. I fancy we could get quite a good price for certain adaptations of it on Mars.»
«Yes. Yes, I suppose you could. But to be brutally frank, Mr. Clare, I am afraid that is impossible. It is a matter of imperative public policy that this development be limited to terrestrials. In fact, the administration would find it necessary to intervene and make it government monopoly.»
«Have you considered how to keep O'Neil quiet?»
«In view of the change in circumstances, no. What is your thought?»
«A corporation, in which he would hold a block of stock and be president. One of our bright young men would be chairman of the board.» Clare thought of Carson. «There would be stock enough to go around,» he added, and watched Beaumont's face.
Beaumont ignored the bait. «I suppose that this corporation would be under contract to the Government – its sole customer?»
«That is the idea.»
«Mmmm ... yes, it seems feasible. Perhaps I had better speak with Doctor O'Neil.»
«Help yourself.»
Beaumont got O'Neil on the screen and talked with him in low tones. Or, more properly, Beaumont's tones, were low. O'Neil displayed a tendency to blast the microphone. Clare sent for Francis and Grace and explained to them what had taken place.
Beaumont turned away from the screen. «The Doctor wishes to speak with you, Mr. Clare.»
O'Neil looked at him frigidly. «What is this claptrap I've had to listen to, sir? What's this about the O'Neil effect being your property?»
«It was in your contract, Doctor. Don't you recall?»
«Contract! I never read the damned things. But I can tell you this: I'll take you to court. I'll tie you in knots before I'll let you make a fool of me that way.»
«Just a moment, Doctor, please!» Clare soothed. «We have no desire to take advantage of a mere legal technicality, and no one disputes your interest. Let me outline what I had in mind – « He ran rapidly over the plan. O'Neil listened, but his expression was still unmollified at the conclusion.
«I'm not interested,» he said gruffly. «So far as I am concerned the Government can have the whole thing. And I'll see to it.»
«I had not mentioned one other condition,» added Clare.
«Don't bother.»
«I must. This will be just a matter of agreement between gentlemen, but it is essential. You have custody of the 'Flower of Forgetfulness.' »
O'Neil was at once on guard. «What do you mean, 'custody.' I own it. Understand me –
» 'Own it,' « repeated Clare. «Nevertheless, in return for the concessions we are making you with respect to
