Page 81 - Astounding Pulp V2

80

REOUIEffi

ff w as a matter of business and investments-but it wouldn't stay
tha t way. for a man who'd dreamJ?d, and financed those dreams.

By Robert H. Heinlein

lllu:itrate d by M. Is ip

O n a ltigli /Jill i11 _c;a111oa t/1crc is a racet rack. R ec.I and gold letters an-
grave . lns,ri!Jcd 0 11 tl,c m ark er arc these nounced :
words : T his way to the
M OO.V l<OC Kf:.1' ! ! ! I
" Und er thl' wid e a11d s /arr _, sf<}' See it in actual flight ! , ·
,
Dig m y !JYavc r111d /rt 1 11 P I ii!. Public Demonstration fl ights
Clnd did I l ive and _qladl~• die TWICE DAILY
A ,w I la3,· m e dow11 w iilz a w ill! T his is the ACT UAL T YP E used by the
F irst Men to Reach the MOO N ! !
'" Th is be th e vers e 3•0 11 g rave Jo y m e : Y OU can ride in it I !- $25
H e,·e lie lies w h ere lie lon g ed to be,
l-Jo m c is lh e sa ilnr , h om e from the s ea, A boy, nine or t_en years old. hung
A n,d //, e l11wteY /z om c from the lzill."
around the entrance and stared at the
posters.
These lines appear aJLother place-
"Want to see the ship. son ?''
s crawled o n a shi pping tag l orn from a
C(Yl'ltpres sed-air co-ntainer, and pinned to The kid's eyes shone. "Gee, mister,
the gro und -z.uith a, knife. I sure would.",
"So would I. Come on."
IT was _not much o f a fair, as fairs go.· Harriman paid out fifty cents for two
Th<: trotting races didn't promise much pink tickets which entitled him and the ,
e x~1tement, even though several entries boy to enter the inclosure and examine
claimed the blood of the immortal Dan th_e rocketship. The kid ran on ahead get was in its proper place. I-le knew "Oh, I say, captain . . . er . .
Patch. The tents and concession booths with the single-minded preoccupation· of them-'graven in his heart. . uh-"
bare ly cover ed the circus grounds, and boyhood. Harriman looked over the, While he mused over the mstrument ·'?IIclntyre.''
•·c t · ·McIntyre, could you take a
the pitchmen seemed discouraged. stubby curved lines of the ovoid body. hoard with the warm liquid of content ap am · · ? '' The old
He noted with a professional eye. that passenger this tnp • . m an
D. D. Harriman's chauffeur could not soakii~o- throuo-h his body, the pilot en- rd
she was a single-jet type with fractional 1:, t, leaned eagerly towa _hun.
see a ny reason for stopping. They were tered aild touched his arm.
controls around her midriff. He squinted "vVhy, yes, if you wish: C~me al~ng
due in Kansas City for a directors' meet- "Sorry, sir. We've got to cast loose
!lu-ough his glasses at the name painted • l " 1·-:r e ushered 1-Iarnman into
•
:--.i.
•
•
ing ; that is to say, Harriman was. The m gold on ~he car._nival red of the body, for the flight." wit 1 me. ·l<e<l "Office' wh1ch stood nea r \ ..
a
chauffeur had pr-ivate reasons for Carefree. H e paid another quarter to "Eh ?" Harriman started, then look.ed a s 1 cl 1e m 1
the gate. " Passenger for a check-oYer,
promptness. 1·eason s in_volving darktown enter the control cabjn. / at the speaker. Handsome devil, with "
society on Eighteenth S treet. But t)1e a good skull and strong· shoulders- d 0 ~ arriman permitted_ the 1~1edil..'.o to run
th
boss not only s topped; he hung around. VIREN his eyes had adjusted to the reckless eyes and a self-indulgent mou • a stethoscope over h1s thm chest and
He didn't seern much interested in the gloom caused by the strong ray filters but a firm chin. "Oh, excuse me, cap- to strap a rubber bandage around his ....
racetrack or sideshows, though. of the ports/ he let them rest lovingly tain." arm. Presently the doctor unstrapped
.
B unting and a canvas arch made the on the keys of the console and the semi- "Quite all right."
e n t rance to a large inclosure beyond the circle of dials above. Each beloved gad-