Page 86 - Astounding Pulp V2
P. 86

REQLllE~{                                   87
                      86                        A STO u).J DI ?--:G  SClEXCE-FI CTIO~
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                                                                                                                     and  in  such  cases  must  be  protected.   equipment  for  :.tratu  tl isl_1c.   ·1~ht·  Lllc
                         "Th  ·n ,  aftt:r  the- ckpartmc11t  o f  trans-  Mr. K alllt:llS touk  tht:  floor.  "May it   "I  shall  take  this  matter  under  ad-  lunar  t'pht'11wridc:- h;n  <.:II  t  arn n ·d   ,1...,
                      p  1;·t  lin-11s(·s  h t:i·  f,ff  strat,)  flight,  you   please  the  court-ii  my  e ·teemed  ~rien_d   vi  ement  unt'il tomorrow.  Court  is  ad-  yet...   - ..
                      n, JVC  lfJ  a  p ie ·c  o f  d  •sert  out  \ V CSt-  is  quite  th rough- f  su.-rgc ·t  that  111  l11s   journed."               "\\'hen do ,·ou exp<.'Cl  them :-
                      J ' 11  find  a  likc:Jy  p an.:el  o f  lan d  ancl  hl~Y   last  few  words  lll)'  opponent ga\'e  away                           " !\ ny ti mc--- thl'y :-huu~d. ht•  ht•:·t·  m>w.
                      ~t-ancl  th<:n  ] ·11  jr i 11  you.  T hen  we II   his  entire  thesis.  'The  linancial  inter-                                 K ot  that  it  matter:-.   1  ht:-_  g-utr  about
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                      1 nstall  the  cx tra  fu<.:I  ta nks,  cha nge  thc   ests  of  future  heirs  and  assigns.'  l t  is   From  the Kansas  City Star:   how  hard  it  i~ w  navi~tc  I rom  ht·i·t•  t,)
                       jnj cctor s  a n d  t i111crs  a nd  so  forth,  to   evident  that  the  pt::titio11crs  bclic\'e  that   ECCENTRIC  MILLIONAIRE  DISAPPEARS   I he  :\[oon  i:;  hokum  10  m1prc:-~  the  pul~-
                       fit  h e r  f r)i·  the  h op.   ] T 1w  about  it?"   my  client  should  conduct  his  a ffairs  i11   -failed  to  appear  for  the  adjourned   lic.  A fter  all.  ynu  <.·an  s,·,·  ~-nu1_·  d~--1 ,-
                         J\.T c f nty r c  lo ok ed  dubious.  "It'll  t~ke   such a fashion as to in ·ure that his nieces   hearing.  The  bailiffs  returned  from  a   nat1011- i  ~   ·.
                                                                                                                                                                 ' t ' ·  1101  lik<.'  nn·an  na, ig-atwn.
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                       a  lot  rJf  <foing .   C harlie,  d o  y ou  think   a nd  nephews,  and  their  issue.  will  be   search  of  places  usually  frequented  hy   ,in11nc  "  ~----- .,   •   •  :-.
                                                                                                                                                                 ...  . , .. ,-1 ... ttt  :tnd  :l  crood  ::-tadtnlt:'l<.'r
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                       you  ca n  accom plis h  that  change-over   supported  in  unearned  luxury  for  the         Harriman  with  lhe  report  that  he  h:i<.I   1 ·11  set  ,·011  dnw n  any  pbl·c  on  the
                                                                                                                      not  been  seen  since  the  prc,·ious  day.   I
                       w ithout  a  d ockya rd  and  shop s '?''   .   rest  of  their  li,·es.  \l y  client's  wiie  has                               :tllC       ·     .           ·  o- an  al-
                                                                                                                      A  bench  warrant  under  contempt  pro-  1\(OO11  )-0 11  Jik~- ,,·11hout  0 p <:n 1 n h  •   •
                         '·Mc ?   Su1·c,  I  can-with  yOLll'  th1ck -  passed  on ;  he  has  no  children.  It  is   ceedings has  been  issued  and-         01 .  a  ·t ... ,·  table-JUSt  ,ron  ...  ::-
                                                                                                                                                                                         l  ..,  <YCtl-
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                       finge 1·cd  h e lp .   Just  g i,•c  me  the  tools   admitted  that  he  ha.'  prO\·idcd  gener-                                 111ana    c   :.  ..  ,   •   •   •  ··d ·  ·  -
                                                       1                                                                                                 era! knowledge of the  rclat,,·c :,pu.:   ~ m
                       and  mat e ria ls  J  wan t,  and  d on 't  hurry   ously  for  his  sisters  and  their  cl.1ildren   A DESERT  sunset is  a  better  stimulant
                       n1e  too  m u ch.  Of  coui·se,  it  won 't  he   in  times  past,  a nd  that  he  has  e  tab-                                  Yoh·ed."
                                                                                                                                                           "N ever  mind  the  pcr:;011_3!  build-up.
                       fa ncy-"                                                                                      for the appetite  than a  hot dance  orcl~cs-
                                                                   }ish ed  annuiti~  for  such  near  kin as  are   tra.  Charlie  testified  to  this  by  polish-  " ..   ha rlic  told  h1111.   .. \Yc 1 l
                                                                                                                                                           O  till
                         '·Nobo d y  wan ts  it  to be  fan cy.  I  just   w ithout  means  of  support.             ing off  the  last  of  the  ham  graYy  ,vith   C  I  lbu .., ,   ·  }
                                                                                                                                                         admit  you  can  hit  t he  floor  \\_·it  ,  yo~ir
                       w ant  a  s hip  t h at  won "t  blow  w hen  I   '' But  now,  like  vultures-w0r. e  than                                             The  o-eneral  idea  i::;.  you  re  rea  y
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                       s tart  slapping  t he  k eys."             vultures,. for t hey  are  not content  to  let   a piece of bread.  Harriman handed  each   1 at  .   o   .  I  , ,.
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                                                                                                                     ~ the younger men  cigars  and  took  one
                                                                                                                                                         to cro  no\\".  I s  that  ng tl .
                         " It  won 't  hlow,  -;\if ac."           him  <lie  in  peace- they  would  prevent       hunself.                                b    •   •   , .
                         "Th a t 's  w h at  you  t hought  a bout  the   my  cli~nt  from  enjoying  his  wealth  in                                      "Thal s  tt.             1   co uld  run
                       Care free."               •                                                                    ''My  doctor  claims  that  these  weeds   "That"  beino- the  case.   .   .   •
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                                                                   whateve1·  ma nner  best  suits  him  for  the                                                      -  1   I'm  ...,ett mg  ;ump:,-
                                                                                                                                                                                             ti  1 -
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                                                                                                                                                                      111
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                          "That ain't fair,  M a c.  I  ask  you, Mr.   few  remaining  years  of  his  life.  • It  is   a_re  bad  for  my  heart  condition ,"  Har-  those  tests  to g , t.   0 -0111 0- too  :.1noo  1  )  •
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                       Ha1-rirnan-  that  h eap  was  junk,  and   true  that  he  has  sold  his  holdings;  is  it   ttnian  remarked  as  he  Jio-hted  his,  ''but   f  thino-s  have   b  een  o   o   l t  to
                                                                                                                                        0
                                                                                                                                                            you
                       we kne w  if.  This'll  be  differ'ent.  vVe're   strange  that  an  elderly  man  houlc)  wish   I've  felt  so  much  better since  I  joined   -I .  711  o·ive  m e  a  hand,  we  oug l
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                       g o i.n g  to  sp e nd  som e  <la u g h  an<l  do  it   to  r etire?  It  is  true  that  he  suffered   rou  boys  here  on  the  ranch  that  I. am   be  in bed  by  m1dn1g-h t. .   .   . rr  _  ••
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                       r ight.   Ain't  w e,  l\,fr.  Harriman?"                                                     clined  to  doubt  him.''  .H e  exhaled  a ·   "0  K   \tVhen  I  finish  this  c1ba1 . .
                                                                   some  paper  losses  in  liquidation.  'The                                                ·   ·       .   . 1   e  fol"  a  w h dc.
                          H animan  p atted  him  on  the  shoul-  value  o f  a  thing  is  what  that  thing  will   ~loud  of  blue-gray smoke  and  resumed.   They  smok ed  m  St en c   .  o·  trip  and
                                                                                                                                                                                            .
                                                                                                                                                                .  1-·  o- bout the  commo
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                       der.   '·Ce r tainly  w e  a re,  C hai-lie.  You                                             I don't  think  a  man's  health  depends   each  t 1111 ,mo a   .   O ld  Harriman
                                                                   bring.'  H e  was  refiring  and  de111anded                                                ·    ant  to  htm.
                       can  have all  the  m on ey you  w ant.  That's   cash.  I s  there  anything  strange  about   so much on what he does  as  on whether   what  1t  me   .    n t  that  pos-
                                                                                                                                                                    .
                       the  le a st  o f  oui·  won-ies.   Now,  do  the                                            he  wants  to  do  it.  I'm  doing  what  I   tried  to  r ept ess  the  ex c1tem e
                                                                                                                                                                             -.  ect of  im m ediate
                                                                   that?
                            ·
                       sala 1ies  a nd  bonu ses  I  m entioned  suit                                               Want to  do.''                          ed  him  at  the  prosp
                                                                     · '' It is  a<l1i1itted  that he  refused  to dis-                                  sess_   .   f  I .  lifeloi10- dream.
                       you ?  I  d on 't  w ant  you  to  be  sh ort."                                               ''That's  all  a  man  can  ask  of  life,"   realtzat10n  o  . u s   ,,   b
                                                                   cuss  his  actions  with  his  so-loving  kin-
                                                                                                                    agreed  McIntyre.                      " l\s 1 •  H arr11na.n-  •  ? ' ,
                                                                    folk.  \.Vhat  law,  or  principle.  requires    "B                         b   ?"       •.1  •
                          "-a s  y o u  know,  my  clients  a re  his   a ' man  to  co!1sult  with  his  nephews  on   ow does the work look now,  oys ·   "Eh?  What is  it,  CI:iad1e .
                       nearest  1:elatives  a nd  have  his  interests   anything?                                   " My  end's  in  pretty  goo  d  I   "   "H-ow  do~s  a  g uy  b  o-o  about  getting
                                                                                                                                               s ,ape,
                                                                                                                                                              ·
                       a t  heart.   \Ne  contend  that  lVIr.  Hani-  "The,refore,  we  pray  that  this  court   Charlie answered.  "We finished the sec-  rich  ltke y ou   d"d ?"
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                       m a n 's conduct  for  the  past  several weeks,   will  confirm  my  client  in  his  right  to   ond  pressure  tests  on  the  new·  tanks   "Getting  rich .   can  't  say ·  I  n ever
                                                                                                                                                                                       '
                       as  s hown  by  the e vidence  here adduced,   do  what  he  likes  with  his  own,  deny   and  the  fuel  lines  today.  The  ground   .·  d  to o·et  rich.  I  neve r  want~d  to. be
                                                                                                                   tests are all done,  except the calibration· ·  t11e   b          ythmo- ltke
                                                                                                                                                          . 1  o1·  well  known,  or  an
                       giv e s  clea1- indication  that  a  mind,  once   this  pedtion,  and  send  these  meddlers                                     nc1,                              b
                       b rillian t  in  the  world  of finance,  has be-  about their business."                   runs.  Those  won't  take  long-just the
                                                                  ....                                                                                  that"
                       com e  senile.  It  is ,  therefore,  with  the   The  judge  took off his.spectacles  and   four  hours  to  make  the  runs  if  I  don't   "Huh?"   ,               .
                       d ee pest  r eg1·et  that  ,ve · pray  this  hon-  polished  them  thoughtfully.            run  into  some  bugs.  How  abou_t  you,   "No  I  just wanted to live a  long time
                       orab lc  court,  if it plea ses, to declare  Mr.   '' Mr. ,Kamens,  this  court  has  as  high   Mac?"     .                            '  ·t  11  l1a1)pen.  I  wasn 't  unus ual ;
                                                                                                                                                                                               i"
                       Harrima n  incompetent  and  to  assign  a   a  feganl  for  individual  liberty  as  you     McIntyre  ticked  them  off  on  his  fin-  an  d  see  1  a          .
                                                                                                                                                        there  were  lots  of  boys  like  m e-rac io
                       conservator  to  protect  his  financial  in-  h ave,  and  you  may  rest  assured  that   g~rs.  "Food  supplies  and  water · on   barns,  they were;- and  telescop·e  btul:1e r s,
                       ter e s ts  a nd  t h ose  o f  his  future  h eirs  and   any  action  taken  will  be  solely  in  the   board.  Three vacuum suits, a spare, and·   and airplane amateurs .  We hac!  scie n ce
                       a ssig n s."  .  T h e   a ttorney  sat  d ~wn,   interests  of  your  client.  Nevertheless,   service  kits.   Medical  supplies.   The   clubs,  and  basement  laborato ries,  a.n et
                                                                                                                   buggy  already  had  all  the  standard
                       p leased  w ith  himself.                    men do g ro\v  old, men  do  become senile,
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