coincidence. Crile Fisher would have to be kept steady and functioning once that inevitable prospect became clearly apparent reality.
Tessa said cajolingly, 'There's only a two-month wait left - at most. Since we've waited for years, another two months won't hurt.'
'It's the waiting for years that makes even two months more unbearable,' muttered Fisher.
'Tell yourself otherwise, Crile,' said Wendel. 'Learn to bow to necessity. The Global Congress simply won't allow us to go any sooner. The Settlements have their eyes on us, and there's no way of being sure that they all accept the notion that we're heading for Mars. It would be strange if they did, considering Earth's poor record in space. If we do nothing for two months, they will assume we're having trouble - something they would readily believe, and find satisfaction in - and withdraw their attention.'
Fisher shook his head angrily. 'Who cares if they know what we're doing? We'll be off and gone and they won't duplicate Superluminal flight for years - and by that time we'll have a fleet of Superluminal vessels and be moving rapidly forward toward opening up the Galaxy.'
'Don't take that for granted. It's easier to imitate and overtake than it is to originate. And Earth's government, considering its dismal record in space after the Settlements reached maturity, is obviously anxious to establish unmistakable priority for psychological reasons.' She shrugged. 'Besides, we need the time to carry out more tests on the Superluminal under low-gravity conditions.'
'There's never any end to tests, is there?'
'Don't be impatient. This is so new and untried a technique, and so unlike anything humanity has ever had, that it is all too easy to think of new tests, especially since we are a little uncertain as to the manner in which moving into and out of hyperspace is affected by the level of intensity of a gravitational field. Seriously, Crile, you can't blame us for beingcautious. After all, as recently as a decade ago, superluminal flight was considered theoretically impossible.'
'Even caution can be overdone.'
'Possibly. Eventually, I will decide that we've done all we can reasonably be expected to do, and then we'll take off. I promise you, Crile, we won't wait unreasonably. I won't overdo caution.'
'I hope not.'
Wendel looked at him doubtfully. She had to ask. She said, 'You know, Crile, you're not yourself lately. For the last two months you've seemed to be burning up with impatience. For a while there you had cooled down, and then you suddenly gained excitement again. Has something happened that I don't know about?'
Fisher calmed suddenly. 'Nothing's happened. What can possibly have happened?'
To Wendel, it seemed he had calmed down too quickly, had wrenched himself into a most suspicious affectation of normality. She said, 'I'm asking you what can possibly have happened. I've tried to warn you, Crile, that we are not likely to find Rotor a functioning world, or find it at all. We will not find your - we are not likely to find any of its inhabitants alive.' She waited through his stubborn silence, then said, 'Haven't I warned you of that - possibility?'
'Often,' said Fisher.
'Yet you sound, now, as though you can hardly wait for what is sure to be a happy reunion. It is dangerous to have hopes that are not likely to be fulfilled, to pin everything upon them. What has suddenly produced this new attitude? Have you been talking to someone who was unjustifiably optimistic?'
Fisher flushed. 'Why do I have to have been talking to someone? Why couldn't I have come to an independent conclusion concerning this, or any other matter? Just because I don't understand the theoretical physics that you do understand doesn't mean I'm subnormal or brainless.'
Wendel said, 'No, Crile. I never thought anything of the sort about you, nor did I mean to imply it. Tell me what you think about Rotor.'
'Nothing terribly deep or subtle. It just seemed to me that there was nothing in empty space that is very likely to have destroyed Rotor. It's easy to say that there might only be the dead hulk of a Settlement at Rotor, if it reached the Neighbor Star at all, but what is it that would have destroyed them either on the way or once they were there? I defy you to give me a specific scenario of destruction - collisions - alien intelligences - whatever.'
Wendel said earnestly, 'Crile, I can't. I have no mystical visions of something having happened. It's just hyper-assistance itself. It's a tricky technique, Crile. Take