miniature Cleopatra.
She said, 'I don't really know. I don't have very definite feelings about this, but the men seem to have talked me into it. Don't you think it's important to get the information to Earth? We've worked out crucial effects on this trip and we need more and better ships, with computers designed to take the gravitational correction into account. We'll be able to make a single transition between the Solar System and the Neighbor Star and do it under stronger gravitational intensities so that we can start closer to the Sun and end closer to the Neighbor Star and not have to spend weeks of coasting at both ends. It seems to me that Earth has to know about this.'
Wendel said, 'I see. The whole point seems to me to be whether it wouldn't be wise to get the information of the gravitational correction back to Earth right now. Wu, is that really as essential as you make it appear? You didn't get the idea for the correction here on the ship. It seems to me that you discussed it with me months ago.' She thought a moment. 'Almost a year ago.'
'We didn't really discuss it, Captain. You were impatient with me, as I recall, and wouldn't really listen.'
'Yes, I've admitted I was mistaken. But you did write it down. I told you to make up a formal report and that I would go over it when I had time.' She held up a hand. 'I know I never had time to go over it, and I don't even recall if I received it, but I imagine, Wu, that you - being you - would have prepared the report in some detail, and with all the reasoning and mathematics anyone could want. Didn't you do that, Wu, and isn't that report in the records?'
Wu's lips seemed to tighten, but his tone of voice did not alter in any way. 'Yes, I prepared the report, but it was just speculation, and I don't suppose anyone else will pay any attention to it - any more than you did, Captain.'
'Why not? Not everyone is as stupid as I am, Wu.'
'Even if they paid attention, it would still be nothing more than speculation. When we go back, we will be able to present proof.'
'Once the speculation exists, someone will get the proof. You know how science works.'
Wu said in a slow and significant tone, 'Someone.'
'Now we have the nature of your concern, Wu. You're not worried that Earth won't obtain a practical method of superluminal flight. You are worried that they will, but that the credit will not be yours. Isn't that right?'
'Captain, there's nothing wrong with that. A scientist has every right to be concerned over matters of priority.'
Wendel positively smoldered. 'Have you forgotten that I am the Captain of this ship and make the decisions?'
'I haven't forgotten that,' said Wu, 'but this is not a sailing vessel of the eighteenth century. We are all scientists, primarily, and we must make decisions in some sort of democratic fashion. If the majority wishes to return-'
'Wait,' said Fisher sharply, 'before this continues, do you mind if I say something? I'm the only one who hasn't spoken and if we're going to be democratic, I would like to take my turn on the floor. May I, Captain?'
'Go ahead,' said Wendel, her right hand clenching and unclenching as though it just longed to grab someone by the throat.
Fisher said, 'Just about seven and a half centuries ago, Christopher Columbus sailed westward from Spain and, eventually, discovered America, though he himself never knew that that was what he had done. En route, he made the discovery that the deviation of the magnetic compass from the true north, the so-called "magnetic declination", changed with longitude. This was an important finding and was, in fact, the first purely scientific discovery made in the course of a sea voyage.
'Now, how many know that Columbus discovered the variation of magnetic declination? Virtually no-one. How many know that Columbus discovered America? Virtually everyone. So suppose that Columbus, on discovering the variation, decided, midway, to go home and make the glad announcement to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, preserving his priority as the discoverer of the phenomenon? That discovery might conceivably have been greeted with interest and the monarchs might eventually have sent out another expedition headed, let us say, by Amerigo Vespucci, who would then have reached America. In that case, who would remember that Columbus had made some sort