Denison said, wistfully, “I would have liked to see his face, but that’s a small ambition.”
“Lamont, of course, is receiving the lion’s share. He’s on the spot.”
“I don’t mind that. He deserves a good deal.… Do you think Neville will really join us?”
“No question. He’s on his way at this moment.… Listen,” Gottstein’s voice dropped one conspiratorial note in pitch. “Before he comes, would you like a bar of chocolate?”
“What?”
“A bar of chocolate. With almonds. One. I have some.”
Denison’s face, from initial confusion, suddenly lit with comprehension. “Real chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Certain—” His face hardened. “No, Commissioner.”
“No?”
“No! If I taste real chocolate then, for the few minutes it’s in my mouth, I’m going to miss Earth; I’m going to miss everything about it. I can’t afford that. I don’t want it.… Don’t even show it to me. Don’t let me smell it or see it.”
The Commissioner looked discomfited. “You’re right.” He made an obvious attempt to change the subject. “The excitement on Earth is overwhelming. Of course, we made a considerable effort to save Hallam’s face. He’ll continue to hold some position of importance, but he’ll have little real say.”
“He’s getting more consideration than he gave others,” said Denison, resignedly.
“It’s not for his sake. You can’t smash a personal image that has been built to a level of such importance; it would reflect on science itself. The good name of science is more important than Hallam either way.”
“I disapprove of that in principle,” said Denison, warmly. “Science must take what blows it deserves.”
“A time and place for—There’s Dr. Neville.”
Gottstein composed his face. Denison shifted his chair to face the entrance.
Barron Neville entered solemnly. Somehow there was less than ever of the Lunar delicacy about his figure. He greeted the two curtly, sat down, and crossed his legs. He was clearly waiting for Gottstein to speak first.
The Commissioner said, “I am glad to see you, Dr. Neville. Dr. Denison tells me that you refused to append your name to what I am sure will be a classic paper on the cosmeg pump.”
“No need to do so,” said Neville. “What happens on Earth is of no interest to me.”
“You are aware of the cosmeg pump experiments? Of its implications?”
“All of them. I know the situation as well as you two do.”
“Then I will proceed without preliminaries. I have returned from Earth, Dr. Neville, and it is quite settled as to what will be the course of future procedure. Large cosmeg pump stations will be set up on three different places on the Lunar surface in such a way that one will always be in the night-shadow. Half the time, two will be. Those in the night-shadow will be constantly generating energy, most of which will simply radiate into space. The purpose will be not so much to use the energy for practical purposes, as to counteract the changes in field intensities introduced by the Electron Pump.”
Denison interrupted. “For some years, we will have to overbalance the Electron Pump to restore our section of the Universe to the point at which it was before the pump began operation.”
Neville nodded. “Will Luna City have the use of any of it?”
“If necessary. We feel the Solar batteries will probably supply what you need, but there is no objection to supplementation.”
“That is kind of you,” said Neville, not bothering to mask the sarcasm. “And who will build and run the cosmeg pump stations?”
“Lunar workers, we hope,” said Gottstein.
“Lunar workers, you know,” said Neville. “Earth workers would be too clumsy to work effectively on the Moon.”
“We recognize that,” said Gottstein. “We trust the men of the Moon will cooperate.”
“And who will decide how much energy to generate, how much to apply for any local purpose, how much to radiate away? Who decides policy?”
Gottstein said, “The government would have to. It’s a matter of planetary decision.”
Neville said, “You see, then, it will be Moonmen who do the work; Earthmen who run the show.”
Gottstein said, calmly, “No. All of us work who work best; all of us administer who can best weigh the total problem.”
“I hear the words,” said Neville, “but it boils down anyway to us working and you deciding.… No, Commissioner. The answer is no.”
“You mean you won’t build the cosmeg pump stations?”
“We’ll build them, Commissioner, but they’ll be ours. We’ll decide how much energy to put out and what use to make of it.”
“That would scarcely be efficient. You would have to deal constantly with the Earth government since the cosmeg pump energy