Read Online Big Book of Science Fiction by Groff Conklin - Free Book Online
Authors: Groff Conklin
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it
avidly.
~ * ~
“Come
on out and have a look at him,” said Jack.
Zinsser looked at his watch. “I
can’t. All kidding aside, I got to stick by the phone for another half hour at
the very least. Will he be all right out there? There’s hardly anyone around.”
“I think so. Molly’s with him,
and as I told you, they get along beautifully together. That’s one of the
things I want to have investigated—that telepathy angle.” He laughed suddenly. “That
Molly . . . know what she did this afternoon?” He told Zinsser about Molly’s
driving the car through the wrong end of the garage.
“The little hellion,” chuckled
Zinsser. “They’ll all do it, bless ‘em. At some time or other in his life, I
think every kid climbs aboard something he doesn’t know anything about and runs
it wrong. My brother’s kid went to work on the front lawn with his mother’s
vacuum cleaner the other day.” He laughed. “To get back to what’s-his-name—Mewhu,
and this gadget of his. Jack, we’ve got to hang on to it. Do you realize that
he and his clothes and this thing are the only clues we have as to what he is and
where he came from?”
“I sure do. But listen—he’s very
intelligent. I’m sure he’ll be able to tell us plenty.”
“You can bet he’s intelligent,”
said Zinsser. “He’s probably above average on his planet. They wouldn’t send
just anyone on a trip like that. Jack, what a pity we don’t have his ship!”
“Maybe it’ll be back. What’s your
guess as to where he comes from?”
“Mars, maybe.”
“Now, you know better than that.
We know Mars has an atmosphere, but it’s mighty tenuous. An organism the size
of Mewhu would have to have enormous lungs to keep him going. No; Mewhu’s used
to an atmosphere pretty much like ours.”
“That would rule Venus out.”
“He wears clothes quite
comfortably here. His planet must have not only pretty much the same
atmosphere, but the same climate. He seems to be able to take most of our
foods, though he is revolted by some of them—and aspirin sends him high as a
kite. He gets what looks like a laughing drunk on when he takes it.”
“You don’t say. Let’s see; it
wouldn’t be Jupiter, because he isn’t built to take a gravity like that. And
the outer planets are too cold, and_ Mercury is too hot.” Zinsser leaned back
in his chair and absently mopped his bald head. “Jack, this guy doesn’t even
come from this solar system!”
“Gosh. I guess you’re right.
Harry, what do you make of this jet gadget?”
“From the way you say it cuts
wood . . . can I see that, by the way?” Zinsser asked.
“Sure.” Garry went to work on the
jet. He found the right studs to press simultaneously. The casing opened
smoothly. He lifted out the active core of the device, and, handling it
gingerly, sliced a small corner off Zinsser’s desk top.
“That is the strangest thing I
have ever seen,” said Zinsser. “May I see it?”
He took it and turned it over in
his hands. “There doesn’t seem to be any fuel for it,” he said, musingly.
“I think it uses air,” said Jack.
“But what pushes the air?”
“Air,” said Jack. “No—I’m not
kidding. I think that in some way it disintegrates part of the air, and uses
the energy released to activate a small jet. If you had a shell around this
jet, with an intake at one end and a blast tube at the other, it would operate
like a high-vacuum pump, dragging more air through.”
“Or like an athodyd,” said
Zinsser. Garry’s blood went cold as the manager sighted down into the jet
orifice. “For heaven’s sake don’t push that button.”
“I won’t. Say—you’re right. The
tube’s concentric. Now, how on earth could a disruption unit be as small and
light as that?”
Jack Garry said, “I’ve been
chewing on that all day. I have one answer. Can you take something that
avidly.
~ * ~
“Come
on out and have a look at him,” said Jack.
Zinsser looked at his watch. “I
can’t. All kidding aside, I got to stick by the phone for another half hour at
the very least. Will he be all right out there? There’s hardly anyone around.”
“I think so. Molly’s with him,
and as I told you, they get along beautifully together. That’s one of the
things I want to have investigated—that telepathy angle.” He laughed suddenly. “That
Molly . . . know what she did this afternoon?” He told Zinsser about Molly’s
driving the car through the wrong end of the garage.
“The little hellion,” chuckled
Zinsser. “They’ll all do it, bless ‘em. At some time or other in his life, I
think every kid climbs aboard something he doesn’t know anything about and runs
it wrong. My brother’s kid went to work on the front lawn with his mother’s
vacuum cleaner the other day.” He laughed. “To get back to what’s-his-name—Mewhu,
and this gadget of his. Jack, we’ve got to hang on to it. Do you realize that
he and his clothes and this thing are the only clues we have as to what he is and
where he came from?”
“I sure do. But listen—he’s very
intelligent. I’m sure he’ll be able to tell us plenty.”
“You can bet he’s intelligent,”
said Zinsser. “He’s probably above average on his planet. They wouldn’t send
just anyone on a trip like that. Jack, what a pity we don’t have his ship!”
“Maybe it’ll be back. What’s your
guess as to where he comes from?”
“Mars, maybe.”
“Now, you know better than that.
We know Mars has an atmosphere, but it’s mighty tenuous. An organism the size
of Mewhu would have to have enormous lungs to keep him going. No; Mewhu’s used
to an atmosphere pretty much like ours.”
“That would rule Venus out.”
“He wears clothes quite
comfortably here. His planet must have not only pretty much the same
atmosphere, but the same climate. He seems to be able to take most of our
foods, though he is revolted by some of them—and aspirin sends him high as a
kite. He gets what looks like a laughing drunk on when he takes it.”
“You don’t say. Let’s see; it
wouldn’t be Jupiter, because he isn’t built to take a gravity like that. And
the outer planets are too cold, and_ Mercury is too hot.” Zinsser leaned back
in his chair and absently mopped his bald head. “Jack, this guy doesn’t even
come from this solar system!”
“Gosh. I guess you’re right.
Harry, what do you make of this jet gadget?”
“From the way you say it cuts
wood . . . can I see that, by the way?” Zinsser asked.
“Sure.” Garry went to work on the
jet. He found the right studs to press simultaneously. The casing opened
smoothly. He lifted out the active core of the device, and, handling it
gingerly, sliced a small corner off Zinsser’s desk top.
“That is the strangest thing I
have ever seen,” said Zinsser. “May I see it?”
He took it and turned it over in
his hands. “There doesn’t seem to be any fuel for it,” he said, musingly.
“I think it uses air,” said Jack.
“But what pushes the air?”
“Air,” said Jack. “No—I’m not
kidding. I think that in some way it disintegrates part of the air, and uses
the energy released to activate a small jet. If you had a shell around this
jet, with an intake at one end and a blast tube at the other, it would operate
like a high-vacuum pump, dragging more air through.”
“Or like an athodyd,” said
Zinsser. Garry’s blood went cold as the manager sighted down into the jet
orifice. “For heaven’s sake don’t push that button.”
“I won’t. Say—you’re right. The
tube’s concentric. Now, how on earth could a disruption unit be as small and
light as that?”
Jack Garry said, “I’ve been
chewing on that all day. I have one answer. Can you take something that
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