"That's silly. You and George would just carry on, that's all."
"Ask George."
Strong had nothing to say. He did not seem anxious to meet Harriman's eyes. Dixon went on, "Don't try to kid your way out of it, Delos. This venture is you and you are this venture. If you get killed, the whole thing folds up. I don't say space travel folds up; I think you've already given that a boost that will carry it along even with lesser men in your shoes. But as for this venture-our company-it will fold up. George and I will have to liquidate at about half a cent on the dollar. It would take sale of patent rights to get that much. The tangible assets aren't worth anything."
"Damn it, it's the intangibles we sell. You knew that all along."
"You are the intangible asset, Delos. You are the goose that lays the golden eggs. I want you to stick around until you've laid them. You must not risk your neck in space flight until you have this thing on a profit-making basis, so that any competent manager, such as George or myself, thereafter can keep it solvent. I mean it, Delos. I've got too much in it to see you risk it in a joy ride."
Harriman stood up and pressed his fingers down on the edge of his desk. He was breathing hard. "You can't stop me!" he said slowly and forcefully. "Not all the forces of heaven or hell can stop me."
Dixon answered quietly, "I'm sorry, Delos. But I can stop you and I will. I can tie up that ship out there."
"Try it! I own as many lawyers as you do-and better ones!"
"I think you will find that you are not as popular in American courts as you once were-not since the United States found out it didn't own the Moon after all."
"Try it, I tell you. I'll break you and I'll take your shares away from you, too."
"Easy, Delos! I've no doubt you have some scheme whereby you could milk the basic company right away from George and me if you decided to. But it won't be necessary. Nor will it be necessary to tie up the ship. I want the flight to take place as much as you do. But you won't be on it, because you will decide not to go."
"I will, eh? Do I look crazy from where you sit?"
"No, on the contrary."
"Then why won't I go?"
"Because of your note that I hold. I want to collect it."
"What? There's no due date."
"No. But I want to be sure to collect it."
"Why, you dumb fool, if I get killed you collect it sooner than ever."
"Do I? You are mistaken, Delos. If you are killed-on a flight to the Moon-I collect nothing. I know; I've checked with every one of the companies underwriting you. Most of them have escape clauses covering experimental vehicles that date back to early aviation. In any case all of them will cancel and fight it out in court if you set foot inside that ship."
"You put them up to this!"
"Calm down, Delos. You'll be bursting a blood vessel. Certainly I queried them, but I was legitimately looking after my own interests. I don't want to collect on that note-not now, not by your death. I want you to pay it back out of your own earnings, by staj'ing here and nursing this company through till it's stable."
Harriman chucked his cigar, almost unsmoked and badly chewed, at a waste basket. He missed. "I don't give a hoot if you lose on it. If you hadn't stirred them up, they'd have paid without a quiver."
"But it did dig up a weak point in your plans, Delos. If space travel is to be a success, insurance will have to reach out and cover the insured anywhere."
"Confound it, one of them does now-N. A. Mutual."
"I've seen their ad and I've looked over what they claim to offer. It's just window dressing, with the usual escape clause. No, insurance will have to be revamped, all sorts of insurance."
Harriman looked thoughtful. "I'll look into it. George, call Kamens. Maybe we'll have to float our own company."
"Never mind Kamens," objected Dixon. "The point is you can't go on this trip. You have too many details of that sort to watch and plan for and nurse along."
Harriman looked back at him. "You haven't gotten it through your head, Dan, that I'm going! Tie up the ship if you can. If you put sheriffs around it, I'll have goons there to toss them aside."
Dixon looked pained. "I hate to mention this point, Delos, but I am afraid you will be stopped even if I drop dead."
"How?"
"Your wife."
"What's she got to do with it?"
"She's ready to sue for separate maintenance right now-she's found out about this insurance thing. When she hears about this present plan, she'll force you into court and force an accounting of your assets."
"You put her up to it!"
Dixon hesitated. He knew that Entenza had spilled the beans to Mrs. Harriman-maliciously. Yet there seemed no point in adding to a personal feud. "She's bright enough to have done some investigating on her own account. I won't deny I've talked to her-but she sent for me."
"I'll fight both of you!" Harriman stomped to a window, stood looking out-it was a real window; he liked to look at the sky.
Dixon came over and put a hand on his shoulder, saying softly, "Don't take it this way, Delos. Nobody's trying to keep you from your dream. But you can't go just yet; you can't let us down. We've stuck with you this far; you owe it to us to stick with us until it's done."
Harriman did not answer; Dixon went on, "If you don't feel any loyalty toward me, how about George? He's stuck with you against me, when it hurt him, when he thought you were ruining him-and you surely were, unless you finish this job. How about George, Delos? Are you going to let him down, too?"
Harriman swung around, ignoring Dixon and facing Strong. "What about it, George? Do you think I should stay behind?"
Strong rubbed his hands and chewed his lip. Finally he looked up. "It's all right with me, Delos. You do what you think is best."
Harriman stood looking at him for a long moment, his face working as if he were going to cry. Then he said huskily, "Okay, you rats. Okay. I'll stay behind."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE GLORIOUS EVENINGS so common in the Pikes Peak region, after a day in which the sky has been well scrubbed by thunderstorms. The track of the catapult crawled in a straight line up the face of the mountain, whole shoulders having been carved away to permit it. At the temporary space port, still raw from construction, Harriman, in company with visiting notables, was saying good-bye to the passengers and crew of the Mayflower.
The crowds came right up to the rail of the catapult. There was no need to keep them back from the ship; the jets would not blast until she was high over the peak. Only the ship itself was guarded, the ship and the gleaming rails.
Dixon and Strong, together for company and mutual support, hung back at the edge of the area roped off for passengers and officials. They watched Harriman jollying those about to leave: "Good-bye, Doctor. Keep an eye on him, Janet. Don't let him go looking for Moon Maidens." They saw him engage Coster in private conversation, then clap the younger man on the back.
"Keeps his chin up, doesn't he?" whispered Dixon.
"Maybe we should have let him go," answered Strong.
"Eh? Nonsense! We've got to have him. Anyway, his place in history is secure."
"He doesn't care about history," Strong answered seriously, "he just wants to go to the Moon."
"Well, confound it-he can go to the Moon... as soon as he gets his job done. After all, it's his job. He made it."
"I know."
Harriman turned around, saw them, started toward them. They shut up. "Don't duck," he said jovially. "It's all right. I'll go on the next trip. By then I plan to have it running itself. You'll see." He turned back toward the Mayflower. "Quite a sight, isn't she?"