there's no reason for it!" the chief engineer said, runningalongside Hansen and Candle. "The ship can't turn upsidedown. Everythingis functioning perfectly!"
"Really not interested," said Candle, running down the corridor's mile-longceiling. "Figure something out for yourself for a change."
"But what I can't understand," said Hansen, dutifully trotting alongside,"is how you knew with such certainty how the door mechanism was made. Evenif submarines _were_ built like that, you'd have no way of knowing. Therehaven't been any submarines in centuries."
"The hell you say," said Candle, increasing his pace, "I built one fiveyears ago."
"Built one! What for?"
"For the hell of it, and it was a damned good outfit, too. I found plans inan old museum, and had the good sense not to improve on 'em. Alwaysremember, boy, that something that really works can't be improved. That'swhy the submarine mechanism was adopted--not adapted--for space. Theso-called 'better way' they're building 'em today is simply a disguise forthe fact that most of the gas is gone from our technology."
"What happened to the submarine?"
"Oh, I traded it to a friend for some falcons. You interested in falconryby any chance?"
"Er, no. Can't say that I am."
"You will be," Candle said prophetically, "you'll succumb to everyenthusiasm man has ever been deviled with. You're the type. It's adisease, boy, and the big symptom isn't just curiosity, but the kindof intense curiosity that turns you inside out, devours you and ruinsyou for orthodoxy."
* * * * *
Hansen had stopped listening. He was absorbed in trying to recall thepattern he had pressed on his radio belt--a pattern never taught tohim--when the ship had suddenly turned upsidedown. Hesitantly, he playedwith the notion that he had been _thinking_ of the ship travelingupsidedown at the time he impressed the novel pattern on the belt. Now,could that have possibly ... ?
The man and the boy disappeared down the ceiling, running at top speedto catch up as the rapidly vanishing form of R'thagna Bar was dragged andpulled relentlessly toward the refrigerator in a tug of war between theship's wild, divided crew.
"Fascinating!" said Candle. His eyes, glittering with their own peculiarmadness, remained riveted on the distant imperial belly. "Never sawanything like it!"
THE END
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
This etext was produced from Amazing Science Fiction Stories May 1960.Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright onthis publication was renewed.
The following corrections have been applied:
Page 16: "{original omitted this quotation mark}You're especially too young to know about one of the Federation's best kept secrets.
Page 16: Hansen said with some surprise{original had surprice}, "Why, as a matter of fact, Sector Headquarters is sending some help.
Page 19: "I'm going to give you fifteen minutes, not thirty{original had thiry}," Hansen said.
Page 24: as the rapidly vanishing form of R'thagna Bar was dragged and pulled relentlessly toward the refrigerator in a tug of war between the ship's{original had ships'} wild, divided crew.
Pages 10, 11 and 19: All occurrences of "psuedo-met" have been changed to"pseudo-met".
The inconsistencies in the use of exalted/exhalted are as in the original.
Ellipses have been formatted as in the original.
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