lyst, such as permanganate of potash, it breaks down
into oxygen and water. But the water is in the form of high-pressure
steam, which is used in engines. The jeep's fuel supplied steam for
power and its ashes were water to drink and oxygen to breathe. Steam ran
all motorized vehicles on Luna.

"What are you thinking about, Jones?" asked Cochrane suddenly.

Jones said meditatively:

"I'm wondering what sort of field-strength a capacity-storage system
would give me. I boosted the field intensity this time. The results were
pretty good. I'm thinking--suppose I made the field with a strobe-light
power-pack--or maybe a spot-welding unit. Even a portable strobe-light
gives a couple of million watts for the forty-thousandth of a second.
Suppose I fixed up a storage-pack to give me a field with a few billion
watts in it? It might be practically like matter-transmission, though it
would really be only high-speed travel. I think I've got to work on that
idea a little ..."

Cochrane digested the information in silence.

"Far be it from me," he said presently, "to discourage such high-level
contemplation. Bill, what's on your mind?"

Holden said moodily:

"I'm convinced that the thing works. But Jed! You talk as if you hadn't
any more worries! Yet even if you and Jones do have a way to make a ship
travel faster than light, you haven't got a ship or the capital you
need--."

"I've got scenery that looks like a ship," said Cochrane mildly.
"Consider that part settled."

"But there are supplies. Air--water--food--a crew--. We can't pay for
such things! Here on the moon the cost of everything is preposterous!
How can you try out this idea without more capital than you can possibly
raise?"

"I'm going to imitate my old friend Christopher Columbus," said
Cochrane. "I'm going to give the customers what they want. Columbus
didn't try to sell anybody shares in new continents. Who wanted new
continents? Who wanted to move to a new world? Who wants new planets
now? Everybody would like to see their neighbors move away and leave
more room, but nobody wants to move himself. Columbus sold a promise of
something that had an already-established value, that could be sold in
every town and village--that had a merchandising system already set up!
I'm going to offer just such a marketable commodity. I'll have
freight-rockets on the way up here within twenty-four hours, and the
freight and their contents will all be paid for!"

He turne