riend Mr. Simms here as witness--that I will
not be responsible for the operation of apparatus made by a subordinate
who does not fully comprehend the theory of my discovery! I will not be
involved--"

Cochrane nodded. Dabney, of course, didn't understand the theory of the
field he'd bought fame-rights to. But there was no point in bringing
that up. Johnny Simms beamed at both of them. He was the swimmer Babs
had pointed out in the swimming-pool. His face was completely unlined
and placid, like the face of a college undergraduate. He had never
worried about anything. He'd never had a care in the world. He merely
listened with placid interest.

"I take it," said Cochrane, "that you don't mind the test being made, so
long as you don't have to accept responsibility for its failure--and so
long as you get the credit for its success if it works. That's right,
isn't it?"

"If it fails, I am not responsible!" insisted Dabney stridently. "If it
succeeds, it will be because of my discovery."

Cochrane sighed a little. This was a shabby business, but Dabney would
have convinced himself, by now, that he was the genius he wanted people
to believe him.

"Before the test," said Cochrane gently, "you make a speech. It will be
recorded. You disclaim the crass and vulgar mechanical details and
emphasize that you are like Einstein, dealing in theoretic physics only.
That you are naturally interested in attempts to use your discovery, but
your presence is a sign of your interest but not your responsibility."

"I shall have to think it over--," began Dabney nervously.

"You can say," promised Cochrane, "that if it does not work you will
check over what Jones did and tell him why."

"Y-yes," said Dabney hesitantly, "I could do that. But I must think it
over first. You will have to delay--"

"If I were you," said Cochrane confidentially, "I would plan a speech to
that effect because the test is coming off in five minutes."

He closed his face-plate as Dabney began to protest. He went into the
lock. He knew better than to hold anything up while waiting for a
neurotic to make a decision. Dabney had all he wanted, now. From this
moment on he would be frantic for fear of losing it. But there could be
no argument outside the laboratory. In the airlessness, anything anybody
said by walkie-talkie could be heard by everybody.

When Dabney and Simms followed out of the lock, Cochrane was helping
Jones set up the device that had been prep