volume of a human voice."

"What's all this got to do with me?" Crawford asked.

"This--we want to use the voice of Spud for an experiment. A very
important experiment. With your permission, we'd like to do it
immediately."

"I'm afraid that's impossible," said Crawford. "I have a show in
about--"

"Our equipment is all set up," interrupted the doctor. "The entire test
will take forty-five minutes. We'll have you back in no time."

Crawford frowned. He was tired and he'd looked forward to relaxing a
while before the show. "Couldn't we make it some other time," he said.

* * * * *

The Colonel spoke then. "Robbie, do you remember reading four years ago
that our radar system was able to beam signals to the moon and have them
returned?"

"Sure," said Crawford. "It got a big play in all the newspapers."

"Well, our scientists are now ready to conduct a similar experiment,"
said Colonel Meadows. "This time to Mars."

"To Mars!" repeated Crawford, wondering what it had to do with him.

"Only this time we plan to send a _voice_, a human voice that can travel
through interstellar space," said Dr. Shalt.

"But that's impossible!" Crawford exclaimed.

"With the average voice, yes," said Dr. Shalt. "Cosmic disturbances
would drown out a normal voice amplified a thousand times beyond its
regular frequency. But a voice in a higher octave--like your second
voice ... Well, we believe there's a certain resonant intonation which
can be curved and regulated in any direction, in the voice you use for
your dummy."

Crawford nodded.

"Spud's voice contains that quality," continued Dr. Shalt. "I believe it
can reach Mars and bounce back. I'm asking you to be the first man ever
to throw his voice to another planet."

There was quiet for a moment when he finished. Crawford's cigarette had
gone out and he relit it. The smoke steadied him. Outside, in the
auditorium the orchestra had begun to rehearse again.

"Where's the station set-up?" asked Crawford finally.

"It's right here on the field, Robbie," Colonel Meadows said quickly.
"We've had it under wraps for the last eight months. It'll be a
tremendous thing if it works."

Crawford dragged on his cigarette a last time and stamped it out. He
walked over to Spud, lifted the dummy into position in the crook of his
arm.

"What do you say, Crawford?" asked Dr. Shalt. There was a note of
urgency in his voice.

"I don't know," said Crawford