rry Junior. She was
relieved that the Major had not asked for the green vial.

Harry Junior also looked relieved, although for quite a different
reason.

* * * * *

Big Harry arrived home a little after eleven. There were small worry
creases about his mouth and forehead, and the leaden cast of defeat in
his eyes. He went into the bedroom and Melinda sleepily told him about
the little man working his way through college by peddling silly goods,
and about that rude cop named Nord, and Harry said that was simply
astonishing and Melinda said, "Harry, you had a drink!"

"I had two drinks," Harry told her owlishly. "You married a failure,
dear. Part of the experimental model vaporized, _wooosh_, just like
that. On paper it looked so good--"

Melinda had heard it all before. She asked him to see if Harry Junior
was covered, and Big Harry went unsteadily into the nursery, sat down by
his son's crib.

"Poor little guy," he mused. "Your old man's a bum, a useless tinker. He
thought he could send Man to the stars on a string of helium nuclei. Oh,
he was smart. Thought of everything. Auxiliary jets to kick off the
negative charge, bigger mercury vapor banks--a fine straight thrust of
positive Alpha particles." He hiccuped, put his face in his hands.

"Didn't you ever stop to think that a few air molecules could defocus
the stream? Try a vacuum, stupid."

Big Harry stood up.

"Did you say something, son?"

"Gurfle," said Harry Junior.

Big Harry reeled into the living room like a somnambulist.

He got pencil and paper, began jotting frantic formulae. Presently he
called a cab and raced back to the laboratory.

* * * * *

Melinda was dreaming about little bald men with diamond-studded trays.
They were chasing her, they kept pelting her with rubies and emeralds,
all they wanted was to ask questions, but she kept running, Harry Junior
clasped tightly in her arms. Now they were ringing alarm bells. The
bells kept ringing and she groaned, sat up in bed, and seized the
telephone.

"Darling." Big Harry's voice shook. "I've got it! More auxiliary
shielding plus a vacuum. We'll be rich!"

"That's just fine," said Melinda crossly. "You woke the baby."

Harry Junior was sobbing bitterly into his pillow. He was sick with
disappointment. Even the most favorable extrapolation showed it would
take him nineteen years to become master of the world.

An eternity. Ni