The Mind Readers (35 page)

‘Really Rafael, I think we ought to hear something about Nipponanium . . .' Jury got the objection in by inserting it sharply like a spike between bricks, but he had mistaken his man.

‘That is in hand,' the Editor of
The Daily Paper
assured the world. ‘Tomorrow morning—we shall be on the streets at four a.m. as usual—we are printing an exhaustive account of the Breakthrough in general and Longfox's Amplifier in particular, written by Pegg Braithwaite who has never been more dynamic. You can read everything that is known in the world today about Nipponanium by Professor T. P. Symmington of Cambridge University as well as all about the Iris Transistor, its chemical analysis and its technical composition. There will be photographs, artists' scale-drawings and also a short biography of Edward's famous father, Richard Longfox, by a writer who knew him. Besides these, there will be personal statements from those who have had the privilege of trying the amplifier. I have contributed one myself. It was an eerie experience, one which I never hope to repeat, at least in its present form! There is nothing I should like better than to tell you about it now, but there are two important items which really must come first.

‘One is a warning, and I want us all to be desperately serious about this. Don't think Rome has been built in a day. Don't scour the shops for the
Iris Semi-Silent.
Don't ring up
The Daily Paper
or QTV. Above all,
do not be afraid
. Your secrets are safe for a very long time. Experts estimate that it will take decades, perhaps even hundreds of years for the prospect which this development offers to materialise. At this moment no guaranteed accurate message can be sent or received. All we know now is that the time will surely come when both will be possible. There is so much to be done before then, that the mind shrinks from even contemplating the task. Not only must we learn how to transmit and receive our thoughts, but reliable baffles and scrambling devices must be invented. Men and women have a right to privacy and
The Daily Paper
promises that it will never permit this privilege to be violated. So don't let that angle worry you; there is no need for it. Also, should any of you by chance possess an Iris Transistor purchased since last May—it is not very likely because very few have been sold—but if you have, then please don't tear it to pieces in an attempt to find its secret. It may be valuable. First of all make absolutely certain of its name and make, and then only, get in touch with
The Daily Paper
office or this Programme at QTV.

‘However, there is something else—my second point—which I do feel you may think as alarming as I do. In the crowded hours since I first heard this news, information has been reaching me from all over the world, little surprising items which have added up to nothing less than a conspiracy to corner Nipponanium! In the last few months, less than half-a-dozen very rich firms and private persons have been buying up all the known stocks of this element which until now was thought to have almost no practical use. Tomorrow morning our financial correspondent and his colleague K. L. Tabbs,
The Daily Paper's
keenest investigator, will probe this mystery thoroughly and fearlessly and will not rest until Greedy Men have been ruthlessly exposed. Meanwhile,
The Daily Paper
understands that there is no great cause to fear a world shortage. Nipponanium can be isolated from the residue of certain radio active carbons without great difficulty and . . .'

Transmission came to an abrupt end. The tingling silence took the audience at Advance Wires by surprise and it was only when Lord Ludor appeared in the doorway of the control room with a terrified Feeoh behind him that the explanation emerged.

‘Drat that Old Article!' said Thos unexpectedly. ‘He does that if he gets bored. Goes in and yanks out the mains. He'll fuse the whole works and ‘lectrocute himself one of these days! How ostentatious can you get? Eh?'

Luke touched Mr Campion's arm and they peered down at the scene below for a moment before making for the stairs. They reached Sam almost before Ludor, who had had to circumnavigate Helena and Martin. The boy was leaning against the matchboarding, his hands in his pockets. His cheeks were pink and his eyes downcast but there was satisfaction in his stance.

Ludor put a hand on the wall above Sam's head and leaned on it. They were in a circle made up of Martin and Helena, Campion and Luke, and his tone was restrained.

‘So you did the research. Who told you you were on Professor Tabard's team?'

‘He did.' Sam's glance flickered upward. ‘Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't have known for certain, would I? When I was helping over at the workshop, the Professor came in and looked at me and said, “Is this one of your wretched twins, Mayo?” and Mr Mayo said, “No, he's normal.” And the Professor said, “Oh, I see he's on the team.” So that was that.'

‘Where did you see that the transistor set contained Nipponanium?

‘In its Free Literature. You send for it if you'd like to have whatever it is and haven't got the money. Then, after you've read it, if you still want it, you save up for it.'

Ludor was interested; it was his great gift. ‘You read all that stuff in very fine print? I didn't know anyone did that.'

‘Of course. That
is
research.'

‘I suppose so. Horrible job. Have you got the brochure here?'

‘No, it was lost with my bag. I didn't know how Edward would get on without it but he managed very well. He dribbled the ball right down the field, didn't he? Got it past everybody. And that editor shot it straight in goal, wham!'

‘You could have asked for a second copy of the brochure.'

‘Could we? They'd already given us one.'

Lord Ludor regarded him with disgust. ‘You're too young altogether,' he said and meant it. ‘How long before you get your Ph.D.? Ten years?'

‘I expect so. Probably more. I'm nearly nine.'

‘Get it and come to me and I'll employ you.'

‘Thank you.' A faint streak of otherworldliness showed in Sam for a fleeting moment. ‘It's very kind of you,' he said seriously. ‘But do you think you ought to promise? There's going to be a lot of change in the next ten years. You may not have anything for me to do.'

Lord Ludor turned away from him and went back to the blonde secretary. ‘I hate that damn kid,' he said.

THE END

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