"No, not mad—merely happy! First the Council calls me because being International and beyond Civican control my individualism and my freedom of action are useful; you, of course, approve. Then when I show those very qualities, you're furious. And, I'm happy because ..." his voice dwindled.
"Yes, go on!" Her words were sheathed in velvet, but her eyes were feral, like flaming topaz.
"Because it's paradoxical and shows you're still a woman—lovelier than any I've ever seen," he finished almost in a whisper.
Doctor Fortun looked as if she were about to slap his face. Remembering the dignity of a scientist in time, she gazed at Mark Lynn with a mixture of feelings. Finally, something of his infectious good-nature, of his open admiration touched her and she laughed quietly.
"You are right, Spacer Lynn," she acknowledged. "For a moment I forgot I was a Psychologist—it's a quality about you that for an instant made me feel less a scientist and more a ... but never mind. We'll be together for the Deity knows how long, and it's futile to begin by quarrelling. Lean forward so you can see this chart, I'll explain."
"We'll be together, did you say?" Mark was delighted. "Then give me a dozen problems!"
"Yes," she replied dubiously. "As a Psychologist I'll be part of the expedition. You'll find that this one problem will be more than enough." The girl pressed a button on her desk and one of the undamaged walls began to glow until it became an astro-map, a reproduction of charted space. Each planet was indicated in relative size, and in the lower center, pulsing angrily a thin red line marked "Comet" seemed to be approaching inferior conjunction with Terra.
"Is that the problem?" Mark asked. "Simple! When it enters Terra's orbit, life on Terra ceases. Evacuation's the only possible solution. I knew that comet was approaching, but not being an Astronomer I didn't compute its trajectory. Besides, being on Io is like being in exile—news hardly ever reaches us there. Will it destroy Terra completely?"
"No, not entirely. At first, indications were that it would enter the orbit of our system at such an angle that Terra would be destroyed. However, we've checked with the observatories on Pluto since then, and it has been determined that it will merely enter the field of attraction sufficiently to shift the axis to opposition. Of course, this will render Terra unfit for habitation ... perhaps for a century or two ... therefore, as you realized, evacuation's the answer."