“Doesn’t it?” agreed Berti tightly. “But we’ll control atomic energy all right. If we can’t—let the termites have it.”
Roland thought of one other thing. “After World Brain’s out of commission, what about the Martians, then? First thing they’ll do will be to blow up Earth, regardless of their own desire to colonize.”
Berti looked narrowly at Frances. He grinned thinly. “I told you we should have taken less time with his logic and reason. He thinks too much.”
Frances laughed carelessly. “He’ll have to be smart when he goes into the heart of World Brain. You know that.”
Berti said, “Uh-huh. But if he’s smart enough, he wouldn’t even go into World Brain at all.”
Frances smiled at Roland. “Well? Are you that smart?”
He looked into wet, promising glowing eyes and he didn’t feel logical at all. “If you want me to, Fran, I’ll do it. It seems to mean a lot to you. So I guess I’m not really smart—not in the Berti sense, anyway. Am I?”
Berti swirled the green switch in a vicious slash. “Not as smart as Fran is.”
Later, in a secret Underground apartment, Roland sat waiting for his final orders to destroy World Brain. He was proud of his assignment. He knew it was justified. He had seen the people of Worldcity.