Mart nodded. “Let me finish here. I think we can come to an agreement — but you should know, right from the start, that there is likely to be a rather large amount of contention stirred up by the appearance of the Nagle Rocket. It probably won’t take very long, either.”
It didn’t. The newsmen, after making routine reports on the toy show, came back for a second look at the phenomenal Nagle Rocket. Science editors checked the basic patents on the toy, and for one day it made the front pages across the country. That same afternoon, Martin Nagle got the call he had been expecting from Washington. Kenneth Berkeley relayed it from their offices in Basic Research Consultants.
“As predicted,” said Berk, “Keyes wants to have some words with you. You probably ought to go down tonight and see him first thing in the morning.”
“Was he sore?”
“He would have been happier if I’d admitted robbing Fort Knox instead of telling him that the stories about the Nagle Rocket are true. He’s going to shut us down and throw us behind bars for the rest of our lives — unless you can convince him we are innocent of national treachery.”
“Maybe you ought to go instead. Or at least go with me. You knew him first. You persuaded him to open Project Levitation.”
“No. He wants to see you. You’re the physicist and he understands your language far better than mine, even though he did co-operate on Levitation. It’s up to you, Mart.”
“All right. I’ll get started. We knew this was coming. The sooner it’s over, the better.”
“What about the booth? Shall I come down tomorrow?”
“No. Sam is here. It’s practically his baby, anyway, since he’s closed his own display and is working with me on conversion of his place to produce our rockets. I’ll come over to the office on the way.”