"Perhaps, in one of the dictionaries at Research headquarters—"
"No, I don't think so," Markten mused. "We'll look when we get back, but I don't think so.... Hmm. Doesn't make much difference—it's the diagrams that are important. And the entire book isn't incomprehensible. Lot of chemical terms, some electrical. I'm convinced already that these diagrams constitute a structure of a purely electrochemical nature. Although something seems to be missing, and yet—"
"At the headquarters lab, we can do a lot better than we can here, Markten. Or we can hand it over right away to the Research Pre-Construction Study division—"
"Nothing doing! I hold a competence rating on that study business, young fellow! I'll study it for possible inherent dangers, exactly according to regulations. Myself! And then whatever it is, we'll build it!"
"But Markten, suppose—"
Markten had already seated himself at the controls of the craft, switched on the take-off lights and started the powerful engines. Above the roar of the engines as they warmed for take-off, Markten's assistant could still detect the undertones of excitement in the Elder's voice.
"It's something different—completely different that you've found! Not just an improved design or a variation such as we've had to be content with for the past five years.... This is new! I'm positive of it!"
There was, of course, little sense in doubting the word of an Elder. That was a part of training. Another part which Markten's aide had not forgotten had also said, however, that there could always be danger in a too-cursory preconstruction study of any new discovery.
And then, of course, there were those other things he had read which Markten had said were such a complete waste of time.