"Sure. He thunk up the dielectric. You thunk up the application. He won't care, and you couldn't have done it without. Follow?"
"Oh sure. I was just trying to figure out a more generic term for it."
"Don't. Let it go as is for now. It's slick, Walt, but there's no weapon in it."
"You're looking for a weapon?"
"Uh-huh. Ever since Murdoch took a swing at Venus Equilateral, I've been sort of wishing that we could concoct something big enough and dangerous enough to keep us free from any other wiseacres. Remember, we stand out there like a sore thumb. We are as vulnerable as a half pound of butter at a banquet for starving Armenians. The next screwball that wants to control the system will have to control Venus Equilateral first. And the best things we can concoct to date include projectile-tossing guns at velocities of less than the speed of our ships, and an electron-shooter that can be overcome by coating the ship with any of the metal-salts that enhance secondary emission."
"Remind me to requisition a set of full-sized tubes when we return. Might as well have some fun."
"O.K., you can have 'em. Which brings us back to the present. Question: Was that an abortive attempt upon our ship, or was that a mistaken try at melting a meteor?"
"I know how to find out. Let's call Charley Thomas and have him get on the rails. We can have him request Terran Electric to give us any information they may have on energy beams to date."
"They'd tell you?" scorned Arden.
"If they write no!, and we find out that they did, we'll sue 'em dead. They're too shaky to try anything deep right now."