"Poor little guy," he mused. "Your old man's a bum, a useless tinker. He thought he could send Man to the stars on a string of helium nuclei. Oh, he was smart. Thought of everything. Auxiliary jets to kick off the negative charge, bigger mercury vapor banks—a fine straight thrust of positive Alpha particles." He hiccuped, put his face in his hands.
"Didn't you ever stop to think that a few air molecules could defocus the stream? Try a vacuum, stupid."
Big Harry stood up.
"Did you say something, son?"
"Gurfle," said Harry Junior.
Big Harry reeled into the living room like a somnambulist.
He got pencil and paper, began jotting frantic formulae. Presently he called a cab and raced back to the laboratory.
Melinda was dreaming about little bald men with diamond-studded trays. They were chasing her, they kept pelting her with rubies and emeralds, all they wanted was to ask questions, but she kept running, Harry Junior clasped tightly in her arms. Now they were ringing alarm bells. The bells kept ringing and she groaned, sat up in bed, and seized the telephone.
"Darling." Big Harry's voice shook. "I've got it! More auxiliary shielding plus a vacuum. We'll be rich!"