"Why not bring him to justice?" asked Higgins.
"Because I doubt if the government would believe their eyes. You have built David Adam Smith into a legend that would be difficult to break. Also because they would certainly take the Institute from anyone else, hold up the experiments and delay everything. And I have a lot of friends out there in space trying to establish a planetary colony."
Marrpole laughed.
"Really," he said, "we have been providing all the brain power of this Institute for so long, we may as well continue. Speaking for myself, gentlemen, a few years free from any restraint whatever are exactly what I now need. I am in favor."
There was a general mutter of agreement.
"Thank you," John said. "And now, if you will follow me, there are excellent showers and a whole class of spare rooms."
"You stay with me," I said to the bubble-dancer.
I led her through the Institute to the classrooms where Director David Adam Smith was still plotting the courses of the missing stellar-reporters. They would be back soon, but he was never to know that.
I took him from behind and held him off the floor by his elbows, then twisted him round in the air so that he could see us both.