Some day, he thought, we'll have learned to control our growth. And that will be the day the Dirnans give us back our immortality formula.
A warning siren sounded suddenly, and ship number one sprang up from Earth, hovered for a few instants on a red pillar of fire, and vanished. Director Walton looked blankly at the place where the ship had been, and, after a moment, turned away. Plenty of work waited for him back in New York.