“Therefore a totally unimportant paper?”
“A paper can be important only through what it makes people believe and think. What possible difference can it make what The Patriot’s readers think?”
“If there were enough of them?” suggested Marrineal.
“No. Besides, you’ll never get enough of them, in the way you’re running the paper now.”
“Don’t say ‘you,’ please,” besought Marrineal. “I’ve been keeping my hands off. Watching.”
“And now you’re going to take hold?” queried Edmonds. “Personally?”
“As soon as I can find my formula—and the men to help me work it out,” he added, after a pause so nicely emphasized that both his hearers had a simultaneous inkling of the reason for his being at their table.
“I’ve seen newspapers run on formula before,” muttered Edmonds.
“Onto the rocks?”
“Invariably.”