[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
survey had insisted on placing on the resort staff.
Raoul Bendagar, Professor Rheinhardt, Lisa Arden, and Mark Rykand arrived from Tangier in a
dilapidated flying bus whose mismatched compressors produced an irritating three cycles-per-second
harmonic beat. The vehicle s air conditioning worked, however, a fact made evident as they exited its
interior into a furnace blast of heat. They hurried across a cobblestone courtyard toward the eye-searing
white facade of the resort, only to find themselves blinded as they passed into the gloom within. An
efficient young woman liveried in the uniform of Survey Security met them just inside the door. She
ushered them straight past the usual registration desk and into an alcove where they were each asked for
their identification papers before being subjected to retina scans.
Welcome to Al-Hoceima, ladies and gentlemen, Aretha Higgins said after the computers had confirmed
their identities. I trust that you aren t too fatigued from your journey.
Being on Earth again is good enough to cure any minor ills I might have, Dr. Bendagar answered.
What is the conference schedule?
The first session begins tomorrow in the main ballroom, Doctor. You will brief the delegates at 09:00,
after which the working groups will go to their various conference rooms and begin their work. Lunch will
be at 12:00 and dinner at 18:00. Most have agreed to dress for dinner.
What about --? Bendagar asked, jerking his thumb toward where several members of the hotel staff
lounged on the opposite side of the lobby.
Miss Higgins smiled. They will be kept out of the main hall beginning at dawn tomorrow. We will sweep
for electronic listening devices every hour and, of course, we have full antieavesdropping measures in
effect now. You scientists will be able to speak your minds without fear of being overheard.
What do we do when we aren t attending conferences? Lisa asked.
There are swimming, scuba diving, and tours of one of the local villages. In addition, parties of two or
more can catch the ferry over to Spain for a day of shopping if that is your desire. The hotel has also
agreed to open the casino each night after dinner, including a floorshow that is considered good by local
standards. It is not San Moritz, but it is the best we could do on short notice. Now, if none of you have
any more questions, we will have Achmed and his people show you to your rooms.
#
Raoul Bendagar presented his paper on the Sky Flower Nebula to the Astronomy Working Group on
the third day of the Conference on Stellar Evolution. There was also a Biology Working Group, a
Psychiatric Evaluation Group, and even a Technology Assessment Working Group. The latter was slated
to depart for Luna to begin studies of the alien derelict. The small audience of specialists listened quietly
as Dr. Bendagar pointed out the similarities between the Sky Flower and Crab Nebulas. When he had
finished his presentation and the lights came up in the conference room, a small, dark professor of
astrophysics from the Sorbonne stood and signaled for attention.
Dr. Parmentier?
I think you have been conned by this pseudo-simian liar, Raoul.
Come now, Saul, don t hold back. Tell us what you really think!
The joke provoked more laughter than it deserved from the assembled scientists.
Mock me if you will, but you will never convince me that you can identify a nebula just because some
monkey drew a picture that purports to show it seven millennia hence.
You have seen our simulations of the Crab s expansion patterns. They match Sar-Say s artwork
reasonably well.
So do half the planetary nebulas in the general catalog. We cannot very well recommend an expedition
on the strength of someone s doodling. Now if he d taken precise measurements of the pulsar s rotation
rate as viewed from this Zzumer, then we d have something to sink our teeth into.
Sar-Say was a tourist, Saul. How many tourists do you know who carry a timing synchroscope in their
luggage?
He should have showed more foresight, the dissenting astronomer replied. There were mutters within
the crowd to show that others agreed with him.
Mark Rykand watched his boss handle the heckler with a mixture of irritation and admiration. The
irritation came from the fact that he had worked half the night preparing this morning s presentation. To
have its conclusions dismissed so cavalierly was difficult to take. The admiration came from Bendagar s
aplomb at fielding the objection.
Due to a shortage of chairs, Mark had watched the presentation while leaning against the wall at the back
of the room. Halfway through the talk, his feet had begun to hurt and he had rested them by periodically
shifting his weight. He was not the only one having trouble adjusting to gravity. Dr. Bendagar spent most
of his time soaking in the resort pool when he was not attending to conference business.
Mark felt a cool breeze on his cheek as the door beside him opened. The breeze bore with it the whiff of
a familiar perfume. Mark turned to see Lisa standing in the half-open doorway.
How are things going? Lisa whispered.
About like the other working groups, he replied in a barely audible voice.
She smiled. As bad as that, eh?
How was your presentation this morning?
Interrupted about every ten seconds for questions. It took nearly two hours to get through my speech.
It shows that they re interested.
I am just glad that it s over. What is your schedule for tomorrow?
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]