Before 24 Billion and Counting

Chapter 17 Part 2 Resurrecting antiquity

Once I had announced myself, Alicia appeared on the screen with Lucy in her arms. The room was in sunshine and Chris's models hung glittering once more from the ceiling. Alicia tapped one with a letter knife. The complex tone came, closely followed by its pair resonating across the room. 

"How did they come back?" 

"A young man in a suit introduced himself as from United Europe Bureau of Science, and brought them back and the picture and the script, and said sorry, all a big mistake and went away. Did you have anything to do with it Charles?" 

"Yes believe I did. I published Chris's diagram - the one they put under your nose when they first called, and press released it on the E-net. Said it was a glimpse of what was to come from his novel." 

"Charles I don't understand. What was the problem?" 

"Oh of course, you don't know. I had a visit from the pair who came to you, along with the local police. My phones were tapped. They may still be. They say that Chris's reaction engine which he put into his spaceship is in fact real. There's a prototype using the same schematic, working equations, and even the same inventor's name, being worked on at M.I.T under a joint USA/EU contract. They suspected that you and I had got the information illicitly. So when I published the key document they had two options - throw the book at me which would have been near impossible to make stick, or pooh pooh it by pretending it never happened. They'll probably deny there is a contract and rename the device." 

"You've led a harum scarum life lately. By the way you sound as though you've got slight trouble with your speech." Her acute sense of hearing had detected me mouthing slightly around my cut lip. 

"You should see the black eye I've got!" 

"Good Heavens - you didn't fight with the security people?" 

"No, no - one of my fellow directors threw a punch at me." 

"Charles - you need a minder. This manuscript of mine is causing you a lot of trouble." 

"The punch wasn't related to your 'script, but to a disreputable one. Alicia I want a favour from you. You said early on that you didn't want to be part of a publicity machine and I agreed to that. Unfortunately this security intrusion has made your connection with the manuscript highly visible, and if I bring the press in at all they'll want to cover that security angle first. It's the best sensational story. I'd like to get Chris's novel published. We have something to exploit. But I don't see a way of keeping you out of it anymore. Would you like to think about it?"

"Charles this sort of thing still scares me. Is there no other way?" 

"I don't see it my dear. Look, I know an English reporter who I think will respect your feelings as far as his professional work allows him to, and I have him under some measure of control. Let me talk to him and then I'll get him to come to see you. He would tell you how far he would expose you. He's tough, abrasive and cynical but straight. If you really can't take it after that, then we may have to abandon the idea of the book because no publicity will mean virtually no sales." 

"I might need you over here to hold my hand sometime Charles, I haven't faced this sort of thing since I lost my sight." 

"That's not a problem. You talk to Joe Hannigan, that's the reporter, before we finally decide. I'll 'phone you again once I've talked to him. I'm taking a week off to unravel Chris's computer. I'm hoping to find interesting things." 

We said our goodbyes. I looked up Joe's number and rang his office. He was out. I left him a message to contact me. It was approaching midnight. There wasn't a lot more I could do - I found a ready meal in the freezer and slid it into the microwave. 'Being comparatively well off doesn't guarantee elegance' I thought, 'You need time as well.'