Casinos -- Fiction; Fireworks -- Fiction; Mars (Planet) -- Fiction; Science fiction; Scientists -- Fiction; Short stories
"No, Professor," said Harvey. "You've got my promise to help you boys
and I'll stick by you. It's a rotten shame, too. You just about made
it. The rest of the club owners saw the writing on the wall and were
going to cooperate with you when the telegram came. All of us got
contacts in the telegraph office, so they heard about it soon as it
arrived and stayed away."
Dr. Morton said, "Yes, I supposed they would. There's not much we can
do now."
"There are thirteen members on the Council." Harvey continued, "and
you've got five of us. If that telegram had only come one day later--no
more fireworks. But I got an idea."
Dr. Morton pushed aside his empty coffee cup and stood up. "Let's get
out in the fresh air."
The Town Council was adding insult to injury by staging one of the
biggest fireworks displays ever. It consisted of practically all
skyrockets. Dr. Morton expressed wonder at their supply; Harvey
explained that they were made right on Mars. He went on to tell his
idea.
"I was real interested in everything when you took me around the first
time I was here," the gambler said. "The same goes for the other boys
who saw the place. Most of us meant to come out here and look around
sometime, but you people work nights and, us mostly working nights,
too, we never got around to it. How about arranging an exclusive tour
sometime just for the club operators and their help? Then when they see
everything, you could offer to name a star after them or something. If
I hadn't already promised, I'd be willing to promise, just to be able
to point in the sky and say 'That's Harvey's Star.'"
Dr. Morton smiled gently. "That's a wonderful idea," he said, "but I
don't think it would work. Any stars worth looking at with the naked
eye already have names. The only ones we could name after people are
so far away that, it would take an exposure of several hours, just to
see them on a photographic plate. You wouldn't be able to point yours
out at all. Besides, Harvard Observatory wouldn't stand for this idea
either. It would make as much sense to them as you naming a poker chip
after me."
He sighed. "But, in any case, we would like to have all the owners
over some time. It might improve relations somewhat." The two of them
watched a rocket wobble all over the sky before exploding.
"Let's go back inside," said the physicist. "Maybe we can arrange that
tour for Sunday."
* * * * *
Sunday afternoon the visitors, presumably softened up by what one of
the chemists thought were martinis, were seated in the lecture hall
listening to Dr. Morton's concluding remarks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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