Journalists -- Fiction; Science fiction, American; Space ships -- Fiction
Elshawe ran through the scene mentally. He could see Skinner's mild face
and hear his voice saying: "Come in, Mr. Elshawe."
They went into the living room, and Skinner waved him toward a chair.
"Sit down. Want some coffee?"
"Thanks; I'd appreciate it." While Skinner made coffee, the reporter
looked around the room. It wasn't overly showy, but it showed a sort of
subdued wealth. It was obvious that Mr. Skinner wasn't lacking in
comforts.
Skinner brought in the coffee and then sat down, facing Elshawe, in
another chair. "Now," he said bluntly, "what was that remark you made on
the phone about showing up Malcom Porter as a phony? I understood that
you actually went to Mars on his ship. Don't you believe the evidence of
your own senses?"
"I don't mean that kind of phony," Elshawe said. "And you know it. I'll
come to the point. I know that Malcom Porter didn't invent the
Gravito-Inertial Differential Polarizer. _You_ did."
Skinner's eyes widened. "Where did you get that information?"
"I can't tell you my sources, Mr. Skinner. Not yet, anyhow. But I have
enough information to tell me that you're the man. It wouldn't hold up
in court, but, with the additional information you can give me, I think
it will."
Skinner looked baffled, as if not knowing what to say next.
"Mr. Skinner," Elshawe went on, "a research reporter has to have a
little of the crusader in him, and maybe I've got more than most. You've
discovered one of the greatest things in history--or invented it,
whatever you want to call it. You deserve to go down in history along
with Newton, Watt, Roentgen, Edison, Einstein, Fermi, and all the rest.
"But somehow Malcom Porter stole your invention and he intends to take
full credit for it. Oh, I know he's paid you plenty of money not to make
any fuss, and he probably thinks you couldn't prove anything, anyway.
But you don't have to be satisfied with his conscience money any more.
With the backing of Magnum Telenews, you can blow Mister Glory-hound
Porter's phony setup wide open and take the credit you deserve."
Skinner didn't look at all the way Elshawe had expected. Instead, he
frowned a little and said: "I'm glad you came, Mr. Elshawe. I didn't
realize that there was enough evidence to connect me with his project."
But he didn't look exactly overjoyed.
"Well," Elshawe said tentatively, "if you'll just answer a few
questions--"
"Just a minute, Mr. Elshawe. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions
first?"
"Go ahead."
Skinner leaned forward earnestly. "Mr. Elshawe, who deserves credit for
an invention? Who deserves the money?"
"Why ... why, the inventor, of course."
"The inventor? Or the man who gives it to humanity?"
"I ... don't quite follow you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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