"The neutrons emerge from the container in all directions, but are urged into motion by a swift increasing pulse of gravitic force. It used to be magnetic, but it is now gravitic. We've changed it over according to my findings of recent work. Then with the neutrons moving in a cloud, we alternate the gravitic field, varying it from attraction to repulsion. Just like a cyclotron uses radio frequency energy in the Dee Plates, we use gravitic energy to accelerate neutrons. "Probably doesn't mean too much to you," he said with a smile. "But for the first time in history we can hurl a beam of neutrons of any desired range of energies at a target in any desired cross-section." "It must be important," smiled Marie. "It is so complicated." "Sophistry," he grinned. "Remember those 'nonsense engines' that were full of spools, levers, gears and stuff: all working furiously but producing nothing?" "'A tale told by an idiot, Full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing,'" quoted Marie. "Sort of like our friend Hedgerly," grinned Peter. * * * * * "Speaking of the devil," came a voice. Hedgerly came in through the winding passageway, followed by Graydon and Joan Willson who came last. Joan passed through the group until she could take Peter's arm. "Peter," she said. "I'm wealthy." "So?" he said. "Hedgerly produced a nine-horse parlay at Bay Meadows. Mr. Graydon ... Tony, that is ... put down a ten dollar bill on it in my name. I'm now possessed of about sixty-three thousand dollars." Ignoring the statement, Peter squinted at Joan and asked: "It's 'Tony, that is' now?" Graydon scowled faintly. "Let's all be stuffy," he said. "Sorry, Graydon," said Peter. Graydon nodded. He thought he understood. He tried to, anyway. As irking as the situation was to him--having this character Hedgerly blithely hurling his fiancee at Peter's head and callously telling everybody else that they might as well give up trying to change Fate--he believed that Peter and Marie both were more than irked at being hurled together. Peter was not a boor, nor even stuffy. Joan filled the silence. "That isn't all," she said. "Last night Hedgerly wrote this in an envelope before he gave Tony the horses to pick. It says: 'Graydon will place ten dollars on the parlay in Joan Willson's name and she will win sixty-three thousand, four hundred seven dollars and sixty cents.' That's what happened, Peter." "Um," said Peter. "Trapped," said Marie. "Gypped," growled Graydon. "Bought," muttered Joan.