"I've told you again and again," said Hedgerly, "that no matter what you do, you're doing just what history says--note the past tense--you did! Even to producing a means of controlling neutrons, Peter. Now, of course, you'll continue here, though this being the Theoretical Physics Laboratory, you'll let this information disperse. The other boys will pick it up and develop it while you continue to delve into the relationship between magnetism and gravitics." "And suppose I do not?" "Oh, but you did." "Not," growled Peter, his voice reaching a crescendo, "if I go nuts first!" Hedgerly spoke quietly to Marie. "You take care of him," he told her. "There's nothing like it for cementing a fond relationship." "Must I give up my life work?" exploded Peter angrily. "I'd rather work on this gadgetry than eat! I've got me a lead that may end up by making me as famous as Faraday or Einstein and if I follow it, I'll end up so far behind the eight-ball that it'll look like a split pea." Marie leaned back against the frame of the generator and smiled at him. "This," she said in a voice dripping with phony tones, "is a shock to me. Men usually brave fire and flood to touch the hem of my skirt. But you'd rather give up being historically famous than--" "Shaddup," snapped Peter. "And let me think!" "Think?" muttered the girl helplessly. "I think we're licked." Peter nodded. "Licked, drawn, and quartered. Y'know, Marie, I've tried to resent you. I can't. Probably because I know you're in the same boat as I am." She nodded. "Whatever he does, whatever we do, he's got the answer and he gives it one hundred per cent. No man in his right mind would ever have stood up to Tony and told him to reduce his feeling toward me to platonic friendship. Not unless he knew beforehand that Tony wouldn't half-kill him. But I am beginning to understand. Even though what he says is odious, I must admit that it does come to pass." Peter looked unhappy. "This is a fine mess," he said. "It wouldn't be half bad if Hedgerly and his confounded history were capable of changing our feelings as well as our lives. But he blithely ignores the fact that you and I are expected to marry--with both of us feeling that we'd rather marry someone else, and know who. Then to top that, not only is it going to be emotionally difficult in the first place, but think of the emotional wrench we'll get when Tony and Joan--" Peter stopped, swallowed hard, and then added: "I'm not speaking too selfishly, Marie. I've not mentioned how they will feel. The whole thing is a trumped-up mess." Marie put her hand on Peter's arm. "I don't exactly love you," she said with a shy smile, "but you are a very nice guy, Peter." "Huh?" "You're sensitive and gentle and thoughtful of other people's feelings. I have a hunch that you could also be very hard and rough if the need arose." Peter smiled a little crooked smile and said: "All of which gets us nowhere, does it?"