"All power lines and other devices are developed for delivering energy, not receiving it. It is less disastrous to take energy from a power line than to try and drive it back in--and the energy must be dissipated somehow." "Then the matter bank is not the same material." "No," said Farrell. "The substance of the matter bank is nonhomogeneous. Instantaneously, it will be whatever element is necessary to maintain the fine balance of energy--and it is in constant change." "Proceed," said Kingman. "In passing from the disintegrator tube to reintegrator tube, the energy impresses its characteristic signal on a sub-ether transmission system. Radio might work, except that the signal is unbelievably complex. Wired communications--" "Objection to the term," said Kingman. "Sustained." "Wired ... transfer? ... might work, but probably would not due to this same high complexity in transmitted signal. At any rate, upon reception, the signal is used to influence, or modulate, the energy passing from a disintegrator tube to a reintegrator tube in the receiver. But this time the tube is tearing down the matter bank and restoring the object. Follow?" "I believe so. Does the Court understand?" "This Court can follow the technical terms." "Now, Dr. Farrell, the matter transmitter does actually transmit over a power-transmission tube?" "Yes. Of the type developed by us for communications." "But it is a power tube?" "Yes." "Then are you certain that you are sending no energy?" "I object!" shouted Tinkin. "The question has no answer!" "Hasn't it?" queried Kingman. "My worthy opponent, all questions have an answer." "Objection overruled," snapped Hamilton sourly. "Let the witness answer." "It is impossible to send communications without sending some energy. It is the intent to which the energy is put that determines the classification." "Explain further." "You must send energy when you communicate with a light-blinker," grinned Farrell, "The receiving party receives the energy, but couldn't possibly read a newspaper with it. The beams at Venus Equilateral send out several million watts--and by the time they get to Luna, they require amplifications bordering on the million-times before they are usable. The intent is clear--we are not supplying power, we are sending intelligence." "I contend," said Kingman to the judge, "that the contract states clearly that developments of this device are to be used for communications only when operated by Venus Equilateral. I further contend that the transmission of matter does not constitute a communication, but rather a transfer of energy." "I object," said Tinkin. "If this statement was objectionable to the learned counsel before, it is equally objectionable to me now." "Previously," said Kingman suavely, "counsel was trying to influence a witness. I am merely trying to explain my point."