"Such as something I have not tried yet with a swimmer. I must use the English word: hypnotism."
Torrance said, "I didn't get that."
"Defined as an induced state of monomania."
"Oh, hypnotism."
"Larrry has studied it thoroughly, and even tried it out, and for him it works. On a swimmer it might be ineffective."
"He's already tried it," said Garner. "Anything else?"
"Garrnnrr, you must understand that the dolphin gurgle-buzz-SQUEEEE is not truly a practical joke. It is a way of looking at things. Putting a monkey wrench in machinery is often the only way to force somebody to repair, replace, or redesign the machinery. Especially legal or social machinery. Biting off somebody's fin at exactly the right time can change his whole attitude toward life, often for the better. Larrry understands this."
"I wish I did. Thanks for your time, Charley."
"Negative! Negative! Thank you for yours!"
An hour to the long jump. Luke's throat felt well used. He might still have time for a fifteen-minute cat nap, but he'd wake up feeling worse than ever.
He sat in the Struldbrugs' reading room and thought about Greenberg.
Why had he become an alien? Well, that was easy. With two sets of memories to choose from, he'd naturally chosen the identity most used to sorting itself out from other identities. But why cling to it? He must know by now that he was not the Sea Statue. And he'd had a happy life as Larry Greenberg.
His wife was something to envy and she loved him. According to Dr. Snyder, he was stable, well adjusted. He liked his work. He thought of himself as something special.
But the Sea Statue was all alone in the universe, the last of its race, marooned among hostiles. The Greenberg Sea Statue had also lost his ability of- well, telepathic hypnosis was close enough.
Any sane person would rather be Greenberg.
Garner thought, I'll have to assume that Greenberg as Greenberg literally cannot think with the Sea Statue memories in his mind. He must remain the Sea Statue to function at all. Otherwise he'd have at least tried to change back.
But that peculiar arrogance he'd displayed under interrogation. Not- a slave. Not human.
A robot bonged softly next to his ear. Garner turned and read in flowing light on the waiter's chest: "You are requested to call Mr. Charles Watson at once."
Chick Watson was fat, with thick lips and a shapeless putty nose. He wore crew-cut, bristly black hair and, at the moment, a gray seventeen-hundred shadow over cheeks and jaw. He had a harmless look. Centered on his desk was a large screen viewer running film at abnormal speed. Not one in a thousand could read that fast.
A buzzer sounded. Chick snapped off the reader and turned on the phone. For a fat man he moved quickly and accurately.
"Here."
"Lucas Garner calling, sir. Do you want to see him?"
"Desperately." Chick Watson's voice belied his appearance. It was a voice of command, a deep, ringing bass.
Luke looked tired. "You wanted me, Chick?"
"Yeah, Garner. I thought you could help me with some questions."
"Fine, but I'm pressed for time."
"I'll make it quick. First, this message from Ceres to Titan Enterprises. The Golden Circle made a takeoff under radio silence yesterday, from Topeka Base, and the Belt intends to submit a bill for tracking. Titan sent the notice here. They say their ship must have been stolen."
"That's right. Kansas City has the details. It's a very complicated story."
"An hour later the Navy ship Iwo Jima-"
"Also stolen."
"Any connection with the Sea Statue incident at UCLA?"
"Every connection. Look, Chick-»
"I know, get it from Kansas City. Finally…" Chick fumbled among the spools of film on his desk. His voice was suspiciously mild as he said, "Here it is. Your notification that you'll be leaving Topeka on a commandeered Navy ship, the Heinlein; departure: Topeka Base at twenty-one hundred; destination: unknown, probably Neptune; purpose: official business. Garner, I always said it would happen, but I never really believed it."
"I haven't gone senile, Chick. This is urgent."
"Fastest attack of senility I ever heard of. What could possibly be urgent enough to get you into space at your age?"
"It's that urgent."
"You can't explain?"
"No time."
"Suppose I order you not to go."
"I think that would cost lives. Lots of lives. It could also end human civilization."
"Melodramatic."
"It's the literal truth."
"Garner, you're asking me to assume my own ignorance and let you go ahead on your own because you're the only expert on the situation. Right?"
Hesitation. "I guess that's right."
"Fine. I hate making my own decisions. That's why they put me behind a desk. But, Garner, you must know things Kansas City doesn't. Why don't you call me after takeoff? I'll be studying in the meantime."
"In case I kick off? Good idea."
"Don't let it slip your mind, now."
"Sure not."
"And take your vitamins."