NOVEMBER,1946 349 downtoaleisurelywhishandflyingverylow.Completingits firstcircuitoftheglobe,theshipapproachedAtomicCity, Ohio.Thehostesscameintoannouncethisfact,andallthe pasengers,eventheunaccountableEgyptian,brightened.This wasSandabads'chancetoglimpsetheearth.Theothersrelaxed theirgrips.ThiswasMecca.Thiswastheirstartingpointand thiswastheirdestination. AtomicCity,formerlycaledPokeyvilleafterJamesT. Pokeyitsfounder,consistedofthehugegrayatomicworks; "executiverow,"whichwasnotarowatallbutaprim clusterofframehousesonaslightrisewhichtheinhabitants likedtocallahill;andtheoldtownwithitsMethodist churchandbrickbank.BeyondMainStreet,therailroad tracks,andbeyondtherailroadtracks,thepoor.Theship circledthecity,theCoxesandBrindleswaved,theKorchaks wavedoverdifferentsectionsoftown.Thestreetswere deserted."Everybody'soutatthebalpark,"saidRubyKorchak. Slowlytheshipmovedawayfromthetown,inafewmo- mentsitwascirclingthebalpark.Thestandsweredivided inthreesections,forrich,poorandNegroes,evenfromthe shipthemasedblackfacescouldbeseeninthesun.Aband importedfromHolywoodwasmarchingroundthefield,the ships' radiocarriedthestrainsof"It'saLongLongTrailAwinding"tothetravelers.Thecheersofthemultitudewere cariedaloft.Thentherewerespeeches.ThemayorofAtomic Citywelcomedtheshipanditsdistinguishedpassengersback tothehomeport.ThepresidentoftheUnitedStatessaida fewwordsfromWashington;theundersecretaryandthe Britishambassadorspokefromtheship.TheRussiansaidhe feltfinebuthadnocomment.InconclusionAndrewBrindle, presidentoftheAtomicCorporationofAmerica,tookthe microphone. "FelowcitizensofPokeyvile, ImeanAtomicCity,"he said,calingforthuproarioushomespunlaughterinthestands, andtheworld, Iwanttotellyouit'sgreattobeuphere. Inlessthanfivehourswehivecircumnavigatedtheglobeon ourgood-wilvoyageinaneasterlydirection.Fromthisvan- tagepointconditionsinEuropeandAsiaseemtobeimproving.Isawnobreadlinesorfoodriots.Theshipisamighty comfortableplacetobein,andthisatomichighbal . . .oh boy!I'll letyouinonalittlesecret.Iinventeditmyself.It hasbarbariuminitandthissuperatomicbracerwillsoonbe onthemarket.Inanotherfivehoursweshalhavecompleted oursecondand,fortoday,lastcircuitoftheglobe,thistime fromnorthtosouthandaround.AtsuppertimeIshalreport toyouonSouthAmerica,CanadaandthePolarregions.Until then,solongfolks." ThebandburstintoAuldLangSyne,theatomicmotors openedup,andtheshipburstintoinvisibility.Mrs.Brindle wipedatearfromhereye."Abeautifulplace,"shesighed. "Ifonlythewholeworldcouldbelikeit!"JoeKorchakwas stillasleepbutRubyKorchakthoughttheplacewasbeau- tifultoo,especialyifsomeonewouldcomeandfixthesink. SandabadtheEgyptianhadbeenlookingdowndiscon- solately.Thiswastheearth,buthowunlikeitself.Thesight ofAtomicCityfilledhimwithlonelyforeboding.Perhapsthe earthwasanilusion. "Alas,madame,"hesaid."Iamafraiditsoonwill.The Nile,theVolga,theGanges,will allhavetheirPokeyBeiote'òaGinoBianco "Yourealythinkso?"Mrs.Brindlesaid.Shewasvery pleased.Thesedarkiessometimeshadasixthsense. "Can'tyouseehe'spulingyourleg?"saidMrs.Cox."He doesn'tlikeAtomicCity,he'dratherbebackinhisjungle." "What?Howdarehe?Andrew,thisdarkiehasinsultedme." "Mad-ame,"saidSandabad."Itisnomattersincetheearth isnottheearth. It isnomaterwhetherweliveinPokey- vileordie. It isnomaterwhetherIamadarkieornot. Butatschooltheytaughtmeprecision.AnEgyptian,madame, isnotadarkie. . ." "Andrew,"criedMrs.Brindle."Andrew! Ihavebeenin- suAltendd."rewBrindlewasperhapsthesoberestofthewholecompany.Hehadafinecapacityforliquor,besideshehadbeen savinghimselfforhisspeech."Lord,"hesaidtoCox,"the oldgirl'sbeeninsultedagain." Cox'sheadwasnotsocool."It'snolaughingmater,"he said."Ithinkweshouldteachthisfelowalesson." "Yes,indeed,"saidtheEgyptian."Whatbetterwayto christentheatomshipthantodisciplineapoorold-fashioned cosmopolitan?" Brindletookanotherstiffdrinkandnow,withthehelpof Sandabad'slastremark,hewasproperlyindignant. "Isay,"saidLordCrownbotom."Thebounderhasgone toofar."Hecastamournfulglanceathisformersubject. "Andafteral theefortwespentonyou." TheRussiancoughedandstoodup:"Iwishtomakethe Sovietpositionperfectlyclear.Weareopposedtoallracial discrimination.Wechampionfreedomanddemocracyforsmall nations.However,thismanisanobscurantist,adefeatist, areactionaryandacosmopolitan.It isourunalterableview thathemustbedisciplined."Thecasewasopenandshut, surelyMoscow'sviewswouldcoincidewithhisown. "Rightho,"saidLordCrownbottompeeringintohisglass. "Iproposethatwemakethischapjoinusinadrink. . .an atomicdrink." "I'vetoldyou,"saidSandabadwearily,"weMohammedans do "nToht e . re. h."egoesagain,"saidMrs.Brindle."Andrew,areyou goingtositthereandletthisheatheninsultusaloveragain?" "Nowseehere,"saidBrindleasheapproachedSandabad withaseething,bubblinghighbal."Drinkuplikeaman,be liketherestofus.Youplayfairwithus,weplayfairwith you.Drinkup,man,drinkup!" CoxsteppedalittleclosertotheEgyptian."Yes,"hesaid, "D" r I in t'sk aup fin!"edrink,oldthing,"murmuredLordCrownbottom."Itsavorsofspaceitself.Botomsup!" "Spaceitself,"repeatedSandabad."Well,gentlemen, I shalldrink(mayAlahforgiveme),butIdrinkinprotest,in protest,INPROTEST."Hisvoicerosetoashrilscreamas hetiltedhisheadandemptiedtheglassinonegreatgulp. Hisfacewaspurpleashesettheglassonhishighbalrest, andhisaudiencefellstrangelysilent.Suddenlyanominous gurglewasheard.ThedrinkinCox'sglasschurnedwildly. Sandabadbegantoscream:"It'sthereaction,mygoodfriends. Myspiritrebeledandsetupthereaction.Itwasmyspirit, myB . u . th ." isvoicewaslostinthemomentousexplosionthatfollowed.Theatomshipsplit,fell,melted.Noonehadtimeto think. RALPHMANHEIM
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