The Colors of Space

"We can still salvage something! Don't talk any more! Refer them to

me--say I'm your guardian and your business manager--you can still make

something of this--"

"That's just what I don't want to do," Bart replied, and broke away from

him to approach the newsmen.

"Yes, certainly, I'll answer all your questions, gentlemen."

Raynor One flung up his hands in despair, but over their shoulder he saw

the glowing face of Meta, and smiled. She, at least, would understand.

So would Raynor Three.

A page boy touched Bart on the arm. "Mr. Steele," he said, "you are to

appear immediately before the World Council!"

He was to be asked one question again and again in the days that

followed, but his real answer was to Meta and Raynor Three, looking

quietly past Raynor One and speaking to the news cameras that would

carry his words all over the galaxy to men and Lhari: "Why didn't I keep it for myself? Because there are always men like

Montano, who in their mistaken pride will murder and steal for such

things. I want this knowledge to be open to all men, to be used for

their benefit. There has been too much secrecy already. I want all men

to have the stars."

He had to tell his story again and again to the hastily summoned

representatives of the Galactic Federation. At one point the delegate

from his home star of Vega actually rose and shouted to him, "This is

treason! You betrayed your home world--and the whole human race! Don't

you know the Lhari may fight a war over this?"

Bart remembered Vorongil's silent, sad confession of the Lhari fears.

"No," he said gently. "No. There won't be any war unless we start one.

The Lhari won't start any war. Believe me."

But inwardly, he sweated. What would the Lhari do?

They had to wait for representatives of the Lhari Council to make the

journey from their home galaxy; meanwhile they kept Bart in protective

custody. There was, of course, no question of sending him to a "prison

planet"; public opinion would have crucified any government that

suggested punishment for the man who had discovered a human world with

deposits of Catalyst A. Bart could claim an "explorer's share," and

Raynor One had lost no time in filing that claim on his behalf.

But he was lonely and anxious. They had confined him to a set of rooms

high in the building overlooking the spaceport; from the balcony he

could see the ships landing and departing. Life went on, ships came and

went, and out there in the vast night of space, the suns and colors

flamed and rolled, heedless of the little atoms that traveled and

intrigued between them.