Party Line

'But it wouldn't be the same,' she said. 'It would be a different universe. Not our universe. It would give rise to different kinds of life, new kinds of intellect. Or maybe no life or intellect at all. Just the matter and the energy. Stars burning for themselves. No one to see them and to wonder. That, Jay, is what has made our universe so wonderful. Little blobs of life that held the capacity to wonder.'

'Not only the wonder,' Jay told her, 'but the audacity to probe beyond the wonder. The grief in that warning was not that the universe was coming to an end, but that it was doing so before someone could find out what it was.'

'Jay, I've been wondering…'

'You're always wondering. What is it this time?'

'It's silly. All my wondering is silly. But, do you suppose that we can experience things in time, reach things in time as well as in space?'

T don't know. I've never thought of it.'

'You know this place I've found. So quiet. So wonderful. So happy and so holy. Have you any idea of what it might be?'

'Let's not get into that right now,' said Jay. 'You'll just upset yourself. Everyone else has left. Maybe we should be leaving, too.'

He looked around the empty lounge, made a motion to get up. She reached for his arm and held him there.

'I've been thinking about it,' she said. 'I've been wondering if this place of mine is what is left after everything is gone. When the universe is gone. The few good things left over, the worthwhile things left over. The things we have never valued enough. We or any of the others out there. The peace, the love, the holiness. These are the things, I think, that will survive.'

T don't know, Mary. God, how could I know.'

'I hope it is,' she said. T so hope it is. I have a feeling that it is. I go so much on feeling. In the place I found, you have to depend on what you feel. There is nothing else. Just the feeling. Do you ever depend on feeling, Jay?'

'No, I don't,' he told her. He got to his feet, put out a hand to help her up. 'Do you know,' he said, 'that you are beautiful and crazy.'

Suddenly he bent double getting the handkerchief to his face barely in time to catch the sneeze.

'Poor Jay,' she said. 'You still have your allergy.'

VIII

Martin settled himself before the console, shoved the helmet more comfortably into place. The helmet was a nuisance, but he had to wear it, for it was the mechanism that fed the information into the data banks.

— Einstein, are you there? he asked.

— 1 am here, said Einstein, ready to begin. You have your allergy again. Are you ingesting chemicals?

— Yes. And they don't help a lot.

— We sorrow for you greatly.

— I thank you very much, said Martin.

— When last we quit, we were discussing…

— A moment, Einstein. I have a question. -Ask.

— It has nothing to do with what we were discussing. It's a question I long have wanted to ask and never had the courage.

— Ask.

— For a long time, we have been talking about faster-than-light and I am not understanding. You've been patient with me. You overlook my stupidity. Still willing to keep on, when at times it must seem hopeless to you. I want to ask you why. Why are you willing to keep on?

— Simple, Einstein said. You help us. We help you.

— But I haven't helped you.

— Yes, you have. You recall occasion first we took notice of your allergy?

— That was a long time ago.

— We asked you can you do anything to help it. And you say a term at the time we do not know.

— Medicine?

— That was it. We asked you, medicine? And you explain. Chemicals you say. Chemicals we know.

— Yes, I guess I did say that.

— Medicine-chemicals entirely new to us. Never heard of them. Never thought of them.

— You mean you had no idea of medicine?

— Correct. Affirmative. Had no idea, ever.

— But, you never asked me about it. I would have been willing to tell you.

— We did ask. Now and then we asked. Very briefly, very carefully. So you would not know.

— Why? Why briefly? Why carefully?

— So great a thing. Too big to share with others. Now I see we misjudge you. I am very sorry.

— You should be, Martin said. I thought you were my friend.

— Friend, of course, but even among friends…

— You were willing to tell of faster-than-light.

— No great thing. Many others have it. Very simple, once you catch it.

— I'm glad to hear you say so. How are you doing on medicine?

— Slowly, but some progress. Things we need to know.

— So go ahead and ask. said Martin.

IX

Thomas looked questioningly across the desk at Martin.

'You mean to tell me, Jay, that Einstein's people had never thought of medicine. That they know chemistry and had never thought of medicine?'

'Well, it's not quite that simple,' said Martin. They have a hang-up. Their bodies are sacred. Temples of their souls. Einstein didn't actually say that; it is my interpretation of what he said. But, anyhow, their bodies are sacred and they don't tamper with them.'

'In that case, they'll have a hell of a time selling medicine to their public.'