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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/32281-h.zip b/32281-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d782536 --- /dev/null +++ b/32281-h.zip diff --git a/32281-h/32281-h.htm b/32281-h/32281-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..35a0c29 --- /dev/null +++ b/32281-h/32281-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1646 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!-- $Id: header.txt 236 2009-12-07 18:57:00Z vlsimpson $ --> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of First Man, by Clyde Brown. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.linenum { + position: absolute; + top: auto; + left: 4%; +} /* poetry number */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.sidenote { + width: 20%; + padding-bottom: .5em; + padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; + padding-right: .5em; + margin-left: 1em; + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; + color: black; + background: #eeeeee; + border: dashed 1px; +} + +.bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + +.bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + +.bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + +.br {border-right: solid 2px;} + +.bbox {border: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.u {text-decoration: underline;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.figleft { + float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +.figright { + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; + margin-bottom: + 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Poetry */ +.poem { + margin-left:10%; + margin-right:10%; + text-align: left; +} + +.poem br {display: none;} + +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + +.poem span.i0 { + display: block; + margin-left: 0em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i2 { + display: block; + margin-left: 2em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i4 { + display: block; + margin-left: 4em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of First Man, by Clyde Brown + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: First Man + +Author: Clyde Brown + +Illustrator: Wood + +Release Date: May 7, 2010 [EBook #32281] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST MAN *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + + +<h1>FIRST MAN</h1> + +<h2>By CLYDE BROWN</h2> + +<h3>Illustrated by WOOD</h3> + +<p>[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction +April 1958. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the +U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="sidenote"><i>He obstinately wanted no part in achieving the goal of +generations—but the goal with equal obstinacy wanted all of him!</i></div> + + +<p>To keep the record straight: Orville Close was first man on the Moon. +Harold Ferguson was second. They never talk about it.</p> + +<p>It started on that October morning when the piece came out in the +Parkville <i>News</i>. Harold grumbled that they'd gotten the story all +wrong, calling his ship a rocket ship, and treating him like a flagpole +sitter or a man going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. His wife took +their sad, thin little girl and went to live with her brother. The city +police blocked off Elm Street, letting no one through except the +residents. The neighbors were getting up a petition. But Orville refused +to become excited.</p> + +<p>What was going to happen?</p> + +<p>Why, nothing.</p> + +<p>Harold would probably crack up completely, but this evening that thing +would still be standing there, solid as the Washington Monument.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless, Orville's wife Polly was going to her sister's, across +town. <i>She</i> wasn't going to stay there and be blown up! While she was +getting ready, Orville picked up a package by the sink and carried it +outside to the alley and dropped it in the garbage can. He wore his +double-breasted fall suit. He strolled to the boundary fence and leaned +against a post.</p> + +<p>A reporter was taking angle shots of the spaceship. Flashbulbs were +scattered over Harold's garden.</p> + +<p>It really does catch the eye, Orville thought. Smarten the ship up a +little, put some stripes running down from the nose, a few pieces of +chrome around over the body....</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Poor old Harold came off his back porch carrying a thermos jug and six +loaves of bread.</p> + +<p>"Morning, Harold," said Orville.</p> + +<p>"Oh—morning, Orville." Harold flinched. Another reporter had come out +of the shed and taken their picture.</p> + +<p>"What's your name, mister?" the reporter asked Orville.</p> + +<p>"I'd rather you left me out of this," Orville said.</p> + +<p>A loaf of bread had broken open and slices were falling out. Harold put +down the thermos jug and picked up the slices and stuffed them back into +the wrapper. The first reporter came over.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>"It's got Vitamin D." Harold grinned wretchedly. "Costs two cents more a +loaf, but I thought, what the heck—"</p> + +<p>"How about a shot of you and the missus saying good-by?" the first +reporter said.</p> + +<p>"Why—she left me," Harold blurted. He tried to get away, but the +reporters hemmed him in.</p> + +<p>"Was she scared?" the second reporter asked.</p> + +<p>"Look, boys!" Orville put his hands on the top rail of the fence and +climbed across. He was getting his shoes wet in the weeds in Harold's +garden, but he didn't care. "The man has work to do. Can't you leave him +alone?"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>He picked up the jug and took Harold by the elbow and led him into the +shed.</p> + +<p>There, resting on some concrete blocks on the dirt floor, was the base +of the ship. In the semi-darkness, it looked harmless enough: like a +tank, six or eight feet across, reaching up through a jagged hole in the +roof.</p> + +<p>"Harold, you could make a good thing out of this," Orville said. "All +this publicity."</p> + +<p>Harold was climbing a rickety ladder to the roof. Orville followed.</p> + +<p>"Mount this thing on a trailer. Take her around to fairs and carnivals."</p> + +<p>Orville waited on the roof while Harold climbed another ladder to the +small oval door in the side of the ship. Harold called down: "You never +saw the inside. Want to look around?"</p> + +<p>"Well...." Orville glanced into his back yard. Polly wasn't ready yet. +He climbed up and handed the jug to Harold and stuck his head in.</p> + +<p>"Huh!" There wasn't much to see. Just a small compartment with some +pipes leading from below into the nose. "You got to fix this up," he +said. "Some Rube Goldberg contraptions."</p> + +<p>"The works are all up here." Harold climbed a ladder and disappeared +through a hole overhead. "C'mon up, I'd like you to see this!"</p> + +<p>Orville looked down again into his yard. "It'll take her forever! Polly, +I mean. Okay, I guess I got time for a look." He stepped in and climbed +until his waist was through the hole.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>The nose of the ship was dark. Harold was shining an extension lamp +around. There were parts of a junked car and some old plumbing fixtures +and Orville recognized the wheels of a lawnmower he'd left by the alley +for the trash men to pick up. This didn't look like the inside of a +spaceship. It looked exactly like a corner in Harold's basement.</p> + +<p>"Oh, Lord," Orville said.</p> + +<p>"I call this my scope." Harold was shining the light on a shaving +mirror, on a long arm that could be swung and tilted about. "How about +that? Pretty neat, huh?"</p> + +<p>Neat was hardly the word for it. "Look here, Harold! The neighbors are +getting an injunction. Why don't you play it smart? Fight it out in the +courts. There'll be a lot of publicity—"</p> + +<p>"They are?" Harold was hurt. He was shining the lamp in Orville's eyes.</p> + +<p>"Yeah. Now while you're fighting it out in the courts—"</p> + +<p>"Do you call that neighborly?"</p> + +<p>"They're scared. They're afraid you'll blow the whole neighborhood to +pieces."</p> + +<p>"Well, hell with them!"</p> + +<p>"While we're on that subject, ain't that my trouble lamp you're +holding?"</p> + +<p>"Yeah. Guess it is. Need it right away?"</p> + +<p>"Just want you to remember where it came from."</p> + +<p>"Actually, it'll be no use on the trip. I got her fixed so when I take +off, the cord down at the base will come unplugged and—"</p> + +<p>"Well, Polly must be ready by now." Orville gave up. Polly was right. +Harold was insane.</p> + +<p>Orville tried to turn on the ladder so that he could climb back down. +His foot slipped. He spread his arms to keep from falling through the +hole and knocked over the pile of bread.</p> + +<p>"Watch out!" Harold yelped.</p> + +<p>"I'm all right." Orville felt a slight tingle.</p> + +<p>"Yes, but you—" Harold's voice trailed off with dismay. The light in +his hand had gone out, but Orville didn't think of what this meant at +the time.</p> + +<p>There was light coming through the door below and Orville climbed down. +Darn! He pulled out his handkerchief and tried to brush the dust off his +lapels. He'd have to change suits, and that meant changing his socks and +tie, and he was supposed to meet those people about that deal on +Maplehurst Extension at nine. Well, he'd be late. He leaned out of the +door.</p> + +<p>"Orville!" shouted Harold. "Come back! Don't step out there!"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>A lot of fog was blowing down past the nose of the ship. Orville +wondered where it came from. He stuck his foot out, reaching for the +ladder. He heard Harold scrambling down from above and he wanted to get +away from that madman. He reached farther. Harold grabbed his arm.</p> + +<p>Then the fog cleared away and Orville swayed dizzily, gaping at where he +had almost stepped. They had been going through a cloud. Now he looked +down at dazzling clouds in the bright October sun and between them he +saw the streets of Parkville, very neat, just like the map hanging in +the office.</p> + +<p>He dropped back inside and lay weakly on the floor. He grabbed one of +the pipes and shakily clung to it.</p> + +<p>"What happened?" he stammered.</p> + +<p>"Hit the main switch." Harold was reaching out for the door handle. He +banged the door shut with a concussion that burst inside Orville's head. +"We took off."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>It was dark in there, at first; then Orville saw a dim violet light that +filled the inside of the ship.</p> + +<p>He followed Harold up the ladder into the nose of the ship and sank to +the floor. Harold was twiddling with some knobs mounted on the dashboard +of the junked car.</p> + +<p>"Boy!" Orville pulled out his handkerchief again and swabbed his +forehead. He tried to wipe the grime from his hands. "And I've never +even been in an airplane!"</p> + +<p>"Me either." Harold pounded on the dashboard. A meter didn't seem to be +working. "There ... guess I can open her up a little."</p> + +<p>"Hey, wait! Take me back!"</p> + +<p>Harold moved a knob an eighth of a turn. He switched on the scope and +waited for it to warm up. He took off his glasses and wiped them, +squinting at Orville with that one bad eye.</p> + +<p>"Turn it around and take me back!"</p> + +<p>"But I can't, Orville." Harold put on the glasses and looked into the +scope. "It's working!"</p> + +<p>"I demand it! You've made me late for the office as it is!"</p> + +<p>"Sure looks different from the map," Harold said. "Must be the East +Coast. There's Florida sticking out there."</p> + +<p>He snapped off the scope and sat opposite Orville. He opened the thermos +and poured coffee into the cap.</p> + +<p>"Been so busy, didn't have my breakfast." He held out the cap to +Orville. "I take mine without sugar."</p> + +<p>Orville shook his head. "Do I understand—"</p> + +<p>"Ugh! It's hot!" Harold put down the coffee and rummaged in some brown +paper bags. "Should be some glazed doughnuts.... Shoot! Bet I left them +in the kitchen!"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Orville faced him firmly. "You've shown me it'll fly. I believe you. Now +I give you one more chance—take me back!"</p> + +<p>"But I can't!" Harold protested.</p> + +<p>"There are laws about this sort of thing, my friend. This is abduction. +Kidnapping. You know what the penalty is for that?"</p> + +<p>"Well, gee, I didn't mean to take you along, Orville. You hit that +switch—"</p> + +<p>"It's criminal negligence, leaving a switch out there like that where it +could be hit by accident!"</p> + +<p>"Had to put it there so I could reach up from below and work it."</p> + +<p>Orville balled his fists and stood squarely. Funny—it was no trouble at +all, standing and walking around. If he hadn't seen those clouds, and +the landscape sinking away, he'd swear the two of them were still in +Harold's back yard.</p> + +<p>"Do you take me back," he said, "or do I have to break every—"</p> + +<p>"But I can't!" Harold grasped his wrist pleadingly. "I got her set up in +a sequence. If I tried to change the sequence now, why—" He shuddered. +"I haven't got any idea what might happen!"</p> + +<p>Orville sat back down.</p> + +<p>"I'm sorry." The weak way Harold said it made Orville feel worse than +ever.</p> + +<p>"Me! Trapped up here in this thing with you!" Orville said bitterly. +"You can't even drive a car! You're just about the worst driver I know!"</p> + +<p>"I know," Harold admitted. "But this is safer than a car. Besides, out +where we're going, there'll be no traffic problem." He gave his inane +giggle. "Far as I know, there's no one else at all!"</p> + +<p>"And the neighborhood back there. Probably all blown to pieces. Polly. +The house. My car! I got complete coverage on it, but who ever heard of +a car wrecked by a spaceship? When we get back, if my insurance doesn't +cover it, I'll sue you!"</p> + +<p>"There's nothing hurt at all," Harold said. "Unless someone had his hand +on the ship when we took off. I'd planned to have 'em stand back."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Orville closed his eyes. Something was crossing and crisscrossing inside +him like two rings tossed back and forth by jugglers. It was not +painful, but it was disturbing. Something must be going wrong. He didn't +trust Harold's mechanical ability. In the past ten years, Harold had +been fired from a couple of filling station jobs because of blunders, +once for leaving the plug out of a crank case, and once for botching up +a flat tire repair.</p> + +<p>"Running kind of rough, isn't she?" Orville said. "What makes this +little—" He circled his hands sickly in front of his stomach.</p> + +<p>Harold closed his eyes and made similar circles. "Oh, that's this +counter-grav of mine. You see, the gravitation of the Earth—"</p> + +<p>"Can't you do anything about it?" Orville was in no mood to listen to +one of Harold's lectures.</p> + +<p>"I could move her over so we couldn't feel it, but it would be shaking +the ship then. Might tear it apart."</p> + +<p>"Won't it tear us apart?"</p> + +<p>"I don't think so. We got more give to us than the ship has." Harold was +able to drink the coffee now. "No, I don't think I've done a bad job on +this. First time a machine is built, you're bound to run into a few +bugs. But this is working, so far, even better than I expected."</p> + +<p>"Yeah," Orville had to admit, "it ain't bad—for a guy with no +mechanical ability whatever."</p> + + +<p>II</p> + +<p>Harold had opened the ship up a little more, and according to him, they +were now moving eighteen thousand miles per hour or so, approximately. +Orville had tried to drink some water from a milk bottle, but the sight +of the water, bouncing in rhythm to the invisible circles in his +stomach, had given him nausea.</p> + +<p>Harold knelt on the floor, smoothing out a soiled sheet of paper. In the +center was a small circle, labeled in Harold's sloppy handwriting +"Earth." An arrow showed the direction of the Earth's motion around the +Sun. Outside this was a larger circle labeled "Orbit of Moon." A spiral +reached out from the Earth to intersect the Moon's orbit.</p> + +<p>"Had the darnedest time drawing this," Harold said. "Got it out of an +astronomy book. <i>Let's Look at the Stars</i> by someone. Thirty-five cents. +Let's see now."</p> + +<p>He wet the point of the pencil and made a mark. He scratched his head +and erased the mark and made another.</p> + +<p>"Harold, another thing," said Orville. "I weigh around one ninety-five. +Won't that take a lot of extra gas?"</p> + +<p>"Nope. Doesn't matter if you weigh a ton. According to my counter-grav +principle—"</p> + +<p>"Won't it get stuffy in here with two of us?"</p> + +<p>"Why, I have some oxygen. That welding place in back of the garage where +I work—got a tank off them. Had to pay cash, but I can turn in the +empty when we get back."</p> + +<p>"You sure one tank'll be enough?"</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>"Well—" Harold flushed guiltily. "You won't say anything about this? I +took along several extra tanks, just to make sure. I wasn't stealing. +You see, I figure I might make some money out of this thing."</p> + +<p>"Say!" Orville hadn't thought of this angle before. "You really could."</p> + +<p>"And there should be plenty of food. Let me see now." He fished in his +pocket and brought out a piece of brown wrapping paper. "I'll run over +the list and make sure I didn't forget something." He glanced up +sharply. "Relax! Make yourself to home. And the little boy's room is +down there." He squinted at the paper. "Water. There's plenty. Six +family-size cans pork and beans. Charged 'em." He ran through the list, +mumbling, then looked up brightly. "Yep. Looks all right. Nope, there's +one thing I forgot. Stickum plaster! Doggone. Never go anywhere without +my first aid kit. Never know what's liable to happen."</p> + +<p>"Y'know, Harold," Orville said, "I'm beginning to see some possibilities +in this trip. First man on the Moon. Think of the fuss they made over +Lindy and Wrong-way Corrigan. The guys who climbed Mount Everest. Why, +that was nothing!"</p> + +<p>"Course, I'm not doing this for fame. Or money, either."</p> + +<p>"Then why are you doing it?"</p> + +<p>Harold stared vaguely toward where the Moon would be if they could see +it. "I guess ... because it's there."</p> + +<p>"Huh! Well, don't forget I'm in on it, too."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Some time later, when the Moon first appeared on the scope, about the +size of a basketball, Harold indulged in a mild spree. He opened some +pineapple juice. Orville did not feel like drinking any. In fact, he +felt ill.</p> + +<p>"Space sickness," Harold said. "Lot of bread is good for that. Stuff +yourself with it. Just think—back there on Earth, they're going about +their business and no one knows that we're out here heading for the +Moon. Just think—if I'd call them on the radio and report making first +contact with the Moon—"</p> + +<p>"Harold, one thing. How're you going to get her down?"</p> + +<p>"Naval observatory would be the people to call, I guess. They'd notify +the President and they'd interrupt the TV programs—I thought of putting +a radio in here, but I'd already gone way over my budget."</p> + +<p>"How do you plan to land her?"</p> + +<p>"And wouldn't those guys at the Atomic Energy Commission have red faces! +You know, I wrote them, asking to use some of their energy and—darn +these government bureaus!—they never even had the courtesy to answer my +letter!"</p> + +<p>"Listen—"</p> + +<p>"And the birds at the college! When I took that navigation chart to the +astronomy department to see if they'd check it for me, they blew up! +Acted like I had no business flying to the Moon. Acted like they owned +the thing. Bunch of smart-alecs! With their double-talk! Knew less than +I did when I went there."</p> + +<p>He looked at his watch. "I'm going to have a snack and then I'll get +some sleep. That's one good thing about having you along. Now I can +sleep and not have to worry."</p> + +<p>As Harold sawed at the top of a can of beans with the can-opener. +Orville closed his eyes. Instantly, he saw the ship, heading for the +Moon, and then there was a blinding flash. He opened his eyes. Harold +was digging into the can with a spoon, munching away.</p> + +<p>"Just brought one." Harold waved the spoon. "But I'm not poison. Better +have some of these beans. They'll stick to your ribs."</p> + +<p>Orville crawled to the door leading to the other compartment, flung it +open and leaned there a while. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Harold was +wiping the spoon on a piece of brown paper.</p> + +<p>"Last call!" Harold giggled and pushed the can to Orville. Orville +pushed it away and closed his eyes and sat, holding his middle. When he +opened them, Harold was sleeping.</p> + +<p>Orville crawled over and shook him. "How soon do you want me to wake you +up?"</p> + +<p>Harold sat up. "Oh, my gosh! I forgot! Why, don't let me sleep more than +four hours."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>He went to sleep again. Orville sat back. He could see it. Harold, +watching the Moon grow bigger and bigger on that scope, until they were +right on it, then turning with a surprised look: Oh, my gosh! I forgot +something! Then he'd give that giggle and there'd be that crash....</p> + +<p>Orville's watch said two hours, but he wasn't sure. Maybe he'd slept and +the hand had gone clear around. He kept seeing that flash. Some amateur +astronomer, looking at the Moon right then, might see it. He'd be a +bungler, like Harold, and it wouldn't be much of a telescope. He was +always seeing flashes in the thing, from cars or lightning bugs or from +the kitchen door, because his wife was there yelling at him, just like +Rosie yelling at Harold. For they always married women like Rosie, or +they made women turn that way. Polly, now, she nagged all the time, but +that was different!</p> + +<p>Orville drank some water and ate some bread, and when he swallowed, he +felt that circular bump-bump grab the bread and chop away at it, just +like Polly feeding stale bread into the meat chopper to make stuffing.</p> + +<p>I have no business being out here, he moaned.</p> + +<p>Here he was riding to the Moon with a tinkering idiot who couldn't fix a +kitchen faucet or locate a blown fuse in the basement. Streams of +moisture were trickling down the wall. The metal felt cold, like the +window of the car on a day when you needed the heater and defroster. Was +something going wrong?</p> + +<p>Maybe they were out of oxygen. He listened to Harold snoring. Once +Harold took a quick breath, and strangled, and turned his head +restlessly. His glasses were slipping off.</p> + +<p>Orville looked at his watch. He couldn't believe that just five minutes +had gone by since he'd looked at it last. He could hear Harold's +two-dollar watch ticking away, almost as loud as his own. His was +gaining on Harold's and then they were ticking together so that the +combined pounding sent echoes through the ship. He tried to crawl.</p> + +<p>He couldn't move.</p> + +<p>"Harold!" The ticking of the watches drowned out his voice. "We're in +trouble! We're out of oxygen! Help!"</p> + +<p>It was like a bad dream. Then something woke him: Harold, stumbling +across his legs, turning on the scope and waiting, breathing hard, for +it to come to life.</p> + +<p>Harold saw that he was awake. "You went to sleep! You shoulda woke me. +It's been six hours!"</p> + +<p>Orville said nothing.</p> + +<p>"We may be clear past the Moon by now," Harold grumbled.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Orville turned his face to the wall. He heard the hiss as Harold ran in +fresh oxygen. "Shoot! Better go down and hook up a new tank." Harold +clanked around in the other end of the ship and came back.</p> + +<p>"How far out are we?" asked Orville.</p> + +<p>"Not far. I'm cutting down the speed some."</p> + +<p>"Uh ... how do you plan to take her down?"</p> + +<p>"That's an interesting point, now. Let's see...."</p> + +<p>"Wouldn't it be better if we just flew up close, not too close, and then +headed for home? Of course, there's that problem back there, too."</p> + +<p>"Don't you want the beans? I'll eat 'em then."</p> + +<p>"But I'd feel better crashing on the Earth, somehow, than on the Moon—"</p> + +<p>"Who says we're going to crash? There are several ways to set her down. +Head first, tail first, but I guess I'll lay her in sideways. It'll be +easier to crawl outside."</p> + +<p>"What?"</p> + +<p>"Sure." Harold was munching beans. Then he rummaged in the supplies and +brought out a jar of peaches. He drank off some of the juice. "Rosie +never gets enough sugar in these to suit me." The peaches slid off the +spoon. He dug in with his fingers and brought out a slice. "Point of the +whole thing. Explore. Look around." He tilted the jar to his mouth and +let slices fall into his mouth. "Pick up some samples of rocks and +things."</p> + +<p>"You can get rocks right around home."</p> + +<p>"But these are different. These weigh only a quarter as much as the +rocks on Earth. Or is it a sixth?"</p> + +<p>"In that case—" Orville started gathering up empty bags and cans and +putting them into a soup carton.</p> + +<p>"What're you doing?"</p> + +<p>"Cleaning the place up a little. We can get rid of some of this trash."</p> + +<p>"Don't throw those out! I paid a deposit on them." Harold pulled out the +empty milk bottles and put them back in the case.</p> + + +<p>III</p> + +<p>Harold had said the landing would be as gentle as laying a baby in its +cradle. It wasn't exactly.</p> + +<p>He said: "There!"</p> + +<p>"Are we down?"</p> + +<p>Harold nodded. Orville let go of the railing he'd been hanging onto. +Harold unplugged something.</p> + +<p>The ship went dark and started rolling. It was a slow, drunken roll and +as noisy as an oil drum going down the court house steps. There was a +final hard blow; then the ship rocked and lay still.</p> + +<p>Orville sat up. He could hear Harold scrambling about, and then a +flashlight came on.</p> + +<p>"What happened?"</p> + +<p>"Must have landed on the side of a mountain. Rolled down when I turned +off our counter-grav. Shoot!" Harold held up something. "Broke a lens in +my glasses. There's another trip to the eye-doctor's."</p> + +<p>Orville rescued a couple of bottles that were spilling water. Everything +else seemed to be all right. The ship lay on its side now and Harold was +crawling through the hole leading to the other compartment. When Orville +got through, Harold was hauling something from the other end of the +ship.</p> + +<p>"What we waiting for?" Orville put his hand on the handle of the outer +door. "Last one out is a—"</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute! You gotta wear this thing." Harold was laying out a +spacesuit. He explained how it worked. He didn't object a great deal +when Orville volunteered to go out first.</p> + +<p>"We can take turns." Harold helped Orville slide his feet into the thing +and pull it on. It fitted Orville rather tightly in places, but it +seemed to be all right.</p> + +<p>"Be careful now." Harold squinted at him through the one lens of his +glasses. "Don't tear her on a rock or anything. You'd pop like a kid's +balloon."</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute!"</p> + +<p>Harold paused, holding the helmet.</p> + +<p>"I can't go through with it," Orville said. "I was planning a mean trick +on you. I was going to be the first man."</p> + +<p>"What difference does that make? We're both in on it together." Harold +clapped the helmet down on Orville's shoulders. He tightened some clamps +and leaned close and said something which Orville could not hear. Then +Orville saw that he wanted to shake hands, so Orville shook his hand.</p> + +<p>Harold squirmed back through the hole into the nose, waved and shut the +door.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Orville aimed the flashlight at the outer door. He turned the valve +beside the door, feeling the suit puff out around him, and when the +pressure in the compartment was gone, he reached toward the handle. His +eyes were watering. He had to use all of his strength to move the +handle; then the door popped open, swinging out and down, and he was +looking out at the Moon.</p> + +<p>There was glaring light and a kind of fog. He laid down the flashlight +and, groping, found the soup carton in which he'd put the refuse +accumulated during the trip, and flung the box into the fog.</p> + +<p>He looked out again. There was nothing but the glaring white void. +"Well, that settles that!" There was no use getting out. On the other +hand, how about a souvenir?</p> + +<p>He stuck a leg out through the opening, which was now about two feet +high and four feet wide. By wriggling, he got the other leg out, but he +couldn't touch the ground. He reached his left foot a little farther and +touched something that rolled slightly, then was solid. That's far +enough, he thought; to hell with the souvenir!</p> + +<p>But the mittens were too clumsy. He couldn't pull himself back in. He +lowered himself farther and stood. He shuffled among the loose, rolling +stones and reached down and picked one of them up. Harold was right: +they weighed a lot less than the rocks on Earth. He cradled the thing in +one arm and stood there.</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/illus3.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p>Here he was, standing on the Moon! The very first man! He hugged the +souvenir to his body. They'd keep it on the coffee table, between those +two awful ashtrays Polly had brought back from Niagara Falls, and when +anyone asked him what was that funny rock lying there, he'd say—</p> + +<p>Orville had been reaching, trying to touch the ship. His hand met +nothing....</p> + +<p>Now keep calm, he thought. Don't get turned around. And don't panic. It +can't be far away. He reached out in another direction and took a step, +but still his waving hand met nothing. Try this way then....</p> + +<p>As he turned, his elbow struck the edge of the opening. Maybe he'd been +waving his arm through the opening all the time!</p> + +<p>He tossed in the souvenir. He wriggled in after it. Careful! What did +Harold say about tearing the suit?</p> + +<p>He closed the outer door. As he returned the pressure to the +compartment, the suit became limp against him, and Orville was so weak +that he sank to the floor. He was still lying there when Harold took off +the headpiece.</p> + +<p>"It's a total flop," Orville told him. "It's been a waste of time. No +use going out."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>He told Harold about the narrow escape he'd had in the fog. <i>Fog</i> on the +Moon? This didn't sound right to Harold. He was fooling with the helmet, +scratching frost from the inside of the visor. "Couldn't you get the +defroster working? This little button right here. I showed you."</p> + +<p>Orville knew, to his shame and disgust, that he had been looking at his +own breath all of that time.</p> + +<p>Harold now insisted on going out. Orville shined the flashlight around. +He was looking for the souvenir, and he found it, near their feet.</p> + +<p>It was a package carefully wrapped in paper, some of the refuse which he +had thrown outside.</p> + +<p>That figures, he thought bitterly. Well, anyway, I was <i>first man</i>. They +can't take that away from me!</p> + +<p>Harold was gone a long time. The nose of the ship was becoming very cold +and the only light came from the luminous dial of Orville's watch. What +was Harold doing out there? Maybe he'd snagged his suit and blown up +like a soap bubble. How long should Orville wait before giving up? He +should have learned how to run the ship, in case of an emergency like +this.</p> + +<p>A distant clank startled him. The ship rolled slightly. Orville reached +out a hand in the dark to steady himself and chilled when he realized +what he'd put his hand on. It was the starting switch.</p> + +<p>What was that idiot doing out there?</p> + +<p>Then Harold was back, breathing hard, squinting through his one good +lens. "Boy, what a sight! I'd give anything for a camera!"</p> + +<p>"Never mind that! Let's go! I'm freezing!"</p> + +<p>They were off without any trouble and the dim violet light returned and +the ice on the compartment walls began to melt. When the ship was +settled on course, Harold took off the rest of the spacesuit, pulled +some paper from the glove compartment of the dashboard and began +writing.</p> + +<p>"It's the official report," Harold said presently. "Getting it all down +while it's fresh in my mind."</p> + +<p>"Let's see that!" Orville couldn't read Harold's handwriting. "What's it +say?"</p> + +<p>"You really want to hear it? Well...." Harold cleared his throat +modestly and began to read. "'The <i>Discovery</i>'—decided to call her the +<i>Discovery</i> on account of—'the <i>Discovery</i> was lying on her side in the +shade, but a blinding light was coming down from some peaks. It nearly +blinded me! Boy, what a—'" Harold squinted over a word—"'sight!'"</p> + +<p>"Wait a minute! You giving me credit?"</p> + +<p>"What for?"</p> + +<p>"For being the first man."</p> + +<p>"Oh, sure. I mention that in here some place."</p> + +<p>"Just so there's no mistake!" Orville suddenly felt very drowsy. He +curled up facing the wall and went to sleep.</p> + +<p>When he awoke, he saw Harold leaning against the wall, his glasses +sliding down, his head nodding. Orville reached over and jerked his +foot.</p> + +<p>"There now," he said. "Old neighbor. You go to sleep. I'll watch her for +a while."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Orville felt fine now. While Harold slept, he opened a jar of Rosie's +peaches, drank off the juice and dug in with the spoon. It wasn't really +so bad, not shaving or taking a bath, roughing it out here in space!</p> + +<p>He dug into his coat pocket, found a cigar, but it was crushed. Oh, +well. He flung it into the trash. He folded his arms, leaned back his +head.</p> + +<p>They sat at the head of a banquet table, he and Harold. The mayor was +there, and the college president, and way down the table was the boss, +old Haverstrom, real proud to be in such important company. And the +governor was there and—by gosh! Sitting right next to Orville was the +President of the United States!</p> + +<p>Someone was making a speech—they were awarding some kind of prize for +<i>first man</i> and there was applause and they were waiting for Orville to +get up. He stood, waited for applause to die down.</p> + +<p>"Thank you, friends ... all of you ... being no speechmaker ... but I do +want to say right here and now ... no more idea of receiving this great +honor tonight than of—flying to the Moon!"</p> + +<p>That would get a laugh. Then he'd go on and give due credit to Harold, +poor old Harold sleeping there, innocent as a baby about such things.</p> + +<p>Why, the publicity angle alone could take up a man's full time. Guest +appearances on TV. Getting signed up as technical adviser in Hollywood. +But that was just the beginning.</p> + +<p>Take the metal in this ship. Harold had made it out of junk from the +city dump, melting it in a forge he'd fashioned out of an old oil drum. +It had to be cheap and easy to make—but you could probably use it for +almost anything. There was your whole metal industry shot to pieces!</p> + +<p>This thing he called a scope now. With a big corporation behind it, Lord +only knew what it would do to the communications setup.</p> + +<p>But the big thing was this counter-grav business! <i>There</i> was where you +got into the big leagues. If Harold could do this with it, think what +General Motors could do! Orville could see TWA, B&O and steamship +companies bidding against each other for it. And car manufacturers and +freight handlers—and tugboat owners—and taxi fleets-and the armed +forces—</p> + +<p>Harold was waking up. He rubbed his skimpy whiskers, put on his broken +glasses, creaked over to the scope and turned it on. Harold, old boy, +Orville thought tenderly, you don't know it yet, but your troubles are +all over!</p> + +<p>"What do you see, Harold?"</p> + +<p>"The Earth."</p> + +<p>Orville went over. There was a dark green spot on the scope, bright +against deep black. "You sure?"</p> + +<p>"Almost positive. That's the only thing that size there is right around +here."</p> + +<p>"Well, fine! That calls for a celebration, doesn't it?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes. Forgot that. We can open the tuna."</p> + + +<p>IV</p> + +<p>"It's about time," Orville said, "that we started figuring out a plan." +He scraped the bottom of the can. The tuna tasted fine. He took a swig +of pineapple juice and passed the can back to Harold.</p> + +<p>"Yeah, I been thinking about that," said Harold.</p> + +<p>"I've had more experience in that line than you, so maybe—"</p> + +<p>"Do you think mankind is ready for my secret?"</p> + +<p>"There, you see?" Orville laughed heartily. "Now don't you worry about +such things."</p> + +<p>"But look what they did with the atomic bomb. And if this ever got +loose—"</p> + +<p>"Harold!" Orville's laugh was less hearty. "Do you think you could keep +this a secret? The minute we land, they'll be all over us. The +government can impound this ship, you know."</p> + +<p>"Won't do them any good. They can tear it all apart and never find out a +thing."</p> + +<p>Hours later, they were still arguing.</p> + +<p>"If the government had it, they'd build a war machine and then the +Russians would steal it—"</p> + +<p>"Harold! That's Communist talk!"</p> + +<p>"Shoot! I'm no Communist!"</p> + +<p>"You're playing right into their hands...."</p> + +<p>It went on and on. Then: "Harold—as your neighbor—won't you tell <i>me</i> +what it is?"</p> + +<p>"I'll try...."</p> + +<p>Orville sat up, tingling. You take gravity, Harold said. What do we know +about it? Was it like a lot of rubber bands, stretching back and forth +between everything, or was it a flow, like water? Now if it was a flow, +it would have to flow back some way, or else you'd run out, wouldn't +you? Then if you hooked onto this counter-flow—</p> + +<p>Orville nodded. This wasn't so hard to understand. He felt a little +nervous. "Go on, Harold."</p> + +<p>"I guess it's none of those things." Harold gave his inane giggle.</p> + +<p>Orville felt cheated. "You call this neighborly? Remember when I drove +clear out into the country with a gallon of gas that time when you got +stuck?"</p> + +<p>"I'm trying. You gotta think of it up to that point, then you gotta +think the <i>other</i> way. But you can't explain it. You just do it."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Harold picked up two of the rings from Rosie's fruit jars and moved them +back and forth across one another. He tried with three rings, dropped +them.</p> + +<p>"It's no use."</p> + +<p>"Try harder."</p> + +<p>Harold shook his head. "I suppose if I wanted to bad enough.... But now +that we been to the Moon, there's nothing else I want to do."</p> + +<p>Orville reached for the rings and tried.</p> + +<p>Suddenly, Harold sprang up. "Oh, my socks!"</p> + +<p>He turned on the scope and swung it wildly back and forth. "You made me +commit a boo-boo. I think we've shot right past the Earth!"</p> + +<p>The scope was getting weak. They could not find the Earth until Harold +had reversed course. Then Orville saw it, the edge filling part of the +scope. Harold's eyes were watering. He wiped the good lens of his +glasses and leaned close.</p> + +<p>"Can you make out any land?" he asked Orville.</p> + +<p>"This looks like Indian Lake. I've fished there lots of times."</p> + +<p>"It would be something bigger. Say, Greenland or South America."</p> + +<p>This was the first time Orville realized they might not land squarely in +Harold's back yard. He began looking intently at the scope.</p> + +<p>"What's this kidney-bean shape?"</p> + +<p>Harold squinted. "Think that's Australia. Now we're getting somewhere."</p> + +<p>"But it belongs down here."</p> + +<p>"We're coming up on it the other way."</p> + +<p>"Can't we get closer to home than that?"</p> + +<p>"I'll not be too particular where it is, just so it's land. The Earth is +mostly covered with water."</p> + +<p>Harold began turning the knobs and muttering. "Let me see now ... gotta +miss Mount Everest...." At last, he turned off the scope. "It's clear +gone. I'm taking her down slow. Will you look outside, Orville?"</p> + +<p>Orville gulped. But Harold said it was the only way, so he squeezed into +the other compartment. There were now about six of the little circles +going back and across inside of him. He stood a little to one side and +struck the lever of the outer door sharply with the palm of his hand. +The door gave a faint "swoosh" and was open about an inch. His ears +crackled and there was a dull whispering in his head like the sound in a +sea-shell.</p> + +<p>He put his face to the door, but saw nothing except the blue sky.</p> + +<p>"You sure we came to the right place?" he asked worriedly.</p> + +<p>"Positive ... almost," Harold called back. "Are we over land or water?"</p> + +<p>Orville looked up. There was a brown, black and white landscape. Trees +hung down like icicles around a frozen lake.</p> + +<p>"There's land, but it's upside down."</p> + +<p>"Just a minute." Harold did something and the trees and land swirled +around until they were underneath.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>Not far away, as they came down gently, Orville saw a building with +people outside. Or he thought they were people. Harold set the ship down +on its side in the snow and Orville stepped out. Then Harold was out +beside him, slapping him on the shoulder.</p> + +<p>"Well, old buddy-buddy! How about that?"</p> + +<p>"Yeah." Orville spoke with less enthusiasm. "How about that?"</p> + +<p>He proposed that they get in and ride back to civilization, but Harold +said there wasn't enough power left and it couldn't be done. They +started walking toward the house Orville had seen.</p> + +<p>Halfway there, they met four men wearing gray overcoats and furry hats. +One carried a rifle, and as Harold ran shouting up to him, the man +lifted the rifle and struck Harold across the head, knocking him into +the snow and breaking the other lens of his glasses. For a while, +Orville wondered if it was the right planet after all. But, he decided, +the men were Russian soldiers somewhere in Siberia.</p> + +<p>Since the men were more interested in looting the ship than guarding the +prisoners, it was not hard to slip away and get to a railroad that ran +east and west. Even Harold knew which direction to take. Their journey +out of Siberia, through Korea and Japan to San Francisco, though more +difficult than their trip to the Moon, was not very interesting. Once, +on a freighter in mid-Pacific, Harold tried to convince a fellow +deckhand that they were on their way back from the Moon. He agreed not +to talk of it again.</p> + +<p>"Looks like Rosie's still gone," Harold said as they slunk up the alley +behind Harold's shed. All the leaves had fallen and the place looked +forlorn without the spaceship poking up through the roof.</p> + +<p>"Wonder what they thought," Orville said, "when the ship disappeared, +and us with it?"</p> + +<p>"Nothing, I expect."</p> + +<p>"If we'd disappeared with a couple of blondes now, the whole world would +know about it."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>They parted. The back door was locked. As Orville went around the house, +he heard the TV going. Polly sat in the turquoise armchair, sewing on a +dress. She put down the sewing and folded her arms.</p> + +<p>The oration lasted five minutes. He could still hear her upstairs +through the noise of the shower.</p> + +<p>Then, after a visit to the barber's, he went to face old Haverstrom. +This lecture was not quite as long, and through it the boss had a trace +of a leer, and a certain respect, though he let Orville know these +disappearances should not become a habit.</p> + +<p>Harold did not do so well. His old job was gone and he was a whole week +getting another. Rosie did not come back for still another week.</p> + +<p>It was hard for Orville to believe that a moonstruck fellow like Harold +could change his ways, but that was what happened. It was as though that +one wild trip had satisfied something inside Harold, for he never fooled +with things like that again. He even joined church.</p> + +<p>As for Orville: some evenings, when he reads of artificial satellites or +of trips to the Moon, he feels a sharp rise in blood pressure and he +breathes fast. But a glance across the room at Polly in her turquoise +chair sewing is enough to make him swallow and squirm back and keep his +mouth shut.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of First Man, by Clyde Brown + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST MAN *** + +***** This file should be named 32281-h.htm or 32281-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/2/8/32281/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: First Man + +Author: Clyde Brown + +Illustrator: Wood + +Release Date: May 7, 2010 [EBook #32281] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST MAN *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + FIRST MAN + + By CLYDE BROWN + + Illustrated by WOOD + +[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction +April 1958. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the +U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] + + +[Sidenote: _He obstinately wanted no part in achieving the goal of +generations--but the goal with equal obstinacy wanted all of him!_] + + +To keep the record straight: Orville Close was first man on the Moon. +Harold Ferguson was second. They never talk about it. + +It started on that October morning when the piece came out in the +Parkville _News_. Harold grumbled that they'd gotten the story all +wrong, calling his ship a rocket ship, and treating him like a flagpole +sitter or a man going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. His wife took +their sad, thin little girl and went to live with her brother. The city +police blocked off Elm Street, letting no one through except the +residents. The neighbors were getting up a petition. But Orville refused +to become excited. + +What was going to happen? + +Why, nothing. + +Harold would probably crack up completely, but this evening that thing +would still be standing there, solid as the Washington Monument. + +Nevertheless, Orville's wife Polly was going to her sister's, across +town. _She_ wasn't going to stay there and be blown up! While she was +getting ready, Orville picked up a package by the sink and carried it +outside to the alley and dropped it in the garbage can. He wore his +double-breasted fall suit. He strolled to the boundary fence and leaned +against a post. + +A reporter was taking angle shots of the spaceship. Flashbulbs were +scattered over Harold's garden. + +It really does catch the eye, Orville thought. Smarten the ship up a +little, put some stripes running down from the nose, a few pieces of +chrome around over the body.... + + * * * * * + +Poor old Harold came off his back porch carrying a thermos jug and six +loaves of bread. + +"Morning, Harold," said Orville. + +"Oh--morning, Orville." Harold flinched. Another reporter had come out +of the shed and taken their picture. + +"What's your name, mister?" the reporter asked Orville. + +"I'd rather you left me out of this," Orville said. + +A loaf of bread had broken open and slices were falling out. Harold put +down the thermos jug and picked up the slices and stuffed them back into +the wrapper. The first reporter came over. + +[Illustration] + +"It's got Vitamin D." Harold grinned wretchedly. "Costs two cents more a +loaf, but I thought, what the heck--" + +"How about a shot of you and the missus saying good-by?" the first +reporter said. + +"Why--she left me," Harold blurted. He tried to get away, but the +reporters hemmed him in. + +"Was she scared?" the second reporter asked. + +"Look, boys!" Orville put his hands on the top rail of the fence and +climbed across. He was getting his shoes wet in the weeds in Harold's +garden, but he didn't care. "The man has work to do. Can't you leave him +alone?" + + * * * * * + +He picked up the jug and took Harold by the elbow and led him into the +shed. + +There, resting on some concrete blocks on the dirt floor, was the base +of the ship. In the semi-darkness, it looked harmless enough: like a +tank, six or eight feet across, reaching up through a jagged hole in the +roof. + +"Harold, you could make a good thing out of this," Orville said. "All +this publicity." + +Harold was climbing a rickety ladder to the roof. Orville followed. + +"Mount this thing on a trailer. Take her around to fairs and carnivals." + +Orville waited on the roof while Harold climbed another ladder to the +small oval door in the side of the ship. Harold called down: "You never +saw the inside. Want to look around?" + +"Well...." Orville glanced into his back yard. Polly wasn't ready yet. +He climbed up and handed the jug to Harold and stuck his head in. + +"Huh!" There wasn't much to see. Just a small compartment with some +pipes leading from below into the nose. "You got to fix this up," he +said. "Some Rube Goldberg contraptions." + +"The works are all up here." Harold climbed a ladder and disappeared +through a hole overhead. "C'mon up, I'd like you to see this!" + +Orville looked down again into his yard. "It'll take her forever! Polly, +I mean. Okay, I guess I got time for a look." He stepped in and climbed +until his waist was through the hole. + + * * * * * + +The nose of the ship was dark. Harold was shining an extension lamp +around. There were parts of a junked car and some old plumbing fixtures +and Orville recognized the wheels of a lawnmower he'd left by the alley +for the trash men to pick up. This didn't look like the inside of a +spaceship. It looked exactly like a corner in Harold's basement. + +"Oh, Lord," Orville said. + +"I call this my scope." Harold was shining the light on a shaving +mirror, on a long arm that could be swung and tilted about. "How about +that? Pretty neat, huh?" + +Neat was hardly the word for it. "Look here, Harold! The neighbors are +getting an injunction. Why don't you play it smart? Fight it out in the +courts. There'll be a lot of publicity--" + +"They are?" Harold was hurt. He was shining the lamp in Orville's eyes. + +"Yeah. Now while you're fighting it out in the courts--" + +"Do you call that neighborly?" + +"They're scared. They're afraid you'll blow the whole neighborhood to +pieces." + +"Well, hell with them!" + +"While we're on that subject, ain't that my trouble lamp you're +holding?" + +"Yeah. Guess it is. Need it right away?" + +"Just want you to remember where it came from." + +"Actually, it'll be no use on the trip. I got her fixed so when I take +off, the cord down at the base will come unplugged and--" + +"Well, Polly must be ready by now." Orville gave up. Polly was right. +Harold was insane. + +Orville tried to turn on the ladder so that he could climb back down. +His foot slipped. He spread his arms to keep from falling through the +hole and knocked over the pile of bread. + +"Watch out!" Harold yelped. + +"I'm all right." Orville felt a slight tingle. + +"Yes, but you--" Harold's voice trailed off with dismay. The light in +his hand had gone out, but Orville didn't think of what this meant at +the time. + +There was light coming through the door below and Orville climbed down. +Darn! He pulled out his handkerchief and tried to brush the dust off his +lapels. He'd have to change suits, and that meant changing his socks and +tie, and he was supposed to meet those people about that deal on +Maplehurst Extension at nine. Well, he'd be late. He leaned out of the +door. + +"Orville!" shouted Harold. "Come back! Don't step out there!" + + * * * * * + +A lot of fog was blowing down past the nose of the ship. Orville +wondered where it came from. He stuck his foot out, reaching for the +ladder. He heard Harold scrambling down from above and he wanted to get +away from that madman. He reached farther. Harold grabbed his arm. + +Then the fog cleared away and Orville swayed dizzily, gaping at where he +had almost stepped. They had been going through a cloud. Now he looked +down at dazzling clouds in the bright October sun and between them he +saw the streets of Parkville, very neat, just like the map hanging in +the office. + +He dropped back inside and lay weakly on the floor. He grabbed one of +the pipes and shakily clung to it. + +"What happened?" he stammered. + +"Hit the main switch." Harold was reaching out for the door handle. He +banged the door shut with a concussion that burst inside Orville's head. +"We took off." + + * * * * * + +It was dark in there, at first; then Orville saw a dim violet light that +filled the inside of the ship. + +He followed Harold up the ladder into the nose of the ship and sank to +the floor. Harold was twiddling with some knobs mounted on the dashboard +of the junked car. + +"Boy!" Orville pulled out his handkerchief again and swabbed his +forehead. He tried to wipe the grime from his hands. "And I've never +even been in an airplane!" + +"Me either." Harold pounded on the dashboard. A meter didn't seem to be +working. "There ... guess I can open her up a little." + +"Hey, wait! Take me back!" + +Harold moved a knob an eighth of a turn. He switched on the scope and +waited for it to warm up. He took off his glasses and wiped them, +squinting at Orville with that one bad eye. + +"Turn it around and take me back!" + +"But I can't, Orville." Harold put on the glasses and looked into the +scope. "It's working!" + +"I demand it! You've made me late for the office as it is!" + +"Sure looks different from the map," Harold said. "Must be the East +Coast. There's Florida sticking out there." + +He snapped off the scope and sat opposite Orville. He opened the thermos +and poured coffee into the cap. + +"Been so busy, didn't have my breakfast." He held out the cap to +Orville. "I take mine without sugar." + +Orville shook his head. "Do I understand--" + +"Ugh! It's hot!" Harold put down the coffee and rummaged in some brown +paper bags. "Should be some glazed doughnuts.... Shoot! Bet I left them +in the kitchen!" + + * * * * * + +Orville faced him firmly. "You've shown me it'll fly. I believe you. Now +I give you one more chance--take me back!" + +"But I can't!" Harold protested. + +"There are laws about this sort of thing, my friend. This is abduction. +Kidnapping. You know what the penalty is for that?" + +"Well, gee, I didn't mean to take you along, Orville. You hit that +switch--" + +"It's criminal negligence, leaving a switch out there like that where it +could be hit by accident!" + +"Had to put it there so I could reach up from below and work it." + +Orville balled his fists and stood squarely. Funny--it was no trouble at +all, standing and walking around. If he hadn't seen those clouds, and +the landscape sinking away, he'd swear the two of them were still in +Harold's back yard. + +"Do you take me back," he said, "or do I have to break every--" + +"But I can't!" Harold grasped his wrist pleadingly. "I got her set up in +a sequence. If I tried to change the sequence now, why--" He shuddered. +"I haven't got any idea what might happen!" + +Orville sat back down. + +"I'm sorry." The weak way Harold said it made Orville feel worse than +ever. + +"Me! Trapped up here in this thing with you!" Orville said bitterly. +"You can't even drive a car! You're just about the worst driver I know!" + +"I know," Harold admitted. "But this is safer than a car. Besides, out +where we're going, there'll be no traffic problem." He gave his inane +giggle. "Far as I know, there's no one else at all!" + +"And the neighborhood back there. Probably all blown to pieces. Polly. +The house. My car! I got complete coverage on it, but who ever heard of +a car wrecked by a spaceship? When we get back, if my insurance doesn't +cover it, I'll sue you!" + +"There's nothing hurt at all," Harold said. "Unless someone had his hand +on the ship when we took off. I'd planned to have 'em stand back." + + * * * * * + +Orville closed his eyes. Something was crossing and crisscrossing inside +him like two rings tossed back and forth by jugglers. It was not +painful, but it was disturbing. Something must be going wrong. He didn't +trust Harold's mechanical ability. In the past ten years, Harold had +been fired from a couple of filling station jobs because of blunders, +once for leaving the plug out of a crank case, and once for botching up +a flat tire repair. + +"Running kind of rough, isn't she?" Orville said. "What makes this +little--" He circled his hands sickly in front of his stomach. + +Harold closed his eyes and made similar circles. "Oh, that's this +counter-grav of mine. You see, the gravitation of the Earth--" + +"Can't you do anything about it?" Orville was in no mood to listen to +one of Harold's lectures. + +"I could move her over so we couldn't feel it, but it would be shaking +the ship then. Might tear it apart." + +"Won't it tear us apart?" + +"I don't think so. We got more give to us than the ship has." Harold was +able to drink the coffee now. "No, I don't think I've done a bad job on +this. First time a machine is built, you're bound to run into a few +bugs. But this is working, so far, even better than I expected." + +"Yeah," Orville had to admit, "it ain't bad--for a guy with no +mechanical ability whatever." + + +II + +Harold had opened the ship up a little more, and according to him, they +were now moving eighteen thousand miles per hour or so, approximately. +Orville had tried to drink some water from a milk bottle, but the sight +of the water, bouncing in rhythm to the invisible circles in his +stomach, had given him nausea. + +Harold knelt on the floor, smoothing out a soiled sheet of paper. In the +center was a small circle, labeled in Harold's sloppy handwriting +"Earth." An arrow showed the direction of the Earth's motion around the +Sun. Outside this was a larger circle labeled "Orbit of Moon." A spiral +reached out from the Earth to intersect the Moon's orbit. + +"Had the darnedest time drawing this," Harold said. "Got it out of an +astronomy book. _Let's Look at the Stars_ by someone. Thirty-five cents. +Let's see now." + +He wet the point of the pencil and made a mark. He scratched his head +and erased the mark and made another. + +"Harold, another thing," said Orville. "I weigh around one ninety-five. +Won't that take a lot of extra gas?" + +"Nope. Doesn't matter if you weigh a ton. According to my counter-grav +principle--" + +"Won't it get stuffy in here with two of us?" + +"Why, I have some oxygen. That welding place in back of the garage where +I work--got a tank off them. Had to pay cash, but I can turn in the +empty when we get back." + +"You sure one tank'll be enough?" + +[Illustration] + +"Well--" Harold flushed guiltily. "You won't say anything about this? I +took along several extra tanks, just to make sure. I wasn't stealing. +You see, I figure I might make some money out of this thing." + +"Say!" Orville hadn't thought of this angle before. "You really could." + +"And there should be plenty of food. Let me see now." He fished in his +pocket and brought out a piece of brown wrapping paper. "I'll run over +the list and make sure I didn't forget something." He glanced up +sharply. "Relax! Make yourself to home. And the little boy's room is +down there." He squinted at the paper. "Water. There's plenty. Six +family-size cans pork and beans. Charged 'em." He ran through the list, +mumbling, then looked up brightly. "Yep. Looks all right. Nope, there's +one thing I forgot. Stickum plaster! Doggone. Never go anywhere without +my first aid kit. Never know what's liable to happen." + +"Y'know, Harold," Orville said, "I'm beginning to see some possibilities +in this trip. First man on the Moon. Think of the fuss they made over +Lindy and Wrong-way Corrigan. The guys who climbed Mount Everest. Why, +that was nothing!" + +"Course, I'm not doing this for fame. Or money, either." + +"Then why are you doing it?" + +Harold stared vaguely toward where the Moon would be if they could see +it. "I guess ... because it's there." + +"Huh! Well, don't forget I'm in on it, too." + + * * * * * + +Some time later, when the Moon first appeared on the scope, about the +size of a basketball, Harold indulged in a mild spree. He opened some +pineapple juice. Orville did not feel like drinking any. In fact, he +felt ill. + +"Space sickness," Harold said. "Lot of bread is good for that. Stuff +yourself with it. Just think--back there on Earth, they're going about +their business and no one knows that we're out here heading for the +Moon. Just think--if I'd call them on the radio and report making first +contact with the Moon--" + +"Harold, one thing. How're you going to get her down?" + +"Naval observatory would be the people to call, I guess. They'd notify +the President and they'd interrupt the TV programs--I thought of putting +a radio in here, but I'd already gone way over my budget." + +"How do you plan to land her?" + +"And wouldn't those guys at the Atomic Energy Commission have red faces! +You know, I wrote them, asking to use some of their energy and--darn +these government bureaus!--they never even had the courtesy to answer my +letter!" + +"Listen--" + +"And the birds at the college! When I took that navigation chart to the +astronomy department to see if they'd check it for me, they blew up! +Acted like I had no business flying to the Moon. Acted like they owned +the thing. Bunch of smart-alecs! With their double-talk! Knew less than +I did when I went there." + +He looked at his watch. "I'm going to have a snack and then I'll get +some sleep. That's one good thing about having you along. Now I can +sleep and not have to worry." + +As Harold sawed at the top of a can of beans with the can-opener. +Orville closed his eyes. Instantly, he saw the ship, heading for the +Moon, and then there was a blinding flash. He opened his eyes. Harold +was digging into the can with a spoon, munching away. + +"Just brought one." Harold waved the spoon. "But I'm not poison. Better +have some of these beans. They'll stick to your ribs." + +Orville crawled to the door leading to the other compartment, flung it +open and leaned there a while. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Harold was +wiping the spoon on a piece of brown paper. + +"Last call!" Harold giggled and pushed the can to Orville. Orville +pushed it away and closed his eyes and sat, holding his middle. When he +opened them, Harold was sleeping. + +Orville crawled over and shook him. "How soon do you want me to wake you +up?" + +Harold sat up. "Oh, my gosh! I forgot! Why, don't let me sleep more than +four hours." + + * * * * * + +He went to sleep again. Orville sat back. He could see it. Harold, +watching the Moon grow bigger and bigger on that scope, until they were +right on it, then turning with a surprised look: Oh, my gosh! I forgot +something! Then he'd give that giggle and there'd be that crash.... + +Orville's watch said two hours, but he wasn't sure. Maybe he'd slept and +the hand had gone clear around. He kept seeing that flash. Some amateur +astronomer, looking at the Moon right then, might see it. He'd be a +bungler, like Harold, and it wouldn't be much of a telescope. He was +always seeing flashes in the thing, from cars or lightning bugs or from +the kitchen door, because his wife was there yelling at him, just like +Rosie yelling at Harold. For they always married women like Rosie, or +they made women turn that way. Polly, now, she nagged all the time, but +that was different! + +Orville drank some water and ate some bread, and when he swallowed, he +felt that circular bump-bump grab the bread and chop away at it, just +like Polly feeding stale bread into the meat chopper to make stuffing. + +I have no business being out here, he moaned. + +Here he was riding to the Moon with a tinkering idiot who couldn't fix a +kitchen faucet or locate a blown fuse in the basement. Streams of +moisture were trickling down the wall. The metal felt cold, like the +window of the car on a day when you needed the heater and defroster. Was +something going wrong? + +Maybe they were out of oxygen. He listened to Harold snoring. Once +Harold took a quick breath, and strangled, and turned his head +restlessly. His glasses were slipping off. + +Orville looked at his watch. He couldn't believe that just five minutes +had gone by since he'd looked at it last. He could hear Harold's +two-dollar watch ticking away, almost as loud as his own. His was +gaining on Harold's and then they were ticking together so that the +combined pounding sent echoes through the ship. He tried to crawl. + +He couldn't move. + +"Harold!" The ticking of the watches drowned out his voice. "We're in +trouble! We're out of oxygen! Help!" + +It was like a bad dream. Then something woke him: Harold, stumbling +across his legs, turning on the scope and waiting, breathing hard, for +it to come to life. + +Harold saw that he was awake. "You went to sleep! You shoulda woke me. +It's been six hours!" + +Orville said nothing. + +"We may be clear past the Moon by now," Harold grumbled. + + * * * * * + +Orville turned his face to the wall. He heard the hiss as Harold ran in +fresh oxygen. "Shoot! Better go down and hook up a new tank." Harold +clanked around in the other end of the ship and came back. + +"How far out are we?" asked Orville. + +"Not far. I'm cutting down the speed some." + +"Uh ... how do you plan to take her down?" + +"That's an interesting point, now. Let's see...." + +"Wouldn't it be better if we just flew up close, not too close, and then +headed for home? Of course, there's that problem back there, too." + +"Don't you want the beans? I'll eat 'em then." + +"But I'd feel better crashing on the Earth, somehow, than on the Moon--" + +"Who says we're going to crash? There are several ways to set her down. +Head first, tail first, but I guess I'll lay her in sideways. It'll be +easier to crawl outside." + +"What?" + +"Sure." Harold was munching beans. Then he rummaged in the supplies and +brought out a jar of peaches. He drank off some of the juice. "Rosie +never gets enough sugar in these to suit me." The peaches slid off the +spoon. He dug in with his fingers and brought out a slice. "Point of the +whole thing. Explore. Look around." He tilted the jar to his mouth and +let slices fall into his mouth. "Pick up some samples of rocks and +things." + +"You can get rocks right around home." + +"But these are different. These weigh only a quarter as much as the +rocks on Earth. Or is it a sixth?" + +"In that case--" Orville started gathering up empty bags and cans and +putting them into a soup carton. + +"What're you doing?" + +"Cleaning the place up a little. We can get rid of some of this trash." + +"Don't throw those out! I paid a deposit on them." Harold pulled out the +empty milk bottles and put them back in the case. + + +III + +Harold had said the landing would be as gentle as laying a baby in its +cradle. It wasn't exactly. + +He said: "There!" + +"Are we down?" + +Harold nodded. Orville let go of the railing he'd been hanging onto. +Harold unplugged something. + +The ship went dark and started rolling. It was a slow, drunken roll and +as noisy as an oil drum going down the court house steps. There was a +final hard blow; then the ship rocked and lay still. + +Orville sat up. He could hear Harold scrambling about, and then a +flashlight came on. + +"What happened?" + +"Must have landed on the side of a mountain. Rolled down when I turned +off our counter-grav. Shoot!" Harold held up something. "Broke a lens in +my glasses. There's another trip to the eye-doctor's." + +Orville rescued a couple of bottles that were spilling water. Everything +else seemed to be all right. The ship lay on its side now and Harold was +crawling through the hole leading to the other compartment. When Orville +got through, Harold was hauling something from the other end of the +ship. + +"What we waiting for?" Orville put his hand on the handle of the outer +door. "Last one out is a--" + +"Wait a minute! You gotta wear this thing." Harold was laying out a +spacesuit. He explained how it worked. He didn't object a great deal +when Orville volunteered to go out first. + +"We can take turns." Harold helped Orville slide his feet into the thing +and pull it on. It fitted Orville rather tightly in places, but it +seemed to be all right. + +"Be careful now." Harold squinted at him through the one lens of his +glasses. "Don't tear her on a rock or anything. You'd pop like a kid's +balloon." + +"Wait a minute!" + +Harold paused, holding the helmet. + +"I can't go through with it," Orville said. "I was planning a mean trick +on you. I was going to be the first man." + +"What difference does that make? We're both in on it together." Harold +clapped the helmet down on Orville's shoulders. He tightened some clamps +and leaned close and said something which Orville could not hear. Then +Orville saw that he wanted to shake hands, so Orville shook his hand. + +Harold squirmed back through the hole into the nose, waved and shut the +door. + + * * * * * + +Orville aimed the flashlight at the outer door. He turned the valve +beside the door, feeling the suit puff out around him, and when the +pressure in the compartment was gone, he reached toward the handle. His +eyes were watering. He had to use all of his strength to move the +handle; then the door popped open, swinging out and down, and he was +looking out at the Moon. + +There was glaring light and a kind of fog. He laid down the flashlight +and, groping, found the soup carton in which he'd put the refuse +accumulated during the trip, and flung the box into the fog. + +He looked out again. There was nothing but the glaring white void. +"Well, that settles that!" There was no use getting out. On the other +hand, how about a souvenir? + +He stuck a leg out through the opening, which was now about two feet +high and four feet wide. By wriggling, he got the other leg out, but he +couldn't touch the ground. He reached his left foot a little farther and +touched something that rolled slightly, then was solid. That's far +enough, he thought; to hell with the souvenir! + +But the mittens were too clumsy. He couldn't pull himself back in. He +lowered himself farther and stood. He shuffled among the loose, rolling +stones and reached down and picked one of them up. Harold was right: +they weighed a lot less than the rocks on Earth. He cradled the thing in +one arm and stood there. + +[Illustration] + +Here he was, standing on the Moon! The very first man! He hugged the +souvenir to his body. They'd keep it on the coffee table, between those +two awful ashtrays Polly had brought back from Niagara Falls, and when +anyone asked him what was that funny rock lying there, he'd say-- + +Orville had been reaching, trying to touch the ship. His hand met +nothing.... + +Now keep calm, he thought. Don't get turned around. And don't panic. It +can't be far away. He reached out in another direction and took a step, +but still his waving hand met nothing. Try this way then.... + +As he turned, his elbow struck the edge of the opening. Maybe he'd been +waving his arm through the opening all the time! + +He tossed in the souvenir. He wriggled in after it. Careful! What did +Harold say about tearing the suit? + +He closed the outer door. As he returned the pressure to the +compartment, the suit became limp against him, and Orville was so weak +that he sank to the floor. He was still lying there when Harold took off +the headpiece. + +"It's a total flop," Orville told him. "It's been a waste of time. No +use going out." + + * * * * * + +He told Harold about the narrow escape he'd had in the fog. _Fog_ on the +Moon? This didn't sound right to Harold. He was fooling with the helmet, +scratching frost from the inside of the visor. "Couldn't you get the +defroster working? This little button right here. I showed you." + +Orville knew, to his shame and disgust, that he had been looking at his +own breath all of that time. + +Harold now insisted on going out. Orville shined the flashlight around. +He was looking for the souvenir, and he found it, near their feet. + +It was a package carefully wrapped in paper, some of the refuse which he +had thrown outside. + +That figures, he thought bitterly. Well, anyway, I was _first man_. They +can't take that away from me! + +Harold was gone a long time. The nose of the ship was becoming very cold +and the only light came from the luminous dial of Orville's watch. What +was Harold doing out there? Maybe he'd snagged his suit and blown up +like a soap bubble. How long should Orville wait before giving up? He +should have learned how to run the ship, in case of an emergency like +this. + +A distant clank startled him. The ship rolled slightly. Orville reached +out a hand in the dark to steady himself and chilled when he realized +what he'd put his hand on. It was the starting switch. + +What was that idiot doing out there? + +Then Harold was back, breathing hard, squinting through his one good +lens. "Boy, what a sight! I'd give anything for a camera!" + +"Never mind that! Let's go! I'm freezing!" + +They were off without any trouble and the dim violet light returned and +the ice on the compartment walls began to melt. When the ship was +settled on course, Harold took off the rest of the spacesuit, pulled +some paper from the glove compartment of the dashboard and began +writing. + +"It's the official report," Harold said presently. "Getting it all down +while it's fresh in my mind." + +"Let's see that!" Orville couldn't read Harold's handwriting. "What's it +say?" + +"You really want to hear it? Well...." Harold cleared his throat +modestly and began to read. "'The _Discovery_'--decided to call her the +_Discovery_ on account of--'the _Discovery_ was lying on her side in the +shade, but a blinding light was coming down from some peaks. It nearly +blinded me! Boy, what a--'" Harold squinted over a word--"'sight!'" + +"Wait a minute! You giving me credit?" + +"What for?" + +"For being the first man." + +"Oh, sure. I mention that in here some place." + +"Just so there's no mistake!" Orville suddenly felt very drowsy. He +curled up facing the wall and went to sleep. + +When he awoke, he saw Harold leaning against the wall, his glasses +sliding down, his head nodding. Orville reached over and jerked his +foot. + +"There now," he said. "Old neighbor. You go to sleep. I'll watch her for +a while." + + * * * * * + +Orville felt fine now. While Harold slept, he opened a jar of Rosie's +peaches, drank off the juice and dug in with the spoon. It wasn't really +so bad, not shaving or taking a bath, roughing it out here in space! + +He dug into his coat pocket, found a cigar, but it was crushed. Oh, +well. He flung it into the trash. He folded his arms, leaned back his +head. + +They sat at the head of a banquet table, he and Harold. The mayor was +there, and the college president, and way down the table was the boss, +old Haverstrom, real proud to be in such important company. And the +governor was there and--by gosh! Sitting right next to Orville was the +President of the United States! + +Someone was making a speech--they were awarding some kind of prize for +_first man_ and there was applause and they were waiting for Orville to +get up. He stood, waited for applause to die down. + +"Thank you, friends ... all of you ... being no speechmaker ... but I do +want to say right here and now ... no more idea of receiving this great +honor tonight than of--flying to the Moon!" + +That would get a laugh. Then he'd go on and give due credit to Harold, +poor old Harold sleeping there, innocent as a baby about such things. + +Why, the publicity angle alone could take up a man's full time. Guest +appearances on TV. Getting signed up as technical adviser in Hollywood. +But that was just the beginning. + +Take the metal in this ship. Harold had made it out of junk from the +city dump, melting it in a forge he'd fashioned out of an old oil drum. +It had to be cheap and easy to make--but you could probably use it for +almost anything. There was your whole metal industry shot to pieces! + +This thing he called a scope now. With a big corporation behind it, Lord +only knew what it would do to the communications setup. + +But the big thing was this counter-grav business! _There_ was where you +got into the big leagues. If Harold could do this with it, think what +General Motors could do! Orville could see TWA, B&O and steamship +companies bidding against each other for it. And car manufacturers and +freight handlers--and tugboat owners--and taxi fleets-and the armed +forces-- + +Harold was waking up. He rubbed his skimpy whiskers, put on his broken +glasses, creaked over to the scope and turned it on. Harold, old boy, +Orville thought tenderly, you don't know it yet, but your troubles are +all over! + +"What do you see, Harold?" + +"The Earth." + +Orville went over. There was a dark green spot on the scope, bright +against deep black. "You sure?" + +"Almost positive. That's the only thing that size there is right around +here." + +"Well, fine! That calls for a celebration, doesn't it?" + +"Oh, yes. Forgot that. We can open the tuna." + + +IV + +"It's about time," Orville said, "that we started figuring out a plan." +He scraped the bottom of the can. The tuna tasted fine. He took a swig +of pineapple juice and passed the can back to Harold. + +"Yeah, I been thinking about that," said Harold. + +"I've had more experience in that line than you, so maybe--" + +"Do you think mankind is ready for my secret?" + +"There, you see?" Orville laughed heartily. "Now don't you worry about +such things." + +"But look what they did with the atomic bomb. And if this ever got +loose--" + +"Harold!" Orville's laugh was less hearty. "Do you think you could keep +this a secret? The minute we land, they'll be all over us. The +government can impound this ship, you know." + +"Won't do them any good. They can tear it all apart and never find out a +thing." + +Hours later, they were still arguing. + +"If the government had it, they'd build a war machine and then the +Russians would steal it--" + +"Harold! That's Communist talk!" + +"Shoot! I'm no Communist!" + +"You're playing right into their hands...." + +It went on and on. Then: "Harold--as your neighbor--won't you tell _me_ +what it is?" + +"I'll try...." + +Orville sat up, tingling. You take gravity, Harold said. What do we know +about it? Was it like a lot of rubber bands, stretching back and forth +between everything, or was it a flow, like water? Now if it was a flow, +it would have to flow back some way, or else you'd run out, wouldn't +you? Then if you hooked onto this counter-flow-- + +Orville nodded. This wasn't so hard to understand. He felt a little +nervous. "Go on, Harold." + +"I guess it's none of those things." Harold gave his inane giggle. + +Orville felt cheated. "You call this neighborly? Remember when I drove +clear out into the country with a gallon of gas that time when you got +stuck?" + +"I'm trying. You gotta think of it up to that point, then you gotta +think the _other_ way. But you can't explain it. You just do it." + + * * * * * + +Harold picked up two of the rings from Rosie's fruit jars and moved them +back and forth across one another. He tried with three rings, dropped +them. + +"It's no use." + +"Try harder." + +Harold shook his head. "I suppose if I wanted to bad enough.... But now +that we been to the Moon, there's nothing else I want to do." + +Orville reached for the rings and tried. + +Suddenly, Harold sprang up. "Oh, my socks!" + +He turned on the scope and swung it wildly back and forth. "You made me +commit a boo-boo. I think we've shot right past the Earth!" + +The scope was getting weak. They could not find the Earth until Harold +had reversed course. Then Orville saw it, the edge filling part of the +scope. Harold's eyes were watering. He wiped the good lens of his +glasses and leaned close. + +"Can you make out any land?" he asked Orville. + +"This looks like Indian Lake. I've fished there lots of times." + +"It would be something bigger. Say, Greenland or South America." + +This was the first time Orville realized they might not land squarely in +Harold's back yard. He began looking intently at the scope. + +"What's this kidney-bean shape?" + +Harold squinted. "Think that's Australia. Now we're getting somewhere." + +"But it belongs down here." + +"We're coming up on it the other way." + +"Can't we get closer to home than that?" + +"I'll not be too particular where it is, just so it's land. The Earth is +mostly covered with water." + +Harold began turning the knobs and muttering. "Let me see now ... gotta +miss Mount Everest...." At last, he turned off the scope. "It's clear +gone. I'm taking her down slow. Will you look outside, Orville?" + +Orville gulped. But Harold said it was the only way, so he squeezed into +the other compartment. There were now about six of the little circles +going back and across inside of him. He stood a little to one side and +struck the lever of the outer door sharply with the palm of his hand. +The door gave a faint "swoosh" and was open about an inch. His ears +crackled and there was a dull whispering in his head like the sound in a +sea-shell. + +He put his face to the door, but saw nothing except the blue sky. + +"You sure we came to the right place?" he asked worriedly. + +"Positive ... almost," Harold called back. "Are we over land or water?" + +Orville looked up. There was a brown, black and white landscape. Trees +hung down like icicles around a frozen lake. + +"There's land, but it's upside down." + +"Just a minute." Harold did something and the trees and land swirled +around until they were underneath. + + * * * * * + +Not far away, as they came down gently, Orville saw a building with +people outside. Or he thought they were people. Harold set the ship down +on its side in the snow and Orville stepped out. Then Harold was out +beside him, slapping him on the shoulder. + +"Well, old buddy-buddy! How about that?" + +"Yeah." Orville spoke with less enthusiasm. "How about that?" + +He proposed that they get in and ride back to civilization, but Harold +said there wasn't enough power left and it couldn't be done. They +started walking toward the house Orville had seen. + +Halfway there, they met four men wearing gray overcoats and furry hats. +One carried a rifle, and as Harold ran shouting up to him, the man +lifted the rifle and struck Harold across the head, knocking him into +the snow and breaking the other lens of his glasses. For a while, +Orville wondered if it was the right planet after all. But, he decided, +the men were Russian soldiers somewhere in Siberia. + +Since the men were more interested in looting the ship than guarding the +prisoners, it was not hard to slip away and get to a railroad that ran +east and west. Even Harold knew which direction to take. Their journey +out of Siberia, through Korea and Japan to San Francisco, though more +difficult than their trip to the Moon, was not very interesting. Once, +on a freighter in mid-Pacific, Harold tried to convince a fellow +deckhand that they were on their way back from the Moon. He agreed not +to talk of it again. + +"Looks like Rosie's still gone," Harold said as they slunk up the alley +behind Harold's shed. All the leaves had fallen and the place looked +forlorn without the spaceship poking up through the roof. + +"Wonder what they thought," Orville said, "when the ship disappeared, +and us with it?" + +"Nothing, I expect." + +"If we'd disappeared with a couple of blondes now, the whole world would +know about it." + + * * * * * + +They parted. The back door was locked. As Orville went around the house, +he heard the TV going. Polly sat in the turquoise armchair, sewing on a +dress. She put down the sewing and folded her arms. + +The oration lasted five minutes. He could still hear her upstairs +through the noise of the shower. + +Then, after a visit to the barber's, he went to face old Haverstrom. +This lecture was not quite as long, and through it the boss had a trace +of a leer, and a certain respect, though he let Orville know these +disappearances should not become a habit. + +Harold did not do so well. His old job was gone and he was a whole week +getting another. Rosie did not come back for still another week. + +It was hard for Orville to believe that a moonstruck fellow like Harold +could change his ways, but that was what happened. It was as though that +one wild trip had satisfied something inside Harold, for he never fooled +with things like that again. He even joined church. + +As for Orville: some evenings, when he reads of artificial satellites or +of trips to the Moon, he feels a sharp rise in blood pressure and he +breathes fast. But a glance across the room at Polly in her turquoise +chair sewing is enough to make him swallow and squirm back and keep his +mouth shut. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of First Man, by Clyde Brown + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST MAN *** + +***** This file should be named 32281.txt or 32281.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/2/8/32281/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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