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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..63e1aeb --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50921 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50921) diff --git a/old/50921-h.zip b/old/50921-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 076e2f6..0000000 --- a/old/50921-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/50921-h/50921-h.htm b/old/50921-h/50921-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 0a46172..0000000 --- a/old/50921-h/50921-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,852 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of $1,000 a Plate, by Jack Mckenty. - </title> - - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - -.ph1, .ph2, .ph3 { text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; } -.ph1 { font-size: xx-large; margin: .67em auto; } -.ph2 { font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; } -.ph3 { font-size: large; margin: .83em auto; } - -.ph4 { text-align: right; text-indent: 0em; } -.ph4 { font-size: medium; margin: 1.12em auto; } - - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of $1,000 A Plate, by Jack McKenty - -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/license - - -Title: $1,000 A Plate - -Author: Jack McKenty - -Release Date: January 14, 2016 [EBook #50921] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK $1,000 A PLATE *** - - - - -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" width="400" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>$1,000 A Plate</h1> - -<p>By JACK McKENTY</p> - -<p>Illustrated by BECK</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Galaxy Science Fiction October 1954.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph3"><i>When Marsy Gras shot off its skyrockets, Mars<br /> -Observatory gave it the works—fireworks!</i></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Sunset on Mars is a pale, washed out, watery sort of procedure that is -hardly worth looking at. The shadows of the cactus lengthen, the sun -goes down without the slightest hint of color or display and everything -is dark. About once a year there is one cloud that turns pink briefly. -But even the travel books devote more space describing the new sign -adorning the Canal Casino than they do on the sunset.</p> - -<p>The night sky is something else again. Each new crop of tourists goes -to bed at sunrise the day after arrival with stiff necks from looking -up all night. The craters of the moons are visible to the naked eye, -and even a cheap pair of opera glasses can pick out the buildings of -the Deimos Space Station.</p> - -<p>A typical comment from a sightseer is, "Just think, Fred, we were way -up there only twelve hours ago."</p> - -<p>At fairly frequent intervals, the moons eclipse. The local Chamber of -Commerce joins with the gambling casinos to use these occasions as -excuses for a celebration. The "Marsy Gras" includes floats, costumes, -liquor, women, gambling—and finishes off with a display of fireworks -and a stiff note of protest from the nearby Mars Observatory.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The day after a particularly noisy, glaring fireworks display, the top -brass at the Observatory called an emergency meeting. The topic was -not a new one, but fresh evidence, in the form of several still-wet -photographic plates, showing out-of-focus skyrocket trails and a galaxy -of first-magnitude aerial cracker explosions was presented.</p> - -<p>"I maintain they fire them in our direction on purpose," one scientist -declared.</p> - -<p>This was considered to be correct because the other directions around -town were oil refineries and the homes of the casino owners.</p> - -<p>"Why don't we just move the Observatory way out in the desert?" a -technician demanded. "It wouldn't be much of a job."</p> - -<p>"It would be a tremendous job," said Dr. Morton, the physicist. "If -not for the glare of city lights on Earth, we wouldn't have had to move -our telescopes to the Moon. If not for the gravel falling out of the -sky on the Moon, making it necessary to resurface the reflectors every -week, we wouldn't have had to move to Mars. Viewing conditions here are -just about perfect—except for the immense cost of transporting the -equipment, building materials, workmen, and paying us triple time for -working so far from home. Why, did you ever figure the cost of a single -photographic plate? What with salaries, freight to and from Earth, -maintenance and all the rest, it's enormous!"</p> - -<p>"Then why don't we cut down the cost of ruined exposures," asked the -technician, "by moving the Observatory away from town?"</p> - -<p>"Because," Dr. Morton explained, "we'd have to bring in crews to tear -the place down, other crews to move it, still more crews to rebuild it. -Not to mention unavoidable breakage and replacement, which involve more -freight from Earth. At $7.97 per pound dead-weight ... well, you figure -it out."</p> - -<p>"So we can't move and we can't afford ruined thousand-dollar plates," -said the scientist who had considered himself a target for the -fireworks. "Then what's the answer?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="365" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>The usual suggestion was proposed that a delegation approach the Town -Council to follow up the letter of protest. A search through the past -meetings' minutes showed that this had never accomplished anything up -to date.</p> - -<p>A recent arrival to the Observatory mentioned that their combined -brain power should be enough to beat the games and thus force the -casino owners—who were the real offenders—out of business. One of -the scientists, who had already tried that very scheme on a small -scale, reported his results. He proved with his tabulations that, -in this instance, science, in the guise of the law of averages, was -unfortunately against them.</p> - -<p>Dr. Morton rose to his feet. The other men listened to his plan, at -first with shocked horror, then with deep interest and finally in wild -exultation. The meeting broke up with most of the members grinning from -ear to ear. "It's lucky Dr. Morton is a physicist," said one of the -directors. "No astronomer would ever have thought of that."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A few days later a modest little ad appeared in the weekly publication -"What to do in Marsport." It did not try to compete with any of the -casino ads (all of which featured pretty girls), but it had a unique -heading.</p> - -<p class="ph3">FREE<br /> -For the First Time Ever<br /> -Your HOROSCOPE<br /> -SCIENTIFICALLY CAST<br /> -by the Staff of the<br /> -FAMOUS MARS OBSERVATORY<br /> -Learn your Luck, your Future!<br /> -Write or call Mars Observatory.<br /> -No charge. No obligation.</p> - -<p>Since the horoscopes being offered were about the only things on Mars -that didn't cost the tourists any money, the response was great. The -recipient of a horoscope found a mimeographed folder which contained -three pages describing the present positions of the planets, where to -look for Earth in the sky, and what science hoped to learn the next -time Mercury was in transit. The fourth page held the kicker. It said -that while the tourist's luck would be better than average at most -of the gambling houses, he would lose consistently if he played at -Harvey's Club.</p> - -<p>Within two days the only people playing at Harvey's were the shills. -The following day, the visitors to the observatory included Harvey.</p> - -<p>The gambler was welcomed with mingled respect for his money and -contempt for his occupation. He was taken immediately to see Dr. -Morton, who greeted him with a sly smile.</p> - -<p>Harvey's conversation was brief and to the point. "How much?" he asked -waving a horoscope under Dr. Morton's nose.</p> - -<p>"Just a promise," said the scientist. Harvey said nothing but looked -sullen. "You are on the Town Council," Morton continued. "Now, the next -time the question of tourist entertainment is discussed, we want you to -vote <i>against</i> a fireworks display." He then explained how important -plates had been ruined by skyrocket trails.</p> - -<p>Harvey listened with great interest, especially when Dr. Morton flatly -stated that each casino, in turn, would get the same publicity in the -horoscopes.</p> - -<p>"The Council members are all for the tourists," Harvey commented, "and -you guys are supposed to be nuts, like all scientists. But I'll do like -you say." He reached into his pocket. "Here's fifty bucks. Use it for -a full page ad this time and do the Desert Sands Casino in your next -horoscope. And say—before I go, can I look through the telescope? I -never seemed to have the time before."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>At weekly intervals, Dr. Morton "did" the Desert Sands; Frankland's -Paradise; the Martian Gardens; and the Two Moons Club. From each owner -he extracted the same promise—to vote against the fireworks at the -Council meetings.</p> - -<p>The technique was settling down to a routine. Each victim came, made -the promise, paid for the following week's ad, named the next casino, -and was taken on a tour of the Observatory. Then disaster struck.</p> - -<p>It took the form of an interplanetary telegram from Harvard -Observatory, their parent organization. It read:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>EARTH NEWSPAPERS CARRYING ACCOUNTS OF HOROSCOPES PUBLISHED BY YOUR -ORGANIZATION VERY UNSCIENTIFIC MUST STOP AT ONCE FIND OTHER SOLUTION</p> - -<p class="ph4">L K BELL DIRECTOR</p></blockquote> - -<p>Dr. Morton was eating alone in the staff dining room when he noticed a -familiar face beside him. "Harvey," he said. "Guess you've come down to -gloat over our misfortune."</p> - -<p>"No, Professor," said Harvey. "You've got my promise to help you boys -and I'll stick by you. It's a rotten shame, too. You just about made -it. The rest of the club owners saw the writing on the wall and were -going to cooperate with you when the telegram came. All of us got -contacts in the telegraph office, so they heard about it soon as it -arrived and stayed away."</p> - -<p>Dr. Morton said, "Yes, I supposed they would. There's not much we can -do now."</p> - -<p>"There are thirteen members on the Council." Harvey continued, "and -you've got five of us. If that telegram had only come one day later—no -more fireworks. But I got an idea."</p> - -<p>Dr. Morton pushed aside his empty coffee cup and stood up. "Let's get -out in the fresh air."</p> - -<p>The Town Council was adding insult to injury by staging one of the -biggest fireworks displays ever. It consisted of practically all -skyrockets. Dr. Morton expressed wonder at their supply; Harvey -explained that they were made right on Mars. He went on to tell his -idea.</p> - -<p>"I was real interested in everything when you took me around the first -time I was here," the gambler said. "The same goes for the other boys -who saw the place. Most of us meant to come out here and look around -sometime, but you people work nights and, us mostly working nights, -too, we never got around to it. How about arranging an exclusive tour -sometime just for the club operators and their help? Then when they see -everything, you could offer to name a star after them or something. If -I hadn't already promised, I'd be willing to promise, just to be able -to point in the sky and say 'That's Harvey's Star.'"</p> - -<p>Dr. Morton smiled gently. "That's a wonderful idea," he said, "but I -don't think it would work. Any stars worth looking at with the naked -eye already have names. The only ones we could name after people are -so far away that, it would take an exposure of several hours, just to -see them on a photographic plate. You wouldn't be able to point yours -out at all. Besides, Harvard Observatory wouldn't stand for this idea -either. It would make as much sense to them as you naming a poker chip -after me."</p> - -<p>He sighed. "But, in any case, we would like to have all the owners -over some time. It might improve relations somewhat." The two of them -watched a rocket wobble all over the sky before exploding.</p> - -<p>"Let's go back inside," said the physicist. "Maybe we can arrange that -tour for Sunday."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sunday afternoon the visitors, presumably softened up by what one of -the chemists thought were martinis, were seated in the lecture hall -listening to Dr. Morton's concluding remarks.</p> - -<p>"One of the technicians is working on a gadget with a photocell that -closes the shutter on the film when a rocket goes up," Dr. Morton was -saying. "It should cut down the exposure time a great deal. Right -now, every night may be significant. If the plates from any one night -are spoiled, we may not be able to duplicate them for a Martian year. -Mankind is preparing the first trip to another star, and the work of -Mars Observatory is necessary to insure the success of that trip. You -gentlemen are rightly the leaders of Mars, and so it is up to you to -decide whether or not that success will be possible." He sat down to a -smattering of applause.</p> - -<p>The visitors, except Harvey, then left.</p> - -<p>"It didn't go over, Professor," said Harvey.</p> - -<p>"I know," said Dr. Morton. "That washes out that plan." He turned to -the gambler. "You're the only person I can trust with this," he said. -"How would you like to help me make some fireworks?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>One week later the two men had everything ready. That night, as quietly -as possible, they moved to a position behind a fence near the skyrocket -launching racks. Dr. Morton was carrying a compass, a flashlight, and a -small clinometer; Harvey was struggling with two large skyrockets. He -whispered, "What if we miss or they go off too soon, or something?"</p> - -<p>"Nonsense, Harvey," said Dr. Morton. He busied himself with the -flashlight and compass, and carefully aimed one of the rockets. "You -forget I am a physicist." He then aimed the other rocket and checked -elevation with the clinometer. "The fuels are standard, and I worked -out the trajectories on the computer. Ready with your match? These are -going to explode in the canal, and get everybody in the Canal Casino -all wet." He peeked over the fence, to see how the regular display was -doing. "Here comes their finale. Ready, set, light!"</p> - -<p>Covered by the launching of the last of the official display, their two -rockets arced up and away. One of them did explode in the canal, and -most of the Casino's patrons did get wet. But the other wobbled off to -the right, landed on the roof of Harvey's bachelor home and burned it -to the ground.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dr. Morton sat numbly in front of his typewriter, staring at a letter. -He couldn't seem to find the right words for what he wished to say. He -tried to derive inspiration from a glossy photograph lying on the table -beside him. It had what looked like another skyrocket trail on it.</p> - -<p>Before he could answer it, the door opened and Harvey walked in, -accompanied by two men with muscles. "I haven't seen you since the -accident, Professor," he said.</p> - -<p>"I've been trying to write you a letter," said Dr. Morton, "to tell you -how sorry I am about what happened. And I also have to thank you for -getting that law against fireworks through the Council. I am extremely -sorry it took your house burning down to convince them."</p> - -<p>"I keep my promises," said Harvey. One of the men with muscles turned -the radio on, loud.</p> - -<p>"We're trying to get up a collection among the staff to help pay for -your losses," said Dr. Morton, "but the director suggested a more -permanent kind of remembrance." He picked up the photograph. "This will -be one of the brightest objects in the sky, in a few months. It won't -be back again for thousands of years, but it will be around for a good -while. We've just discovered it, and it is our privilege to call it -'Harvey's Comet.'"</p> - -<p>"That's nice," said Harvey. The first of the two men went around -pulling down blinds; the other went into the bathroom and starting -filling the tub.</p> - -<p>"Well," said the physicist, looking tired and old, "I guess there's -nothing more I can say."</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, there is, Professor," said Harvey, with a sudden grin on his -face. He turned to his muscle men. "You two guys cut out the comedy and -bring it in, now."</p> - -<p>The two men followed his instructions.</p> - -<p>"You see, Professor," the gambler continued, "I took a beating on the -house, but the other club boys chipped in and made up all my losses. -So, I don't need your money at all. Besides, I have two things to thank -<i>you</i> for. First, I heard about the comet from one of your men, and -it's the nicest thing anybody's ever done for me." One of his men came -back with what looked like a round candy box. "Second, that fire was -the best publicity stunt I could get. It made the papers back on Earth -and all the new tourists are packing into the Harvey Club. Even the -other operators are playing my tables. That's why I want you to have -this."</p> - -<p>He handed Dr. Morton the box. It read "Harvey's Club" in the center, -and "Doctor Morton's Poker Chip" around the edge. Across the bottom, it -said "Five Thousand."</p> - -<p>"That's dollars in it, Professor," said Harvey. "Don't spend it all in -one place."</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of $1,000 A Plate, by Jack McKenty - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK $1,000 A PLATE *** - -***** This file should be named 50921-h.htm or 50921-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/2/50921/ - -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/license - - -Title: $1,000 A Plate - -Author: Jack McKenty - -Release Date: January 14, 2016 [EBook #50921] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK $1,000 A PLATE *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - $1,000 A Plate - - By JACK McKENTY - - Illustrated by BECK - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Galaxy Science Fiction October 1954. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - - - - When Marsy Gras shot off its skyrockets, Mars - Observatory gave it the works--fireworks! - - -Sunset on Mars is a pale, washed out, watery sort of procedure that is -hardly worth looking at. The shadows of the cactus lengthen, the sun -goes down without the slightest hint of color or display and everything -is dark. About once a year there is one cloud that turns pink briefly. -But even the travel books devote more space describing the new sign -adorning the Canal Casino than they do on the sunset. - -The night sky is something else again. Each new crop of tourists goes -to bed at sunrise the day after arrival with stiff necks from looking -up all night. The craters of the moons are visible to the naked eye, -and even a cheap pair of opera glasses can pick out the buildings of -the Deimos Space Station. - -A typical comment from a sightseer is, "Just think, Fred, we were way -up there only twelve hours ago." - -At fairly frequent intervals, the moons eclipse. The local Chamber of -Commerce joins with the gambling casinos to use these occasions as -excuses for a celebration. The "Marsy Gras" includes floats, costumes, -liquor, women, gambling--and finishes off with a display of fireworks -and a stiff note of protest from the nearby Mars Observatory. - - * * * * * - -The day after a particularly noisy, glaring fireworks display, the top -brass at the Observatory called an emergency meeting. The topic was -not a new one, but fresh evidence, in the form of several still-wet -photographic plates, showing out-of-focus skyrocket trails and a galaxy -of first-magnitude aerial cracker explosions was presented. - -"I maintain they fire them in our direction on purpose," one scientist -declared. - -This was considered to be correct because the other directions around -town were oil refineries and the homes of the casino owners. - -"Why don't we just move the Observatory way out in the desert?" a -technician demanded. "It wouldn't be much of a job." - -"It would be a tremendous job," said Dr. Morton, the physicist. "If -not for the glare of city lights on Earth, we wouldn't have had to move -our telescopes to the Moon. If not for the gravel falling out of the -sky on the Moon, making it necessary to resurface the reflectors every -week, we wouldn't have had to move to Mars. Viewing conditions here are -just about perfect--except for the immense cost of transporting the -equipment, building materials, workmen, and paying us triple time for -working so far from home. Why, did you ever figure the cost of a single -photographic plate? What with salaries, freight to and from Earth, -maintenance and all the rest, it's enormous!" - -"Then why don't we cut down the cost of ruined exposures," asked the -technician, "by moving the Observatory away from town?" - -"Because," Dr. Morton explained, "we'd have to bring in crews to tear -the place down, other crews to move it, still more crews to rebuild it. -Not to mention unavoidable breakage and replacement, which involve more -freight from Earth. At $7.97 per pound dead-weight ... well, you figure -it out." - -"So we can't move and we can't afford ruined thousand-dollar plates," -said the scientist who had considered himself a target for the -fireworks. "Then what's the answer?" - -The usual suggestion was proposed that a delegation approach the Town -Council to follow up the letter of protest. A search through the past -meetings' minutes showed that this had never accomplished anything up -to date. - -A recent arrival to the Observatory mentioned that their combined -brain power should be enough to beat the games and thus force the -casino owners--who were the real offenders--out of business. One of -the scientists, who had already tried that very scheme on a small -scale, reported his results. He proved with his tabulations that, -in this instance, science, in the guise of the law of averages, was -unfortunately against them. - -Dr. Morton rose to his feet. The other men listened to his plan, at -first with shocked horror, then with deep interest and finally in wild -exultation. The meeting broke up with most of the members grinning from -ear to ear. "It's lucky Dr. Morton is a physicist," said one of the -directors. "No astronomer would ever have thought of that." - - * * * * * - -A few days later a modest little ad appeared in the weekly publication -"What to do in Marsport." It did not try to compete with any of the -casino ads (all of which featured pretty girls), but it had a unique -heading. - - FREE - For the First Time Ever - Your HOROSCOPE - SCIENTIFICALLY CAST - by the Staff of the - FAMOUS MARS OBSERVATORY - Learn your Luck, your Future! - Write or call Mars Observatory. - No charge. No obligation. - -Since the horoscopes being offered were about the only things on Mars -that didn't cost the tourists any money, the response was great. The -recipient of a horoscope found a mimeographed folder which contained -three pages describing the present positions of the planets, where to -look for Earth in the sky, and what science hoped to learn the next -time Mercury was in transit. The fourth page held the kicker. It said -that while the tourist's luck would be better than average at most -of the gambling houses, he would lose consistently if he played at -Harvey's Club. - -Within two days the only people playing at Harvey's were the shills. -The following day, the visitors to the observatory included Harvey. - -The gambler was welcomed with mingled respect for his money and -contempt for his occupation. He was taken immediately to see Dr. -Morton, who greeted him with a sly smile. - -Harvey's conversation was brief and to the point. "How much?" he asked -waving a horoscope under Dr. Morton's nose. - -"Just a promise," said the scientist. Harvey said nothing but looked -sullen. "You are on the Town Council," Morton continued. "Now, the next -time the question of tourist entertainment is discussed, we want you to -vote _against_ a fireworks display." He then explained how important -plates had been ruined by skyrocket trails. - -Harvey listened with great interest, especially when Dr. Morton flatly -stated that each casino, in turn, would get the same publicity in the -horoscopes. - -"The Council members are all for the tourists," Harvey commented, "and -you guys are supposed to be nuts, like all scientists. But I'll do like -you say." He reached into his pocket. "Here's fifty bucks. Use it for -a full page ad this time and do the Desert Sands Casino in your next -horoscope. And say--before I go, can I look through the telescope? I -never seemed to have the time before." - - * * * * * - -At weekly intervals, Dr. Morton "did" the Desert Sands; Frankland's -Paradise; the Martian Gardens; and the Two Moons Club. From each owner -he extracted the same promise--to vote against the fireworks at the -Council meetings. - -The technique was settling down to a routine. Each victim came, made -the promise, paid for the following week's ad, named the next casino, -and was taken on a tour of the Observatory. Then disaster struck. - -It took the form of an interplanetary telegram from Harvard -Observatory, their parent organization. It read: - - EARTH NEWSPAPERS CARRYING ACCOUNTS OF HOROSCOPES PUBLISHED BY - YOUR ORGANIZATION VERY UNSCIENTIFIC MUST STOP AT ONCE FIND OTHER - SOLUTION - - L K BELL DIRECTOR - -Dr. Morton was eating alone in the staff dining room when he noticed a -familiar face beside him. "Harvey," he said. "Guess you've come down to -gloat over our misfortune." - -"No, Professor," said Harvey. "You've got my promise to help you boys -and I'll stick by you. It's a rotten shame, too. You just about made -it. The rest of the club owners saw the writing on the wall and were -going to cooperate with you when the telegram came. All of us got -contacts in the telegraph office, so they heard about it soon as it -arrived and stayed away." - -Dr. Morton said, "Yes, I supposed they would. There's not much we can -do now." - -"There are thirteen members on the Council." Harvey continued, "and -you've got five of us. If that telegram had only come one day later--no -more fireworks. But I got an idea." - -Dr. Morton pushed aside his empty coffee cup and stood up. "Let's get -out in the fresh air." - -The Town Council was adding insult to injury by staging one of the -biggest fireworks displays ever. It consisted of practically all -skyrockets. Dr. Morton expressed wonder at their supply; Harvey -explained that they were made right on Mars. He went on to tell his -idea. - -"I was real interested in everything when you took me around the first -time I was here," the gambler said. "The same goes for the other boys -who saw the place. Most of us meant to come out here and look around -sometime, but you people work nights and, us mostly working nights, -too, we never got around to it. How about arranging an exclusive tour -sometime just for the club operators and their help? Then when they see -everything, you could offer to name a star after them or something. If -I hadn't already promised, I'd be willing to promise, just to be able -to point in the sky and say 'That's Harvey's Star.'" - -Dr. Morton smiled gently. "That's a wonderful idea," he said, "but I -don't think it would work. Any stars worth looking at with the naked -eye already have names. The only ones we could name after people are -so far away that, it would take an exposure of several hours, just to -see them on a photographic plate. You wouldn't be able to point yours -out at all. Besides, Harvard Observatory wouldn't stand for this idea -either. It would make as much sense to them as you naming a poker chip -after me." - -He sighed. "But, in any case, we would like to have all the owners -over some time. It might improve relations somewhat." The two of them -watched a rocket wobble all over the sky before exploding. - -"Let's go back inside," said the physicist. "Maybe we can arrange that -tour for Sunday." - - * * * * * - -Sunday afternoon the visitors, presumably softened up by what one of -the chemists thought were martinis, were seated in the lecture hall -listening to Dr. Morton's concluding remarks. - -"One of the technicians is working on a gadget with a photocell that -closes the shutter on the film when a rocket goes up," Dr. Morton was -saying. "It should cut down the exposure time a great deal. Right -now, every night may be significant. If the plates from any one night -are spoiled, we may not be able to duplicate them for a Martian year. -Mankind is preparing the first trip to another star, and the work of -Mars Observatory is necessary to insure the success of that trip. You -gentlemen are rightly the leaders of Mars, and so it is up to you to -decide whether or not that success will be possible." He sat down to a -smattering of applause. - -The visitors, except Harvey, then left. - -"It didn't go over, Professor," said Harvey. - -"I know," said Dr. Morton. "That washes out that plan." He turned to -the gambler. "You're the only person I can trust with this," he said. -"How would you like to help me make some fireworks?" - - * * * * * - -One week later the two men had everything ready. That night, as quietly -as possible, they moved to a position behind a fence near the skyrocket -launching racks. Dr. Morton was carrying a compass, a flashlight, and a -small clinometer; Harvey was struggling with two large skyrockets. He -whispered, "What if we miss or they go off too soon, or something?" - -"Nonsense, Harvey," said Dr. Morton. He busied himself with the -flashlight and compass, and carefully aimed one of the rockets. "You -forget I am a physicist." He then aimed the other rocket and checked -elevation with the clinometer. "The fuels are standard, and I worked -out the trajectories on the computer. Ready with your match? These are -going to explode in the canal, and get everybody in the Canal Casino -all wet." He peeked over the fence, to see how the regular display was -doing. "Here comes their finale. Ready, set, light!" - -Covered by the launching of the last of the official display, their two -rockets arced up and away. One of them did explode in the canal, and -most of the Casino's patrons did get wet. But the other wobbled off to -the right, landed on the roof of Harvey's bachelor home and burned it -to the ground. - - * * * * * - -Dr. Morton sat numbly in front of his typewriter, staring at a letter. -He couldn't seem to find the right words for what he wished to say. He -tried to derive inspiration from a glossy photograph lying on the table -beside him. It had what looked like another skyrocket trail on it. - -Before he could answer it, the door opened and Harvey walked in, -accompanied by two men with muscles. "I haven't seen you since the -accident, Professor," he said. - -"I've been trying to write you a letter," said Dr. Morton, "to tell you -how sorry I am about what happened. And I also have to thank you for -getting that law against fireworks through the Council. I am extremely -sorry it took your house burning down to convince them." - -"I keep my promises," said Harvey. One of the men with muscles turned -the radio on, loud. - -"We're trying to get up a collection among the staff to help pay for -your losses," said Dr. Morton, "but the director suggested a more -permanent kind of remembrance." He picked up the photograph. "This will -be one of the brightest objects in the sky, in a few months. It won't -be back again for thousands of years, but it will be around for a good -while. We've just discovered it, and it is our privilege to call it -'Harvey's Comet.'" - -"That's nice," said Harvey. The first of the two men went around -pulling down blinds; the other went into the bathroom and starting -filling the tub. - -"Well," said the physicist, looking tired and old, "I guess there's -nothing more I can say." - -"Oh, yes, there is, Professor," said Harvey, with a sudden grin on his -face. He turned to his muscle men. "You two guys cut out the comedy and -bring it in, now." - -The two men followed his instructions. - -"You see, Professor," the gambler continued, "I took a beating on the -house, but the other club boys chipped in and made up all my losses. -So, I don't need your money at all. Besides, I have two things to thank -_you_ for. First, I heard about the comet from one of your men, and -it's the nicest thing anybody's ever done for me." One of his men came -back with what looked like a round candy box. "Second, that fire was -the best publicity stunt I could get. It made the papers back on Earth -and all the new tourists are packing into the Harvey Club. Even the -other operators are playing my tables. That's why I want you to have -this." - -He handed Dr. Morton the box. It read "Harvey's Club" in the center, -and "Doctor Morton's Poker Chip" around the edge. Across the bottom, it -said "Five Thousand." - -"That's dollars in it, Professor," said Harvey. "Don't spend it all in -one place." - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of $1,000 A Plate, by Jack McKenty - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK $1,000 A PLATE *** - -***** This file should be named 50921.txt or 50921.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/9/2/50921/ - -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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