you're trying to work a big deal without being caught, it's practically the main thing to keep on acting just like always. Then they don't suspect anything. That's the first law--" "Oh, all right." Slim rose resentfully. At the moment, the circus appeared to him a rather tawdry and shoddy substitute for the glories of astronomy, and he wondered how he had come to fall in with Red's silly scheme. Down the slope they went, Slim, as usual, in the rear. VII The Industrialist said, "It's the workmanship that gets me. I never saw such construction." "What good is it now?" said the Astronomer, bitterly. "There's nothing left. There'll be no second landing. This ship detected life on our planet through accident. Other exploring parties would come no closer than necessary to establish the fact that there were no super-dense worlds existing in our solar system." "Well, there's no quarreling with a crash landing." "The ship hardly seems damaged. If only some had survived, the ship might have been repaired." "If they had survived, there would be no trade in any case. They're too different. Too disturbing. In any case--it's over." They entered the house and the Industrialist greeted his wife calmly. "Lunch about ready, dear." "I'm afraid not. You see--" She looked hesitantly at the Astronomer. "Is anything wrong?" asked the Industrialist. "Why not tell me? I'm sure our guest won't mind a little family discussion." "Pray don't pay any attention whatever to me," muttered the Astronomer. He moved miserably to the other end of the living room. The woman said, in low, hurried tones, "Really, dear, cook's that upset. I've been soothing her for hours and honestly, I don't know why Red should have done it." "Done what?" The Industrialist was more amused than otherwise. It had taken the united efforts of himself and his son months to argue his wife into using the name "Red" rather than the perfectly ridiculous (viewed youngster fashion) name which was his real one. She said, "He's taken most of the chopped meat."
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