solar mixture continuously drawn up, and so on until your ship is filled with copper. Yes, it's the same scheme that was used by the Mizar and Polaris Sun-miners. And it will have exactly the same result! Sucking gases out of any point in the solar surface will lower pressure at that point. And lowered pressure at any point of the photosphere instantly and inevitably starts a whirl of gases, a growing maelstrom or Sun-spot!"

Jonny Land shook his head. "Carlin, you're jumping to conclusions. This dredge does not simply eject its unwanted gases into space like former designs. Take a look at that beam-head more closely."

Carlin looked. And he was puzzled, after a brief inspection of the curious concentric construction of the beam-head.

"I don't get it. It looks like you have two circular beam-heads, one inside the other."

"That," said Jonny, "is the secret of my scheme. Lowered pressure in the solar surface at the point of suction creates a whirl, a Sun-spot. But suppose we can suck up gases without lowering pressure?"

Carlin stared. "How?"

"The two beam-heads," reminded the lame youngster eagerly. "The inner one is the one that beams down a positive magnetic pull to suck up solar vapors. The outer one is designed to use a simultaneous negative magnetism to shoot the unwanted vapors back down into the Sun."

The whole meaning of the explanation flashed over Carlin, and the possibilities of it dawned across his brain.

He said nothing, but crawled under the towering dredge and for minutes inspected inside and outside of the beam-head, feed-tubes and cut-offs. He finally came back out to them.

"Well?" challenged Jonny Land.

Carlin bit his lip. "I've got to admit your scheme looks practical enough. You should be able to suck up gases without any Sun-spotting effect, by using that continuous kickback. But—"

"But what?" demanded Harb Land, frowning.

Carlin shook his head. "Blast it, I can't see why the Council would turn down your petition if this is as workable as it seems."

Jonny shrugged. "I told you why. Control Council contains the finest statesmen in the galaxy. Statesmen, not engineers. They admitted their experts' reports on this showed it theoretically workable. 

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