said the radioman.

The question might have been phrased with a semi-humorous bitterness, but the colonel answered seriously:

"Tell him to give us an estimate to the damage. Ask him if he thinks he can blast out."

As the radio man spoke into the microphone, White was suddenly struck with the irony of the situation. Here was the historic moment: they were talking to the first man on the moon. And what did it mean? Where was the thrilling revelation, the sense of triumph? A poor, blind man, buried under a mountain of dust....

"Jessup says he can't tell much yet about the ship," said the radioman. "He says to hold on."

"We'll be out of beam range in fifteen minutes," said Markley hollowly, his heavy shoulders hunched forward as if he were trying to reach his arms out to the sunken rocket.

White felt the same helplessness. They could not even stop the Station in its hurtling chase around the Earth. Soon the Moon would be lost from sight behind the vast, misty mass of the planet.

He became aware of the New Mexico beep-call, sounding furiously. He picked the phone up and listened to the angry, excited voice at the other end. Muttering an abject, unmeant apology, he handed the phone to Markley, who made an expression of distaste.

"Yes, General ... we're going out of range soon—can you hear him down there?... No! He didn't crack up. He's buried ... we can't tell yet ... yes, buried in the ash—volcanic ash or meteor dust, I don't know ... I don't know ... yes, General ... yes, sir!"

He slammed the receiver down.

"Do they get him at all?" asked White anxiously.

"Only a word here and there. They're going to try and clear the air a bit—widen his channel—put a crimp in somebody's T.V. If I hear one complaint, I'm dropping a bomb!"

"We're going out of range now," said Markley's voice in the earphones. "They hear you down below. Keep sending. And—good luck!"

Other voices in the background echoed, "Good luck, Jess!"

He had a vision of the Station's silver disc falling behind the bulging Earth as the voices quivered into silence. He stood there for a while, steadying himself with both hands braced on a pressure wheel.

 Prev. P 4/11 next