
uh, called you a murderer.'
The color was creeping into his father's cheeks, an ever so faint flush. The old man sat for a long
moment, smiling faintly. Then: 'Only time will tell, Johnny, whether I'm a genius or a fool. I proved more
than a match for Tellier but that was because he had to nerve himself for each step, and with my greater
experience I could see what was coming next. Someday, I'll tell you about that long, drawn-out struggle.
With his knowledge of the equipment aboard, he could have defeated me. But he was never quite as
strongly motivated as I was.'
He must have realized the explanation was too generalized, for he continued after only a moment: 'I can
explain it all in a few sentences. On takeoff, Tellier took it for granted that we would be able to attain
very nearly the speed of light and so obtain the benefits predicted by the Lorentz-Fitzgerald Con-traction
Theory. We couldn't do it - as you know. The drive fell far short of Tellier's theoretical expectations. As
soon as he realized that we were in for a long voyage, he wanted to turn back. Naturally, I couldn't let
him do that. He thereupon went into a state of mind verging on the psychotic, and he was in that
condition when he had his accident.'
'Why would Mother hold that against you?'
The elder Lesbee shrugged. Something of that long-ago im-patience he must have felt, thickened his
voice as he said, 'Your mother never did understand what Tellier and I were wrangling about, in terms of
its scientific meaning. But she did know that he wanted to turn back. Since she wanted that also, she
maintained that his knowledge as an astrophysicist was superior to mine as a mere astronomer, and that,
therefore, I was stupidly opposing the views of a man who really knew the facts.'
'I see.' Young Lesbee was silent, then: 'I've never under-stood the Lorentz-Fitzgerald Contraction
Theory, nor what it was that you discovered about the sun that made you under-take this voyage.'
The older man looked at him thoughtfully. 'It's a long, in-volved idea,' he said. Tor example, it's not the
sun itself but a warp in space which I analyzed. This warp should by now have caused the destruction of
the solar system.'
'But the sun didn't flare up.'
'I never said it would,' said his father in an irritated tone.' He broke off: 'My boy, you'll find my detailed
report among the ship's scientific papers, and also available is Dr. Tellier's account of his experiments in
attempting to reach high speed. His papers contain a description of the famous Lorentz-Fitzgerald
Contraction Theory. Why don't you read it all when you have time.'
The youth hesitated. He was not eager to hear a long, scientific account, particularly at this hour of the
night. But he recognized that this communication with his father was taking place because he himself was
in an overstimulated condition; it might be a one-time occurrence. And so, after a moment, he persisted:
'But why didn't the ship speed up as predicted? What went wrong?'
He added quickly, 'Oh, I realize lectures were given on the subject but, knowing you, I feel that they
were what you wanted people to believe in the interests of the voyage. What's the truth?'
The old man's eyes twinkled suddenly, then he chuckled. 'I really turned out to have a natural instinct for
knowing how to maintain discipline and morale, didn't I?' He grew somber. 'I wish I could inject some of
that into you.' He broke off. 'But never mind. Your observation is correct. I told the people what I
wanted them to think. The actual truth is substantially what I have already told you. When Tellier