[Footnote 2: As a mental exercise, I would suggest that the reader look at Figure 2 for a minute or two and figure out the answer. The answer is there and high school mathematics should enable a person to discover how to extract the irrational number.--Dr. Fred Huckins.]
"Blake," I said to the servant, "bring me my automatic pistol."
"I said bring me my automatic pistol. I'm going to save Trella, or murder somebody."
I threw a book at him and he left hurriedly, to return in a few minutes with my pistol and holster. I strapped the weapon about my waist and slammed my straw hat on my head. In a few minutes I stepped from a taxi in front of the Galaxy building, in which the officers of the Stellar Transport Company are located.
A clerk with thick glasses interviewed me.
"I want to charter a ship for a trip to Proxima Centaur," I explained. "I want one of your late model cruisers which can go about ten times the speed of light. I want to get there quickly."
The clerk nodded. I have often wondered about the composure of clerks who never seem to be astonished at anything. "We have a ship available that could get you there in three months, that's sixteen times the speed of light. But to charter it would cost one million dollars."
He never batted an eye when he named the price. I doubt if the clerk was receiving more than forty a week.
"I should like to transact the deal directly with Mr. Keeshwar," I said.
"He will be pleased, I'm sure," the clerk replied. "What is your name?"
"Andrew J. Colt," I said, for lack of more originality.
The clerk disappeared into the sanctum. He returned presently with:
I had counted on Keeshwar being--or pretending to be very busy as I entered. I expected him to pay no attention to my entry, and not even to glance in my direction, as if a million dollars were a trifling matter, until we were alone.
I judged Keeshwar right. When at last he glanced at me he was unnerved by the presence of an automatic pistol which was pointed directly at his head.
"I must warn you not to touch any of those buttons on your desk," I said. "It would give me a great deal of pleasure to drill you and I won't go out of my way for an opportunity."
"Wh-what d-d-do you w-w-ant?" he asked, turning pale.