Galaxy Primes, page 23
“Hold it! Uh-uh. No. If we can live together six months — or even six weeks — without killing each other, we’ll have it made. It’s at first that it’ll be rugged. No matter how rugged it gets, though, we’ll know one thing for certain sure. We couldn’t live apart. That’ll give us enough leverage. Check?”
“And double check.” She giggled sunnily. “I’ll take care of any and all situations, whatever they are, that arise in the first six months. You’ll be responsible for the next sixty years. That’s a perfectly fair and equitable division of responsibility. Now kiss me and we’ll go.”
When Garlock cut the Gunther blocks, however, James’s thought came instantly in. “Been trying to get you for twenty minutes,” and in a couple of seconds he brought Garlock and Belle up to date. “So Fatso’s been waiting in Evans’ office. He’s throwing fits all over the place and Evans and Macey are going quietly mad.”
“He’ll have to wait,” Garlock decided instantly. “No matter how many fits he has, no such decision is going to be made until there’s enough of a Galactic Council to make it.”
“Well, you’ll have to tell him that yourself. In person.”
“I’ll do just that, and tell him so he’ll stay told.”
“Okay, but shake a — ”
Belle and Garlock ’ported out into the Main, arms around each other like a couple of college freshmen.
“… leg-g — ug — gug …” James gurgled.
“Belle!” Lola shrieked. “Why — Belle — Bellamy!”
“What goes on here?” James demanded.
“Nothing much,” Garlock replied, although he blushed almost as deeply as Belle did. “We just decided to quit fighting, is all. Cut the rope, Junior, and let the old bucket drop.”
E.E. “Doc” Smith
Edward Elmer Smith was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1890 and graduated from the University of Idaho in 1914 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He worked in the food processing business for years, holding down this day job while writing science fiction for magazines like Amazing and Astounding. By 1936 he had begun to perfect his craft and embarked on his best known work, the popular and groundbreaking Lensman series. He continued to work as a food engineer until 1957, two years before the first publication of The Galaxy Primes. He passed away in Oregon in 1965 at the age of seventy-five.
There is an often-repeated legend that “Doc” Smith was responsible for some kind of secret chemical breakthrough that allowed powdered sugar to better adhere to donuts, but that particular bit of science-fantasy has yet to be substantiated.
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Smith, E.E., Galaxy Primes
