Hamlet, Act III, Scene I

he rocket was on theway up, but ProfessorLightning didn't seemto care. Outside thecooktent Wrout flappedhis arms and, on that signal, Seamanstarted up the big electric band,whooping it up with John PhilipSousa for openers, while all over themidway the lights snapped on, bigwhites and yellows, reds, greens,purples and dusky violets framing,in a titillating dimness, the front flapof the girlie tent. The outside talkerswere busy outside the spectacle tentslike Wicks' Hell Drivers, BiggestAuto Show in Fifty States—outsidethe grind shows, the eats, the rides:"Here and now, for the fourth partof one single dollar bill, the mostamazing ..." "... Terrifying andstrange beings from the farthestreaches of the Earth who will exhibit..." "... Dances learned at theCourt of the Sultan, Ay-rab dancesright here, right on the inside, foronly—"

And the crowd, filing in, laughedand chattered and shrieked on swoopingrides, the Great Crane, the SpaceRace, the Merry-Go-Round and theHorses, threw down money to wina kewpie doll, a Hawaiian lei, a reallife-size imitation scale model ofLuna in three real dimensions ...living it up on the first show, whilethe rocket climbed on and out, andbubbled excitement in the blood.

The rocket was up: the carnivalwas open. But Professor Lightningdidn't seem to care. He sat in thecooktent with his eyes hooded andhidden under the unshaded glowof a hundred-and-fifty-watt Foreverbulb, while Charley de Milo fidgetedhis feet, and listened, and tried to cutthe old man off.

"Look, professor," he said nervously,"why don't we talk about it later?Table it, till after the show?" Hescratched the side of his head withhis left foot. "I got to go on in acouple of minutes," he said. "I canhear the talker going now. I gotto—"

"Forget the show," ProfessorLightning said. His voice was flatterand harsher, and his face more tense,than Charley ever remembered seeingit. "The show isn't important."

Charley blinked, trying to understand."But, Professor—"

"Listen to me," Professor Lightningsaid. "The world is at the beginningof a new cultural revolution.Since the Cold War melted, and freedomof inquiry and research beganto live again on both sides of theold Iron Curtain, science has beguna new Renaissance. The cultural interflowhas—"

"Please, professor," Charley saidmiserably, rubbing his toes together."There isn't much time before I gotto go on. And you ought to be insidethe Science tent, too, because anyminute—"

"If I am not in the tent," ProfessorLightning said calmly, "I will notappear in the show. It does notmatter."

"But they'll fire you," Charley said.He grabbed for a cigarette with hisright foot and got it into his mouth.Striking a matc

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