Isaac Asimov Read Free Page A

he
is
one.”
    Owens frowned. Was the man serious? Or was he joking because he thought that would bring relief of tension.
    Gonder said, “You realize, of course, that your part in this isn’t something to be dismissed off-hand. You will know him, won’t you?”
    “I’ll know him,” said Owens, with his short, nervous laugh. “I’ve met him several times at scientific conferences on the Other Side. I got drunk with him one night; well, not really drunk; joyous.”
    “Did he talk?”
    “I didn’t get him drunk to make him talk. But anyway, he didn’t talk. There was someone else with him. Their scientists go two by two at all times.”
    “Did
you
talk?” The question was light; the intent behind it was clearly not.
    Owens laughed again. “Believe me, colonel, there is nothing I know that he doesn’t. I could talk to him all day without harm.”
    “I wish I knew something about this. You have my admiration, captain. Here is a technological miracle capable of transforming the world and there are only a handful of men who can understand it. Man’s mind is getting away from man.”
    “It’s not that bad, really,” said Owens. “There are quite a lot of us. There’s only one Benes, of course, and I’m miles from being in
his
class. In fact, I don’t know much morethan enough to apply the technique to my ship designs. That’s all.”
    “But you’ll recognize Benes?” The Secret Service head seemed to require infinite reassurance.
    “Even if he had a twin brother, which I’m sure he doesn’t, I’d recognize him.”
    “It’s not exactly an academic point, captain. Our agent, Grant, is good as I’ve said, but even so I am a little surprised that he managed it. I have to ask myself: is there a double-double-cross involved? Did They expect us to try to get Benes and have They prepared a pseudo-Benes?”
    “I can tell the difference,” said Owens, confidently.
    “You don’t know what can be done these days with plastic surgery and narcohypnosis.”
    “It doesn’t matter. The face can fool me, but the conversation won’t. Either he knows the Technique” (Owens’ momentary whisper clearly capitalized the word) “better than I do or he’s not Benes, whatever he looks like. They can fake Benes’ body, perhaps, but not his mind.”
    They were on the field now. Colonel Gonder looked at his watch. “I hear it. The ship will be landing in minutes—and on time.”
    Armed men and armored vehicles splayed out to join those that had already surrounded the airfield and turned it into occupied territory sealed off against all but authorized personnel.
    The last of the city’s lights had faded out, doing no more than to fuzz the horizon to the left.
    Owens’ sigh was one of infinite relief. Benes would be here, at last, in one more moment.
    Happy ending?
    He frowned at the intonation in his mind that had put a question mark after those two words.
    Happy ending! he thought grimly, but the intonation slithered out of control so that it became Happy ending? again.

CHAPTER 2

Car
     
    Grant watched the lights of the city approaching with intense relief as the plane began its long approach. No one had given him any real details as to the importance of Dr. Benes—except for the obvious fact that he was a defecting scientist with vital information. He was the most important man in the world, they had said—and then had neglected to explain why.
    Don’t press, they had told him. Don’t throw the grease in the fan by getting tense. But the whole thing is vital, they said. Unbelievably vital.
    Take it easy, they had said, but everything depends on it; your country, your world, humanity.
    So it was done. He might never have made it if They hadn’t been afraid of killing Benes. By the time They got to the point where They realized that killing Benes was the only way They could salvage even a draw, it was too late and he was out.
    A bullet crease over the ribs was all Grant had to show for it and a long