Point of Departure
By VAUGHAN SHELTON
Illustrated by WEISS
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Science Fiction April 1956.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
As if Donner's troubles weren't bad
enough—they were a repetition of something
that had created chaos thousands of years ago!
"Halleck, for Pete's sake, sit down! You act as if you were ready toattack Donner with your bare hands." The president of the ResearchFoundation removed an expensive cigar from its plastic cocoon and litit from young Taplin's eagerly offered lighter.
Halleck sat down. "Sorry, G. W. This business has me on edge. I feelresponsible for Donner's activities—and for the missing $300,000, too.The whole thing reeks of larceny."
"You are responsible, Hal." The president's tone was crisp but notaccusing. "That's what a general manager gets paid for. Isn't it timeDonner showed up?"
"He's to be here at ten, Mr. Caples. The girl will buzz us as soonas he comes in." Orville Taplin was a very good secretary, but hiseagerness to prove it sometimes irked his superiors. "Shall I ordersome coffee sent up, Mr. Caples?"
"Not just now. Look, Hal, have you checked on this Simon Kane thatDonner mentions in his letter? He doesn't sound quite real. Do we knowif there is such a person?"
Taplin interrupted the general manager to answer the question."Yes, sir. There really is a Simon Kane. I talked to Dr. Reed bytransatlantic telephone last night. He said Kane was public relationsman on his first expedition to Egypt in 1958."
"Why the blazes didn't you let me talk to him?" Halleck was on hisfeet again, a sharp-faced, balding man with a temper that suggestedulcers. "G. W., I—"
"Forget it, Hal! What else, young man?"
"Well, Dr. Reed said he fired him at the request of the Egyptiangovernment and sent him back to the States. He said it was a long storyand he didn't want to get into it on the phone."
Leaning across the wide mahogany desk and tapping the blotter foremphasis, Halleck said, "Look, G. W., Kane doesn't matter. He's just aname. The Utah Flats plant is short $300,000. Let Donner explain it incourt. If Kane or anyone else was involved, let Donner prove it."
The buzzer wheezed and Orville Taplin's finger shot to the key. "Yes?"
"Mr. Donner is here."
G. W. Caples nodded to the question in the secretary's face. "Send himin."
The man in the doorway was tall, sandy and rather stooped for earlymiddle age. His straight lined features looked competent, but the mouthwas compressed to a narrow hyphen, as if he had lived through thisordeal many times in anticipation and always come out of it badly. Hisgray business suit was wrinkled with travel.
"Good morning, Mr. Caples. Gentlemen."
Although he closed the door gently, the click of it sounded loud in thesilence. "I hope I'm not late."
"Right on the dot, Ray. Glad to see you. Pick a comfortable chair." Thepresident smoothed the crumpled letter in front of him on the desk andwaved the silent Halleck to a seat. "You can order that coffee now,young man."
When Taplin had called for the coffee and started the recordingmachine, G. W. Caples addressed the newcomer agai