“I found the carbon copy of your manuscript and sold it to Chuck. And now I didn’t get rid of her after all.” Ruth could no longer; control herself. “You don’t love me any more,” she sobbed.
“Yes I do, dear.”
“Well, you won’t for long. Tell her to go away.”
“We mustn’t be impolite. What makes her think I have money?”
“I just told you. I sold your word to Full Head.”
“Just so Debbie wouldn’t come around? Not for money?”
“I had to sell it forsomething. But yes, I mostly wanted to get rid of Debbie.”
“Dear, that was very misguided of you, but underneath I think your motive was not monetary. Suppose I told you we weren’t going to make any money after all.”
“That would be wonderful” Ruth said. “That would solve all our problems.”
“What do you mean?” Debbie asked. Her ingenuous air began to thicken a little.
“I gave the correct translation of the Scythian formula to the American Government. You couldn’t sell it, anyway, Ruth. It’s common property. No copyrights back in 450 B.C., you know. All I did was translate it.”
“But Ruth’s got a contract!” Debbie cried.
“Won’t hold water, or whatever contracts hold. But don’t worry about your company, Debbie. I took care of Full Head. Chuck Bradford’s worked so hard over this. The United States Government is going to farm out production to Full Head. They just want to control cheap distribution overseas. As the President says, a head full of hair; is a heart full of good will.”
“No money?” Debbie asked.
“No money.”
“No Debbie,” said Debbie, and she was gone, like Snow upon the Desert’s dusty Face.
“Do I get any dinner?” Sam asked.
“Yes. But why ‘Lick a handful of moly’?”
“Some enzyme in human spit, I’m sure. But you boil it later so it’s perfectly sanitary. What do we have for—”
“Meatloaf again,” Ruth said happily. “I like meatloaf. You’re right. Money isn’t important. And Sam, I’m sorry that I sold the word, I hate to go above you.” Here the brown eyes lower fell. “Because, you see, I love you.”
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Star Science Fiction 5 - [Anthology] Page 19