Chapter 16

           TheroomintowhichthethreewereusheredwastheController’sstudy.

           "Hisfordshipwillbedowninamoment."TheGammabutlerleftthemtothemselves.

           Helmholtzlaughedaloud.

           "It’smorelikeacaffeine-solutionpartythanatrial,"hesaid,andlethimselffallintothemostluxuriousofthepneumaticarm-chairs."Cheerup,Bernard,"headded,catchingsightofhisfriend’sgreenunhappyface.ButBernardwouldnotbecheered;withoutanswering,withoutevenlookingatHelmholtz,hewentandsatdownonthemostuncomfortablechairintheroom,carefullychosenintheobscurehopeofsomehowdeprecatingthewrathofthehigherpowers.

           TheSavagemeanwhilewanderedrestlesslyroundtheroom,peeringwithavaguesuperficialinquisitivenessatthebooksintheshelves,atthesound-trackrollsandreadingmachinebobbinsintheirnumberedpigeon-holes.Onthetableunderthewindowlayamassivevolumeboundinlimpblackleather-surrogate,andstampedwithlargegoldenT’s.Hepickeditupandopenedit.MYLIFEANDWORK,BYOURFORD.ThebookhadbeenpublishedatDetroitbytheSocietyforthePropagationofFordianKnowledge.Idlyheturnedthepages,readasentencehere,aparagraphthere,andhadjustcometotheconclusionthatthebookdidn’tinteresthim,whenthedooropened,andtheResidentWorldControllerforWesternEuropewalkedbrisklyintotheroom.

           MustaphaMondshookhandswithallthreeofthem;butitwastotheSavagethatheaddressedhimself."Soyoudon’tmuchlikecivilization,Mr.Savage,"hesaid.