Illustrated by ENGLE
In a world blasted by super-bombs
and run by super-thugs, Art vs.
Science can be a deadly debate!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Infinity, April 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The sun hadn't quite risen, but now that the five men were out fromunder the trees it already felt hot. Far ahead, off to the left ofthe road, the spires of New Angeles gleamed dusky blue against thedeparting night. The two unarmed men gazed back wistfully at the littletown, dark and asleep under its moist leafy umbrellas. The one who wasthin and had hair flecked with gray looked all intellect; the other,young and with a curly mop, looked all feeling.
The fat man barring their way back to town mopped his head. The twoyoung men flanking him with shotgun and squirtgun hadn't started tosweat yet.
The fat man stuffed the big handkerchief back in his pocket, wiped hishands on his shirt, rested his wrists lightly on the pistols holsteredeither side his stomach, looked at the two unarmed men, indicated thehot road with a nod, and said, "There's your way, professors. Getgoing."
The thin man looked at the hand-smears on the fat man's shirt. "Butyou haven't even explained to me," he protested softly, "why I'm beingturned out of Ozona College."
"Look here, Mr. Ellenby, I've tried to make it easy for you," the fatman said. "I'm doing it before the town wakes up. Would you rather bechased by a mob?"
"But why—?"
"Because we found out you weren't just a math teacher, Mr. Ellenby."The fat man's voice went hard. "You'd been a physicist once. Nuclearphysicist."
The young man with the shotgun spat. Ellenby watched the spittle curlin the dust like a little brown worm. He shifted his gaze to a deadeucalyptus leaf. "I'd like to talk to the college board of regents," hesaid tonelessly.
"I'm the board of regents," the fat man told him. "Didn't you even knowthat?"
At this point the other unarmed man spoke up loudly. "But that doesn'texplain my case. I've devoted my whole life to warning people againstphysicists and other scientists. How they'd smash us with their bombs.How they were destroying our minds with 3D and telefax and handies. Howthey were blaspheming against Nature, killing all imagination, crushingall beauty out of life!"
"I'd shut my mouth if I were you, Madson," the fat man said critically,"or at least lower my voice. When I mentioned a mob, I wasn't fooling.I saw them burn Cal Tech. In fact, I got a bit excited and helped."
The young man with the shotgun grinned.
"Cal Tech," Ellenby murmured, his eyes growing distant. "Cal Tech burnsand Ozona stands."
"Ozona stands for the decencies of life," the fat man grated, "notalphabet bombs and pituitary gas. Its purpose is to save a town, nothelp kill a world."
"But why should I be driven out?" Madson persisted. "I'm just a poetsinging the beauties of the simple life unmarred by science."
"Not simple enough for Ozona!" the fat man snorted. "We happen to know,Mr. Poet Madson, that you've written some stories about free love. Wedon't want anyone telling Ozona girls it's all right to be careless."
"But those were just ideas, ideas in a story," Madson protested. "Iwasn't advocating—"
"No difference," the fat man cut him short. "Talk to a woman aboutideas and pretty soon she gets some." His voice became almost kindly."Look here, if you wanted a woman without getting hitched to her, whydidn't you go to shantytown?"
Madson squared his shoulders. "You've missed th