“Bill,” Dr. Havensson began, addressing Dr. Simmons, “you know what has been going on elsewhere while we have been running our shakedown tests and putting our house in order.”
Dr. Simmons nodded his understanding.
“Well, things aren’t too good. Apparently we have been kidding ourselves about keeping the Big Boat a secret. I understand now that the competition knows all about it and has even managed to get a photo of it in flight.”
“At night?” asked Dr. Simmons.
“Apparently so, but don’t ask me how. At any rate, they seem to know as much about our schedule as we do ourselves. I’m not suggesting that there is any leak from our base; I’m sure that that isn’t so. But apparently we have under-estimated their radar or someone back home has talked too much. Be that as it may, the fact that we
