"Who operates the selectors?"
"They are automatic. An electric eye scans the destination tag. If the appropriate symbol corresponds, the grabber swings out and hooks off the can. See that first selector that is so busy? The one with three arms? That takes all the San Francisco traffic. Its belts unload in another room about as big as this where they are sorted for the local stations."
"I suppose the tubes run on compressed air."
"Only on short jumps. On the trunk lines they shoot along in a partial vacuum floating in a magnetic field that pulls them along. They make tremendous speeds on the long jumps."
"Suppose I wanted to mail a letter to New York. Would it ride in one of those cans all by itself?"
"Yes, but there isn't much sense in writing a letter when you can call up on the visiphone, or write on the telautograph."
"No, I suppose not. Say, I'd like to take one of those selectors to pieces."
"Perhaps you can if you care to apply for permission. But there is nothing fancy about them. Seen enough?"
"I guess so. What now?"
Diana glanced at a chronometer on the wall. "It's ten minutes past thirteen. We could run out to the rocket port if you like."
"Say, that's fine. Let's go!" They went back to street level and rode the first strip to an intersection where they dropped down one flight to the crosstown shuttle. This they took to a station marked TUB EKSPRES TU ROKET PORT. An attendant sealed them in a cylinder containing heavily cushioned chairs. Diana sat down and laid her head back against a head rest and told Perry to do likewise. A light glowed above them for a few seconds, then cut off. Perry suddenly felt very heavy and was pressed into the cushions. Then he was suddenly normal weight again.
"Brace your feet, Perry." The sudden increase in weight pressed him forward this time. Then normal weight returned and the door opened.
"Where are we?"
"At the port, about fifteen kilometers south of town."
"San Mateo?"
"No, west of there near Pillar Point." They climbed out and proceeded up a ramp to a waiting room, where swarms of people moved about and clustered at the far end. Diana glanced at an illuminated notice board and then at the chronometer beside it. "Hurry, Perry. We are just in time."
"For what?"
"The Antipodes Express. It arrives from New Zealand in four minutes. Hurry." He followed her up a ramp into a gallery with windows facing the field. Several sightseers were already there. Diana turned to one of them, a boy about twelve. "Is she in sight yet?"
"Uh huh, she's circling. See?" He pointed for them. Diana and Perry squinted at the sky.
"I'm afraid I can't make her out."
"She's there all right. There go the field lights. The screens'll be up any minute now."
"What kind of screens?" Perry inquired. The boy looked at him curiously.
"Say, you haven't been around much, have you? These kind of screens." Dark amber glass shutters were settling over the view windows. "You look at a rocket blast with your naked eyes and you'll wish you hadn't."
"Thanks, son. I don't know much about rockets."
"I do. I'm going to be a rocket pilot when I grow up. There she comes. She's the good old Southern Cross. See how pretty she rides? That's old Marko himself. He don't bounce 'em." The ship, a faint silvery sliver, circled toward the earth. She rode with her bow lifted perhaps twenty degrees, and her tail jets streaming behind her.
"Looks as if she were climbing."
"No, no." Superior Knowledge was faintly scornful. "He's riding her in on her tail. Old Marko don't pull out the plug till he's ready." The ship circled again lower down and on a narrower course. The tail jets snuffed out, then a brilliant light flared from her keel. "There goes her belly blast. Oh boy!" The youngster's eyes shone. The blast reached down toward the earth. Soon it splashed around the field. Steadily the ship lowered until the blast was almost point blank and the splash filled the halfmole landing circle and concealed the ship. Then the blast ceased and the ship lay before them. The boy chortled. "Did you see that? Just as steady as a rock on her good old gyros. And he just slid her down like sliding down a rope. Not even a side jet. Not once! What he aims at, he hits. Marko's going to drive one to the Moon someday; you wait and see. And I bet I'll go along, too."
A little cart was rolling out toward the ship and unfurling a long matting as it went. Perry asked the lad about it.
"That's the asbestos rug. You wouldn't want to walk on that field in those sandals after the belly blast hits it. You'd fry. The cart's just the baggage cart." They watched the passengers debark,then strolled about the station for a few minutes.
"Any place else you want to go, Perry?" Diana presently inquired.
"Have you any suggestion?"
"I'm getting a little weary of the crowds. Let's get back." Fifteen minutes later they were on the platform where they had left the Cloud Horse. Diana surrendered her receipt and her car was run out onto the take-off flat. Inside, she shucked off her tunic and tossed it on the bench and had the car in the air before Perry was out of his belt and comfortably settled. Once seated he lit a cigarette and handed it to her. "Where are we going?"
"Would you like to go swimming?"
"Swell. Where?"
"I know a little cove down near Monterey that is sheltered from the wind. The water may be a bit chilly."
"Let's try it."
Diana switched to 'plane' combination and gave it the gun. In fifteen minutes they were over Monterey Bay. Diana continued past Point Pinos for a few miles, circled, changed to helico, and settled down in a little cove which faced southwest. The waves broke gently on a narrow ribbon of beach. On each side shoulders of granite jutted out onto the sea. They opened the door and stepped out. The air was almost still and the afternoon sun beat down on them. The sand was warm underfoot. The sea smell, ripe and tangy, stirred in their nostrils. They walked toward the water but soon the joy of being alive lifted them up and they felt compelled to run. They splashed into the water, yelling and laughing. Perry charged along and dived head first onto the face of a breaker. He came up and dog-paddled in the back wash. Diana's head broke beside him.
"This is swell ." He gasped.
"A little bit chilly. Look out! Duck!" He turned around just in time to catch a wall of green water in the face. He came up blowing, and swam over to where Diana stood laughing at him. His hand struck bottom, he dropped his feet and stood beside her.
"This is grand, Dian'. I wish we could have done this in my day."
"My goodness! Didn't you?"
"Swim raw I mean. We swam but we wore swimming suits."
She looked incredulous. "I've read about it, of course. But it seems so ridiculous—so unsanitary." She shivered a little. "I'm going to dry off, Perry. I'm cold."
"One more dive and I'm with you." She moved off up the beach. When Perry returned he found her by the door of the car, rubbing herself briskly with a big fluffy towel. He picked up a second towel which was lying in the door. "Turn around and I'll rub your back." She turned obediently. When he had finished, she scrubbed away at his back, then stepped away and snapped him with her towel. "Ouch!" He rubbed the spot ruefully. "Was that nice?"
She grinned impishly. "No, but it was fun."
"You ought to be paddled for that."
"You'll have to catch me first." She was off down the beach, hair flying, legs flashing. He took off after her and ran her down. He grabbed her from behind, she struggled, and they fell down together, a laughing disorderly heap. He tussled with her and tried to turn her over into a favorable position for a smacking, but she was lithe as an otter and nearly as slippery. Their contortions brought their faces close to each other. He bent his head down and kissed her on her lips. She became instantly quiet, not relaxed but tense. In sudden alarm he searched her face. Her expression was serious but she did not seem angry. Slowly he bent his head again. She made no move, but did not draw away. His mouth touched hers gently. Her body relaxed and melted into his and her lips parted slightly as her right arm went about his neck. They held still for a long time.