Holden said moodily: 

“I’m convinced that the thing works.  But Jed!  You talk as if you hadn’t any more worries!  Yet even if you and Jones do have a way to make a ship travel faster than light, you haven’t got a ship or the capital you need—.”

“I’ve got scenery that looks like a ship,” said Cochrane mildly.  “Consider that part settled.”

“But there are supplies.  Air—­water—­food—­a crew—.  We can’t pay for such things!  Here on the moon the cost of everything is preposterous!  How can you try out this idea without more capital than you can possibly raise?”

“I’m going to imitate my old friend Christopher Columbus,” said Cochrane.  “I’m going to give the customers what they want.  Columbus didn’t try to sell anybody shares in new continents.  Who wanted new continents?  Who wanted to move to a new world?  Who wants new planets now?  Everybody would like to see their neighbors move away and leave more room, but nobody wants to move himself.  Columbus sold a promise of something that had an already-established value, that could be sold in every town and village—­that had a merchandising system already set up!  I’m going to offer just such a marketable commodity.  I’ll have freight-rockets on the way up here within twenty-four hours, and the freight and their contents will all be paid for!”

He turned to Babs.  He looked more sardonic and cynical than ever before.

“Babs, you’ve just witnessed one of the moments that ought to be illustrated in all the grammar-school history-books along with Ben Franklin flying a kite.  What’s topmost in your mind?”

She hesitated and then flushed.  The moon-jeep crunched and clanked loudly over the trail that led downhill.  There was no sound outside, of course.  There was no air.  But the noise inside the moon-vehicle was notable.  The steam-motor, in particular, made a highly individual racket.

“I’d—­rather not say,” said Babs awkwardly.  “What’s your own main feeling, Mr. Cochrane?”

“Mine?” Cochrane grinned.  “I’m thinking what a hell of a funny world this is, when people like Dabney and Bill and Jones and I are the ones who have to begin operation outer space!”

CHAPTER FOUR

Cochrane said kindly into the vision-beam microphone to Earth, “Cancel section C, paragraph nine.  Then section b(1) from paragraph eleven.  Then after you’ve canceled the entire last section—­fourteen—­we can sign up the deal.”

There was a four-second pause.  About two seconds for his voice to reach Earth.  About two seconds for the beginning of the reply to reach him.  The man at the other end protested wildly.

“We’re a long way apart,” said Cochrane blandly, “and our talk only travels at the speed of light.  You’re not talking from one continent to another.  Save tolls.  Yes or no?”

Another four-second pause.  The man on Earth profanely agreed.  Cochrane signed the contract before him.  The other man signed.  Not only the documents but all conversation was recorded.  There were plugged-in witnesses.  The contract was binding.