In Mart's vision, the equations on the board became surrounded by fuzzy signs of the Zodiac. Dykstra had completed his argument and Mart stood up.
'Since you have presented us with such elegant proof of your thesis, doctor,' he said, 'and since we have all become aware of the reality of Dunning's accomplishment, the only conclusion we can make is that the basic premise is at fault. I would say you have submitted very excellent reasons for doubting the validity of the postulate of equivalence!'
Dykstra stood a moment as if he could not believe his ears. He turned to his seat indecisively as if trying to make up his mind to ignore or answer the statement. Finally, he grew red and his body seemed to swell as he faced Mart.
'My dear Dr Nagle, if there is anyone in this room who does not understand that the postulate of equivalence has been established beyond any possibility of refutation I would suggest that he resign from this project immediately!'
Mart restrained a grin, but warmed to his subject. He had no purpose but to needle Dykstra, and yet-
'Seriously, doctor — and I throw this out to all of you: what would happen if the postulate of equivalence were not true?
'You've been as shocked as I by the items from Dunning's library, but I would like to ask: what is the significance of the postulate of equivalence in the accomplishment of the medium who is able to rise unsupported from a couch, in what is certainly a well authenticated instance of levitation?
'Why is the literature of the East so full of material on levitation? I think Dunning asked that question and got some sensible answers. If the postulate of equivalence doesn't fit those answers, perhaps we had better re-examine the postulate. As a matter of fact, if we ever expect to duplicate Dunning's work, we will have to examine every postulate we've got that pertains in any way to gravity.'
Professor Dykstra abandoned what he considered had become a disorderly argument. He resumed his seat with a grandiose appeal to the equations on the board.
Unexpectedly, Jennings, a thin dry man from Cal Tech, took the floor.
'I agree wholeheartedly with Dr Nagle,' he said. 'Something has been happening to me this past week. I see it in most of you, also, whether you are aware of it or not.
'By the age of forty the average research physicist seems to acquire an intuitive ability to fend off anything that doesn't jibe with the laws as he knows them.
'Then we become heads of departments while the younger fellows come along and assimilate the data that didn't fit in our generation, and get credited with the discoveries we have passed over.
'We seem to establish a sort of gateway in our minds, floodgates if you will, through which the mass of physical universe data flows. As we become older and more learned we adjust the setting of this gate to the point where nothing new can be trapped behind it. We cling to that which we had in our youth and abruptly we are creatures of history.
'I feel the experiences of the past week have jarred my mental floodgates on their very hinges. Once more, I feel able to accept and retain data which I have not encountered before. I think Dr Nagle is right. We have to re-examine all we have learned to this point concerning gravity. If any factors of East Indian lore or spiritualism prove relevant, I do not think physics will be shattered to its foundations if we assimilate such data.
'We cannot escape the fact that one man solved anti-gravity. Eight days ago not one of us would have admitted the possibility. Today we are charged with the responsibility of moving forward in time and catching up with it.'
Mart was tired after that seminar. It became a stormy affair. There seemed a kind of anger submerged not far below the surface of each of them. An anger at themselves for having been on the wrong track for so long, a kind of diffused rage at the whole physical universe for playing such tricks when asked a straightforward question.
More than one had balked at Mart's drastic suggestion. Sanders had said,'… and there can be no revision of the postulate of equivalence. Any data which indicates it automatically leaves the observer of that data suspect.'
Mart called Kenneth Berkeley's office as soon as the seminar was ended.
'Hi, Berk,' he said.
'Yeah — how's it coming? I've been wanting to get over your way the last couple of days. I haven't noticed any of you boys moving out into the machine shops yet. I suppose you are still in the paper-work stage.'
'We haven't got
'Fishing? I could probably make it. All work and no play and that sort of thing — I don't need to remind you, of course, of the need for top speed on this Project Levitation-'
'I'm going fishing,' said Mart. 'You coming along or not?'
