ing in load. The resistors began heating up swiftly as
more and more current flowed through them. By not so much as by a
vibration of the voltmeter needle, did the apparatus betray any strain
as the load mounted swiftly. 100--200--500--1000 amperes. Still, that
needle held steady. Finally, with a drain of ten thousand amperes, all
the equipment available could handle, the needle was steady as a rock,
though the tremendous load of 800,000,000 watts was cut in and out.
That, to atoms, atoms by the nonillions, was no appreciable load at all.
There was _no_ internal resistance whatever. The perfect accumulator
had certainly been discovered.

"I'll have to call McLaurin--" Kendall hurried away with a broad, broad
smile.

VI

"Hello, Tom?"

The telephone rattled in a peeved sort of way. "Yes, it is. What now?
And when am I going to see you in a social sort of way again?"

"Not for a long, long time; I'm busy. I'm busy right now as a matter of
fact. I'm calling up the vice-president of Faragaut Interplanetary
Lines, and I want to place an order."

"Why bother me? We have clerks, you know, for that sort of thing,"
suggested Faragaut in a pained voice.

"Tom, do you know how much I'm worth now?"

"Not much," replied Faragaut promptly. "What of it? I hear, as a matter
of fact that you're worth even less in a business way. They're talking
quite a lot down this way about an alleged bank you're setting up on
Luna. I hear it's got more protective devices, and armor than any IP
station in the System, that you even had it designed by an IP designer,
and have a gang of Colonels and Generals in charge. I also hear that
you've succeeded in getting rid of money at about one million dollars a
day--just slightly shy of that."

"You overestimate me, my friend. Much of that is merely contracted for.
Actually it'll take me nearly nine months to get rid of it. And by that
time I'll have more. Anyway, I think I have something like ten million
left. And remember that way back in the twentieth century some old
fellow beat my record. Armour, I think it was, lost a million dollars a
day for a couple of months running.

"Anyway, what I called you up for was to say I'd like to order five
hundred thousand tons of mercury, for delivery as soon as possible."

"What! Oh, say, I thought you were going in for business." Faragaut gave
a slight laugh of relief.

"Tom, I am. I mean exactly what I say. I want
five--hundred--thousand--_ton