Chapter 21 Project Benvo

Professor John Gottlieb sat in his chair looking very steadfastly¹ at thehandsome young woman sitting opposite him. He scratched his ear with arather monkey-like gesture which was characteristic of him. He lookedrather like a monkey anyway. A prognathous jaw², a high mathematicalhead which make a slight contrast in terms, and a small wizened³ frame.
‘It’s not every day,’ said Professor Gottlieb, ‘that a young lady brings mea letter from the President of the United States. However,’ he said cheer-fully, ‘Presidents don’t always know exactly what they’re doing. What’sthis all about? I gather you’re vouched⁴ for on the highest authority.’
‘I’ve come to ask you what you know or what you can tell me aboutsomething called Project Benvo.’
‘Are you really Countess Renata Zerkowski?’
‘Technically, possibly, I am. I’m more often known as Mary Ann.’
‘Yes, that’s what they wrote me under separate cover. And you want toknow about Project Benvo. Well, there was such a thing. Now it’s dead andburied and the man who thought of it also, I expect.’
‘You mean Professor Shoreham.’
‘That’s right. Robert Shoreham. One of the greatest geniuses of our age.
Einstein, Niels Bohr and some others. But Robert Shoreham didn’t last aslong as he should. A great loss to science–what is it Shakespeare says ofLady Macbeth: “She should have died hereafter.”’
‘He’s not dead,’ said Mary Ann.
‘Oh. Sure of that? Nothing’s been heard of him for a long time.’
‘He’s an invalid⁵. He lives in the north of Scotland. He is paralysed, can’tspeak very well, can’t walk very well. He sits most of the time listening tomusic.’
‘Yes, I can imagine that. Well, I’m glad about that. If he can do that hewon’t be too unhappy. Otherwise it’s a pretty fair hell for a brilliant manwho isn’t brilliant any more. Who’s, as it were, dead in an invalid chair.’
‘There was such a thing as Project Benvo?’

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