Rockets in Ursa Major by Fred Hoyle, Geoffrey Hoyle Page B

restaurant. Sir John really revels in a little bit of convention. This particular restaurant was owned by the founder's grandson who, under great difficulties, had decided to go on running the restaurant with waiters and bar men, like those of the 1970s. All other eating places were now completely automized, choice remaining only in the different ways of ordering one's food and I suppose the decor came into it. For instance, the inexpensive cafйs are very simple. You sit at a long table with a moving panel in the middle. Having chosen from the menu list, you punch your choice and the food comes up within seconds on the moving panel. In more expensive restaurants there are separate tables. A microphone is used to order food. According to the advertisements, this is the personalized way.
    `Good evening, Sir John,' said Pierre, the proprietor. `Your usual table?'
    `Yes, Pierre, that would be very pleasant.'
    We made our way through tightly packed tables, crowded with people.
    `It's incredible,' I said, sitting down.
    `What?'
    `How many people seem to like the old sort of restaurants.'
    `Yes, and the bulk of them are young people like yourself, Dick,' smiled Sir John.
    `Maybe, but I'm a young person who feeds himself anywhere.'
    Sir John looked exasperated at my statement and buried his head in the long menu.
    `Would you care for a drink?' Pierre asked.
    Yes, I'll have a whisky and water. Dick?' `A gin and tonic, please.'
    Pierre marched off, nodding and smiling as he went. We concentrated on the menu.
    Our drinks appeared. I took a good sip and then turned to the waiter who was ready to take our orders. `For you, sir?' he said.
    `I'll have the Cordon Bleu steak, with a few sautй potatoes and a green salad,' I said, all in one breath. `Steak, again!' Sir John murmured.
    `Would you like anything to begin with?' asked the waiter.
    `No thanks.'
    `I'll have the duck in orange sauce, and a mixed salad,' Sir John said.
    `Wine, sir?'
    `How about rosй? Pierre has got some of the best I've tasted in years.'
    `Fine by me.'
    `We'll have a carafe of the Californian rosй,' said Sir John.
    Once the waiter had gone, Sir John put the mini tape machine on the table and handed me an earphone.
    I put the ear plug in, and Sir John flicked the switch on the tape recorder. The strange weird electronical music came through. I listened for a few minutes and then took the earpiece out.
    `Has anyone deciphered what the Yela are trying to say?' I asked, pointing at the tape.
    Not really. The Jodrell Bank people say the sound seems to be coming from a fixed point, almost as if they were marshalling their forces.'
    Not a very good sign. Has anyone talked to Betelgeuse?' I asked.
    `Yes, and he's going mad because nobody's taking it seriously. According to him, they are working on hydrogen pushing.'
    `Well, what's going to happen?' I asked.
    Sir John shrugged his shoulders. 'How serious do you think things really are, Dick?'
    `Very serious -- but what infuriates me is that our visitors would rather we fled with them than stand and make a fight of it.'
    `Is that what the girl told you?'
    `Yes. She wanted me to go back to the ship and leave with them.'
    `Oh,' Sir John said, chuckling as the waiter put our food on the table. 'Why didn't you accept the offer?'
    `I don't really know. Perhaps the thought of giving up doesn't really appeal to me,' I said thoughtfully.
    `But think of all that new technology you would be able to learn,' Sir John went on.
    `I know, that had crossed my mind, but at the moment I feel there must be something we can do to stop the Yela, if we're really in earnest.'
    `You feel you can fight a people who can burn a planet up?' smiled Sir John.
    `Well, I know the Yela are further advanced in technology, but surely we can try to outwit them.'
    `True, but even if you stop them once, they might come back a second time. Can we be sure to stop them again?'
    `I don't know, but with a breathing space we might gain the confidence of Betelgeuse and