Blade hesitated, then fired the decisive question. «How much will it all cost?»
«Four million.»
Blade grimaced. «I don't imagine we have much chance of getting that.»
«None whatever. It can't possibly come out of the Special Fund, and as for getting a regular appropriation-well, you know as well as I do what the chances are of that, even if it were safe.»
Blade nodded silently. The Prime Minister's Special Fund was the only source of money for the Project where no questions would be asked. In Parliament there always had been and always would be those who would question an unidentified expense of five pounds if they thought it would score them political points. With four million pounds they would have a field day, and the security of Project Dimension X would never survive.
It had to survive, though. No other nation knew the secret of inter-Dimensional travel. No other nation appeared to even know that the British had discovered it. Things had to stay this way as long as possible. What the Russians might do if they could tap the secrets of Dimension X was something to give the calmest of men nightmares.
«Besides,» J went on, «Parliament wouldn't be inclined to come up with four million pounds for any scientific project these days, unless it's got some obvious value.» Frustration and a strained temper sounded in J's voice as he continued. «Meanwhile, everybody's moving on ahead of us in a dozen fields. Atomic power-the French are putting breeder reactors into service. Electronics-the Japanese have made half a dozen breakthroughs in superconductors. Genetics-in genetics, we've had reports that the Russians are on the point of cracking the codes for direct genetic manipulation.»
«I thought that had already been done,» said Blade.
«With bacteria, yes. But this report mentioned work with higher animals, at least up to the level of fish. Of course the- results will come more slowly with larger, slower-breeding animals-until they get cloning perfected. So we may not have to worry for a few years. But-imagine a swarm of mutated and cloned sharks let loose as a terror weapon, or to form a submarine detection network?»