Avalon said, "Good! It helps, when one is going to talk about eclipses, if one knows something about them. Trying to write on a subject concerning which one is ignorant is a sure prescription for failure."

Gonzalo said, "Is the woman you're interested in an eclipse buff."

"No," said Peterborough. "I wish she were."

"You know," said Gonzalo, "if she doesn't share your interests, you might try finding someone who does."

Peterborough shook his head. "I don't think it works that way, Mr. Gonzalo."

"It sure doesn't," said Trumbull. "Shut up, Mario, and let him talk."

Peterborough said, "Murderer and Victim are both taking eclipse photographs; and, against all expectations, Victim, who is the underdog, the born loser, takes the better photograph; and Murderer, unable to endure this, decides to kill Victim. From there on, I have no trouble."

Rubin said, "Then you have your motive. What's your problem?''

"The trouble is-what kind of a better photograph? An eclipse photograph is an eclipse photograph. Some are better than others; but, assuming that both photographers are competent, not that much better. Not a murder's-worth better."

Rubin shrugged. "You can build the story in such a way as to make even a small difference murder-worthy-but I admit that would take an experienced hand. Drop the eclipse. Try something else."

"I can't. The whole business of the murder, the weapon and the detection depends on photography and eclipses. So it has to stay."

Drake said softly, "What makes it a science fiction story, young man?"

"I haven't explained that, have I?-I'm trying to tell as little as possible about the story. For what I'm doing, I need advanced computers and science fictional photographic gimmickry. One of the two characters-I'm not sure which- takes a photograph of the eclipse from a stratospheric jet."