He ground his teeth as--for
timing--he received the commercial inserted in the film. The U. S.
commercials served the purpose, of course. He could not watch the other
pictures shown to residents of other than North America in the
commercial portions of the show.
He was counting seconds to resume transmission when he felt the slight
but distant impact which meant that the ship had touched ground. A very
short time after, even the lessened, precautionary rocket-roar cut off.
Cochrane ground his teeth. The ship had landed on a planet he had not
seen and in whose choice he had had no hand. He was humiliated. The
other members of the ship's company looked out at scenes no other human
eyes had ever beheld.
He regarded the final commercial, inserted into the broadcast for its
American sponsor. It showed, purportedly, the true story of two girl
friends, one blonde and one brunette, who were wall-flowers at all
parties. They tried frantically to remedy the situation by the use of
this toothpaste and that, and this deodorant and the other. In vain! But
then they became the centers of all the festivities they attended, as
soon as they began to wash their hair with Rayglo Shampoo.
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