Children of Tomorrow (21 page)

The smaller boy nodded. Whereupon Johnny’s deep brown eyes surveyed the other jabbers in the room. ‘We’ve just had a confession here which, in my judgement, should require the other members of the Red Cat outfit to examine their consciences, and push what they find on this matter of Dolores and Lee. Mike, what about you?’

The lean boy came forward. His eyes were narrowed. He shook his head. ‘You’re asking too much too quick, Johnny. Let each Red Catter examine his conscience for a day, and then confess.’- He broke off. ‘Everybody knows I tolerate no deviations from the rules - from Susan, or Lee, or anyone else. But right now, I realise that I was surprised when the outfit backed my judgement on Susan’s first offense. My guess now is that they had some secret reason for their decision, and that it could be they held the Dolores thing against her. So there’s been a confusion, and we need time to straighten it out.’

The blond boy had brightened considerably as these words were spoken. ‘Doesn’t that seem to indicate a postponement of judgement on Susan?’

Johnny Sammo made a gesture of frustration. ‘Lee,” he said patiently, ‘Susan’s second offense is serious all by itself. It won’t hurt her to think about it for a week.’

‘It’s wrong to punish the innocent,’ said Lee stubbornly.

The red-headed Tom Clanton spoke up in a somewhat wry voice, ‘Lee, it looks like it’s just as wrong to punish the guilty. Dolores has been acting for six months like you did her wrong. Yet I believe she was guilty exactly as you confessed.’

There must have been an expectation that Dolores would react to these words, for everybody half turned toward her. But she apparently hadn’t heard. She was having a low-voiced conversation with Bud Jaeger, in which she seemed totally absorbed. She had good reason to be. For Bud had started the conversation by saying to her
sotto voce:
‘I know you went with Captain Seimes to his apartment - and it’s all right if you’ll give me his address/ The girl was thunderstruck. For many seconds her body trembled with the fear of exposure. And then the meaning of his filial words penetrated, and she was able to recover, and to feel surprise. ‘What do you want his address for?’ she asked.

‘I want to ask him to take me on a flight like he took Susan. And I want to go over to see him tomorrow, and talk to him about it.’

The purpose was even more encouraging. So much so that Dolores was even able to be defensive on
Captain
Sennes’s behalf. ‘Why don’t I give you his phone number?’ she began breathlessly.

Bud rejected that. ‘No, no. On the phone he’ll scrape me. I want to ask him, facing him. So I’ve got to be there tomorrow, personally.’

The shock of his revelation had been too much for the dark- haired girl. The fear that disturbed her, with so many jabbers in the room ... so close ... robbed her now of her normal additional ability to recover. Yet she, also, could realise that Bud’s goal was not going to be achieved. And so her entire intent narrowed down to the need to prevent his saying anything to the others

now!
‘Just a minute,’ she said, and her breathing was still not normal. She took pen and paper from her purse, wrote the address, handed it to him, and said, ‘It won’t work, Bud. You’re not a pretty enough girl.’

‘That’s what Susan said.’ Bud replied, as he slipped the precious little paper into his pocket.

‘Oh!’ It was a new thought, totally fascinating. “You asked
her
for Pe - uh, Captain Sennes’s address?’

‘She doesn’t have his address,’ said Bud. ‘Only his phone number.’

It was welcome information. Dolores stood with a faint, triumphant, sarcastic smile on her face. Then she remembered her own situation. Her eyes flicked upwards, and stared truculently at Bud. ‘If you confess on me,’ she threatened, ‘I’ll confess you blackmailed this address. We’re even. Sack?’

Bud said, ‘Don’t worry about me.’ He was glad to have the chance of getting the information over to someone else, even to Dolores. ‘My mom says she talked to dad at the hospital, and we’ll be leaving Spaceport soon. That’s why I’ve got to get this ride in now - or never. Sack?’

‘Sack,’ said Dolores, greatly relieved.

While Dolores and Bud had their deadly little conversations
an equally interesting though more enlightening discussion was going on between Lee and the other outfit leaders. The Negro jabber - Ben Kismo - who had been standing silently watching with eyes that seemed to be as white and keen as he was black, said suddenly, ‘I’ve been scanning all this chatter and my judgement is, if Lee had confessed or asked advice on Dolores six months ago, she wouldn’t have scraped her outfit and bulged adult.’

There was a momentary pause, while the argument was considered. Then, ‘That’s sack,’ said Martin Tate. Tom Clanton was nodding agreement, as Johnny Sammo walked over to Mike and said, ‘What’s your judgement?’

Mike fumbled his way to a chair, and sank into it. He seemed dazed. ‘This has got to be my confession,’ he muttered finally, ‘Though I didn’t have all the facts that Lee has now confessed, I did jack out of him that I judged that Dolores should have a week’s warning, and if she didn’t become a good little jabber again, that she should be reported for camp. But he was against it; and so I let it ride. I confess now that I judged Susan for her first offense - judged her harder than the rules require because Dolores was on my conscience. That tells me we’ve had a confusion building up for six months, and we need advice to save the Red Cats.’

Pause, silence, and everybody turned toward Lee. Martin Tate spoke the words, softly: ‘Well, Lee, what’s your judgement on yourself?’

The blond boy did not look at anybody. Like Mike, he seemed dazed. The abrupt turn the conversation had taken, had caught him by surprise. Now, he cringed a little — it was not a pleasant thing to see. ‘I confess,’ he mumbled, ‘that for different reasons than I stated before, I am not the proper leader of the Red Cats. I was wrong in the way I handled Dolores.
’

‘And Susan?’ urged Martin.

Again a pause, and dead silence. Finally, Lee shook his head.
‘
No. It’s a different situation. Dolores was wrong to begin with. Susan was not.’

The sandy-haired boy with his thick-built body and unusual husky voice, turned to face the others. ''Well, jabbers,’ he said, ‘my judgement is that Lee has confessed like a true jabber, and since it’s a first offense, I offer the rule that he should be warned but retained as leader of the Red Cats. Any no-sack?’

By this time Dolores had become aware again of what was happening, and it was her voice, strident and hostile, that now sounded from the back of the group. ‘What about Susan?’ Martin Tate glanced questioningly at Lee, ‘Can this Red Cat
scab be allowed to ask a question?’

Lee stood up. As leader again, he braced himself, stood for a moment evidently scanning the rules mentally, and then said simply, ‘Mike brought her here as a witness. I pass the problem to him.’

Mike said, ‘Since Dolores was brought here on outfit business, she is in this meeting, only, entitled to ask questions as if she were still a jabber. I wish to point out that Dolores was given a warning several days ago, and has three days left of her week before judgement. So what about Susan?’

Martin Tate said, ‘The judgement remains. Suspension for one week counting today.’ He looked around. ‘Any no-sacks?’ ‘No-sack,’ said Lee firmly.

But no one else said anything. Also, no one moved. Everybody stared at him.

Slowly, Lee nodded. It was a movement that included his shoulders to a degree, and it was actually a gentle waving of the upper part of his body. As if the thought itself was completely involved with the body. ‘All right,’ he said finally, ‘I accept the judgement against Susan, but I intend to tell her that I don’t agree with it, though in my judgement her second offense needs to be confessed by her in greater detail than she told it to Mike.’ ‘Anybody no-sack?’ asked Martin Tate.

For a few moments there was not a sound. The smaller boy was about to turn away when Bud suddenly became aware (his expression said) of what was going on. His strange plaintive voice projected into the silence. ‘I don’t know why we’re going through all this. Susan told me on the phone that her father intended to send her to a private school outside of Spaceport, and that she wasn’t coming back to school here.’

The pause this time was longer. It was broken by Martin Tate. He turned to the blond boy, and said softly, ‘Well, Lee?’

Lee David stood very still. He was pale, but his expression presently showed that he knew his outfit duty, and intended to do it. But he nevertheless visibly braced himself, and then said, ‘It’s quite evident that Mr Lane will have to be faced, and asked some questions. What happens after that depends on his answers and his attitude. As for right now’ - the words came out explosively — ‘outfit meeting is concluded.’ He glanced at the other outfit leaders. ‘The Red Cats may ask advice on Mr Lane, but there is no further outfit business this evening. I urge you all to get home to your studying. Mike,’ he hesitated for just an instant over the name, then continued, ‘thank your mother for the use of this house.’

Mike said in a somewhat subdued voice that he would do so.

And then he accompanied them all to the door. Shortly after he had closed the door on the last to leave, a pretty brunette woman came down the broad staircase in the outer hall. There was a faint satiric smile in her face, ‘Well/ she said, ‘did you win or lose?’

Mike said politely, ‘Now, mother, nobody loses in an outfit.
’
He surveyed her critically. ‘You expecting somebody?’

She shrugged, ‘Oh, one of my boy friends. You know I don’t sit around when you’re father is hiking,
’

‘Yep, I’ve sacked it,’ he said.

His mother shuddered. ‘Mike, dear don’t use that horrible outfit language to me. As you know, I surrendered my parental rights to the outfits with many misgivings as to what they might do to you. But I must admit it seems to be working out all right, I don’t think I could have done any better.’

‘Thanks, mother,’ said Mike, in an even voice.

A faint frown creased the pretty face. ‘You do seem to be a little colder,’ she said finally, ‘but at least
-
‘At least I’m out of your way.’

The woman seemed totally unaware of the possibility that his words might be
slightly
satiric. ‘That’s absolutely true. I must say that is one good thing about the outfits. I used that very argument with your father. I told him that it’s like having a permanent baby-sitter. Really,’ she finished, ‘the advantages of the outfits outweigh the disadvantages by a great deal.
⁴
‘Thanks, mother,’ said Mike in that same even tone.

At this point the woman’s face showed that for her the conversation was concluded. She waved at him by wagging the back of her right hand with a mild impatience. ‘All right, off with you to wherever you’re going. It’s Henry that’s coming tonight, and it bothers him to see you around. He has a feeling you might not approve of his being here. I’ve told him that’s absolutely ridiculous, that you and I live our own lives.’

Another pau
s
e. The lean boy’s face was briefly tense. Then, abruptly, he relaxed. ‘Good night mother,’ he said, ‘I’ll be in my room, studying.’

‘Good night, dear.’

She was speaking to his back. For he had turned, and was scooting up the staircase. Wi
thin
seconds he was out of sight, A distant door slammed.

Soon after the meeting at the Sutter home, Dolores Muriroe phoned Captain Sennes. Although she did not know it, the young officer was in his apartment courting the good-looking brunette wife of a man on a long hike. And so at first he was half-minded not to answer the ring. But a thought evidently
struck him. ‘May be a message for my roommate,’ he said. With that thought, he lifted the receiver. Instantly, after Dolores introduced herself, Sennes anticipated an unpleasant dialogue.

However, the girl merely reported her conversation with Bud Jaeger. Concluded, ‘I don’t remember seeing him, but obviously he saw us.’

‘And what did you say he wanted from me?’ Sennes asked in his even, unhurried, unalarmed voice. ‘Repeat, please.’

‘A space ride - like Susan got.’ She laughed in a brittle, nervous fashion. ‘I told him you only took pretty girls. But he’s going to come to see you in the morning - probably before school. I thought you’d better know that he’s got something on us - which would be dangerous for both of us if the outfits ever found out about it.’

'Wel-l-
ll
’ - at his end, the officer shrugged - ‘I have a permanent requisition, permitting me to take up to two persons from Spaceport as .riders. Beyond that, I have to check in. So, under all the circumstances — including the fact that this family is leaving town shortly - why don’t I just act friendly, and give him a ride on Wednesday? And I’ll do the same for you next Sunday, as we agreed. Sack?’

‘Sack.’ The girl was relieved. 'But now, I’d better sign o
ff
. I’ve got homework to do for tomorrow’s computer test. Good night.’

As he replaced the receiver, Sennes sat still for a bit. He was realising with relief of his own that the conversation had not been unpleasant at all. He walked back to the woman, stooped over, and kissed her on the arm - and then he picked up his drink, and sank down on the bed close beside his love for the night.