Crisis On Doona (35 page)

“What?” Landreau said, staring fiercely up at his subordinate.

“Really quite simple. Remove the Reeves from Doona. I think they are at the bottom of much unfavorable publicity about Doona. Surely they should report—in person—to their Codep superiors here on Earth.”

Landreau’s ruddy face slowly broke into a smile. “See to it,” he ordered. “Varnorian will oblige. Get them here and get them eliminated!”

* * *

Admiral Landreau was the epitome of regret and sorrow when he informed the Amalgamated Worlds Congress of the dreadful situation which existed on Doona when so much was at stake in the renewal of the Treaty. He stood in the beam of a pinpoint spotlight, addressing the half-seen figures illuminated by twelve identical cones of light in the vast chamber. In the blackness between was the faint peeping sound of the court reporter’s machine.

“The Reeves are threatening the very safety of your design to form a Federation of Sentient Planets. Their activities destroy the very integrity and credibility of the Amalgamated Worlds and our dream for a united galaxy! Once the models of probity and dedication, both father and son have conspired to seize Doona for their own, and, had it not been for the discovery of their heinous infractions of the most basic Treaty stipulations, they might have succeeded in their scheming.”

“Treaty Councillors are supposed to deal with such infractions, aren’t they?” one of the panel inquired.

“Not when the crimes have such far-reaching consequences. No, honored sirs, this matter goes far beyond the Doonan system. It has most certainly raised awkward questions in the Hrruban Speakers Council and the Treaty Council as well!” Landreau shook his head sadly to add that detail. “I am deeply concerned that the Hrrubans will feel obliged to alter their opinions of us all, if these deplorable men remain in so public a position on Doona. The least that will happen is for the Hrrubans to pull out of the Federation or, worse, decide that we Humans must be rigorously schooled in their ways. They will undoubtedly impede our reach for the stars, cut short our explorations, confine us to the few planets we already own. Since Todd Reeve has not, cannot be cleared of his alleged crimes, I call for the removal of the Reeves from Doona to Earth for being detrimental to the renewal of the Treaty of Doona. I am sure your counterpart on Hrruba will also withdraw their, er, embarrassment from the colony, for that young male causes his people great sorrow. You must surely understand why we cannot have people of questionable integrity involved in high-level positions in the colony at this critical time. Remove the Reeves from Doona and let that situation resolve itself without further detriment.”

There was a lot of muttering among the panel as Landreau’s suggestion was discussed. He waited patiently, knowing that he had presented a valid and timely argument. He was rather pleased by his eloquence and the way he had deftly emphasized the salient points.

Landreau was even more pleased when the prevailing sentiment favored his solution. He had also counted on the fact that trade agreements had been drawn up and were awaiting the renewal of the Treaty before Hrruban ratification. That factor had probably contributed to the necessity of removing such controversial persons.

“You have made a plain case of a disgraceful situation,” the chairman said. “At such a critical stage, nothing may be permitted to jeopardize the Treaty Renewal. Bailiff, give orders for Ken Reeve and his son Todd to be immediately brought to Earth to appear before this panel. Make the necessary representations to the Hrruban Center for the use of grid transportation of these two.” Then the chairman inclined his head toward Landreau. “You may, of course, be present at the hearing, Admiral.”

“Gladly,” Landreau said. “I wish to further the cause of justice in every way within my power.”

With some effort he restrained his elation. He must now make arrangements so that when that pair arrived, the Hrrubans on duty at that wretched grid would be those who would deliver the Reeves into his keeping. Soon, soon, he thought, rubbing his hands together in smug anticipation, he would be rid of Ken Reeve and that hyperactive son of his forever. Then his most ambitious plan could be initiated. Instead of the panel of inquiry meeting them, there would be an entirely different kind of reception committee awaiting the Reeves. Landreau smiled.

* * *

“My eyes will be ruined reading this small print,” Todd said, briefly knuckling his eye sockets as he wearily turned over another one of Dalkey’s printouts. “Some of these entries date back from when we were kids. Have you found anything relevant?” he asked Hrriss, who was as diligently examining his share of the packet. He paused, stretching his arms above his head to release the tension across his shoulders.

“They may be old but we have decided that the conspiracy against us was very carefully put into motion long before there was any reason to suspect one,” Hrriss replied, but he also took a moment to stretch cramped muscles. “These entries,” and he tapped a claw tip on the sheets, “are all from Darwin II-MF-4, a very remote colony world, not yet qualified for full status.”

“Could be a place to ship stolen livestock,” Todd said. He bent to his task again, stylus poised to cross off an entry, as he peered at the next line. “Whoa! Here’s an account number right here on Doona!”

“Whose?” Hrriss asked. Todd swung around to the computer and instituted a name search. Madam Dupuis had arranged for them to use Archival records to match numbers with names, providing they limited their inquiries to that.

“Dunno yet. The last payment in these records is two years old. The person it belongs to might have left Doona in the interim.” He drummed his nails irritably on the tabletop, waiting for the data to appear. When the screen scrolled up in answer to his query, Todd just stared at it, his face turning into a cold mask. Without a word, he rose, snatched up the printout, and started for the door.

“Whose number is it? Zodd? Where are you going?”

Todd kept walking. “To the Launch Center.”

“Why?” the Hrruban demanded.

“To skin a snake.”

Hrriss glanced at the name on the screen and hurried after his friend. “Lincoln Newry! How very convenient!”

* * *

“Todd!” Lincoln Newry said pleasantly as they marched into the circle of light cast by the single spot set into the ceiling. Martinson’s assistant had his feet up on a desk in the Launch Center office, watching the tape of an entertainment program on the comunit screen while keeping half an eye on his scopes. “Hrriss! Nice to see you both. We don’t get many visitors way out here. It’s lonely in the evenings. Can I offer you something to drink? Nice warm night for this time of year.”

“Your boss isn’t here?” Todd asked expressionlessly. “I’d like him to hear what I’ve got to say.”

“Nope,” said Newry gaily. “He’s gallivanting around the galaxy with old Kiachif. Some people have all the fun. I get to mind the store while he’s gone.”

Todd nodded. “How convenient, but that does fit another piece into the puzzle. We’d no reason to suspect either you or Martinson.”

“Suspect? Me or Martinson? Of what?”

“Of helping Doona’s enemies.”

“Ah, c’mon, now, Todd. You’re imagining weeds into snakes,” Newry said in a soothing tone, but Todd noticed a wariness in his eyes despite his rallying words.

“Someone knew when and where Hrriss and I went on the
Albatross,
knew our flight plans and where we’d warp-jump. Someone also had to be here, in this office,” and Todd had Newry’s complete attention now, “to let rustlers lift from the surface. Whaddya want to bet that we can prove that every time a heist was made, you, Linc Newry, just happened to be on duty?”

With an incredulous laugh, Newry shook his head. “No way, son ...”

“I’m not your son,” Todd said, his face hard and implacable with suppressed anger. Hrriss had never seen him so furious. He moved to the balls of his feet in readiness. “And you know a ship launched the other night and somehow you can turn the security satellites off so they don’t record either launches or landings of rustler shuttles.”

“Hold on, hold on, there!” Newry said, raising his hands to pacify Todd and shooting Hrriss an indignant look that suggested Hrriss should calm his friend down. “You can’t run around accusing people of doing this or that just to clear yourselves.”

“I think I can,” Todd said in an icy certain voice. “I figured it out. If Martinson’s not here, you’re the one who creates legitimate documentation for export shipments from Doona. You mind the shop, as you said yourself. And no one could have missed that atmospheric insertion the other night. You were probably looking at its trail as you assured me that no one had blasted off-planet with a load of horses rustled from Dad’s ranch.”

Newry was still waving his hands and shaking his head incredulously at Todd’s accusations.

“You can look at my records. You’ll find there was no insertion that night, Todd!” Newry turned to Hrriss, hands open to emphasize his innocence and disbelief.

“Oh, I believe we’ll find no blips on the security satellites. That I do believe, Newry,” Todd said, and then smiled. “Ever heard of a man named Askell Klonski?”

Newry shook his head, his reaction genuine.

“Or maybe you knew him better as Lesder Boronov?”

The change in Linc Newry was dramatic despite the man’s attempt to cover that momentary lapse.

Seeing that Newry was rattled, Todd sat on the edge of the desk, folding his arms on his chest, his gaze never leaving Newry’s face.

“Boronov is a genius with security systems. How’d he fix Doona’s? D’you use a code so the satellite recorders blank? Or maybe just a convenient function key that isn’t supposed to be programmed at all? Ah, yes, so it is a function key!” He twisted so he could reach the console that Newry had pushed to one side of the desk, making circles with his index finger over the ranks of spare keys. “Now ... eeny meeny tipsy teeny ...” he said in a singsong voice.

“Enough!” Newry cried, sinking dispiritedly back into his chair and burying his anguished face in his hands. “How’d you know about Boronov?”

“Amazing the things you can learn when you’ve been falsely accused, Newry. So what’s your story? Martinson in on this with you?”

Newry shook his head from side to side. “No, he never knew a thing about it. He’s too damned honest. And he gets paid what he’s worth.”

“Spacedep pays well,” Todd said, his voice now a soothing, coaxing one.

Newry looked up at him, his expression sour. “Not at my level. And nothing to make up for hours of sitting here night after night, day after day, doing double shifts when Martinson’s away. I’d only two more years to go. What I got for pressing a key now and then would be far more than that ridiculous pension Spacedep pays you. I wanted enough to buy into Doona. I saw my chance and I took it. And I was nearly there. So nearly there!” He buried his face in his hands again and his shoulders began to shake.

Todd looked away from the broken man, moved by contempt as well as pity.

“Who is the rustler, Newry?” Hrriss asked.

“You haven’t figured it all out, then, have you?” Newry’s muffled voice was bitter.

“Cooperation could mitigate your guilt,” Hrriss added gently. “You can repair some of the damage you have caused.”

Newry kept shaking his head in the cradle of his hands. “You’re so smart, Reeve, you should know who it is.”

Todd racked his brain. Who “it” is? Newry couldn’t mean Landreau. He meant someone much nearer, someone who knew enough about the management of their ranch and ... “Mark Aden?” He could scarcely believe that the young assistant manager whom he had so admired as a youngster could have turned against the people who had trusted him and encouraged him to learn as much as he could so he’d be able to start up his own spread on Doona. “Why would Mark turn on us? Dad paid him well. He gave him excellent references when he said he wanted to leave us. No one really wanted him to leave.”

“That’s not the way he told it,” Newry said, his voice blurred by his hands. “That sister of yours thought herself too good for a ranch manager.”

“Inessa?” Todd remembered that his sister had been infatuated with Mark Aden at one point, although she hadn’t been unduly upset when Mark had suddenly decided to leave. But Todd did remember that Mark had a vindictive streak in him: he never forgot a grudge and he’d wait months to pay back an imagined slight that anyone else would have forgotten. Only Mark Aden would have been vindictive enough to sow ssersa in pastures used by horses. “He manages the rustling operation by himself? He didn’t have the kind of money that would buy him any kind of a space vehicle. Certainly not one large enough to make rustling pay.”

“Did he not perhaps have assistance from those who have been adding to your pension fund?” Hrriss asked Newry, pulling on his shoulders to make him look up.

Slowly Newry raised his head, and then his eyes began to widen, his whole face brightened, and a smile of unexpected salvation parted his lips.

“Todd Reeve?” a stern voice said.

In
a swift move, Todd was off the desk and looking into the shadows beyond the console, trying to locate the newcomer.

Rogitel emerged from the darkness, Todd’s father behind him, Spacedep marines flanking him.

“You are always found in the most incriminating situations. Harassing a Spacedep employee, were you?” Rogitel let out a patient sigh. “You will come with me. Now.”

“With you, Commander? Dad?”

Todd stared at the lack of expression on his father’s face. “But Dad ...” Todd began before taking his cue. “Linc was explaining to us how the security satellites record incoming and outgoing traffic.” It might sound lame but it covered the surreptitious sign he made to Hrriss. Just let Hrriss get free. “Weren’t you, Linc?” And let Linc prefer to keep silent about the last few moments in front of one of his Spacedep superiors. Commander Rogitel dealt harshly with failures ... and probably drastically with informers.

“That’s right, Commander,” Newry said in a drawl that almost disguised the tremors in his voice.

“Let’s go, Reeve,” Rogitel said, motioning to one of the marines. “You have to report in an hour to the transport station.” He caught sight of Hrriss, edging farther into the shadows. “You! You’ve no business in a Spacedep installation. Out of here!”