Eternity's End (86 page)

Maris glanced at Morgan and shrugged. "I never heard that name. They kept talking about Ivan—Yankee, someone?"

"Yankee Zulu Ivan is what you said before," said Morgan. "Have you heard of them, Legroeder?"

He felt a sudden rushing in his ears. He closed his eyes.
Yankee-Zulu/Ivan?
For a moment he stood there, trying to will the thought away.
Not Ivan. Please
. He tried to answer, but couldn't find his voice.

Morgan's words finally cut through the fog in his head. "Does that mean yes or no? Hey, who's your friend here?"

Legroeder grunted and blinked his eyes open. Deutsch was floating beside him, augments flickering. Before Legroeder could answer, Deutsch said, "Legroeder, you seem to gather women around you everywhere you go, don't you?"

Legroeder winced. "Maris and Morgan, my friend Freem'n Deutsch."
Break this to them slowly
... "I think maybe I'd better tell you from the beginning what's happened since I left El'ken's asteroid..."

"Wait a minute—
wait a minute!
" Morgan was waving a hand in the air. He'd just gotten to the part about YZ/I's sending him to search for
Impris
—leaving out a few details, such as his relationship with Tracy-Ace/Alfa. "These people who helped you find
Impris
—what did you say they were called—
YZ/I?
You don't mean—" the color drained from her face "—you don't mean Yankee... Zulu..."

Legroeder nodded, feeling his own face flush.

"What?"
Maris whispered.

"Wait—let me explain—"

"Explain
what?
" snapped Morgan. "Why they kidnapped Maris? Do I have that right? Yankee Zulu Ivan are the creeps who kidnapped you, right, Maris?"

Maris's mouth was open in hurt bewilderment. "Yes," she said, without looking back at Morgan. "That's what they said. Yankee Zulu—Ivan, right. What's this all about, Legroeder? Are
these
the people you've been making friends with?" She turned and stared penetratingly at Deutsch.

Legroeder face was afire. "YZ/I is Yankee-Zulu/Ivan, yeah. And I don't
know
what they were doing with you, Maris. But I intend to find out. Very soon."

"Legroeder," Morgan said. "We're talking kidnappers, here.
Pirates
."

He swallowed, his blood turning to ice. Fire and ice. "Yes. Apparently so," he whispered. He cleared his throat with difficulty. "And... they're the ones I'm going to be asking you—and Faber Eridani—to work with."
Tracy-Ace, what have you people done? Why?
He felt a drum thumping in the center of his forehead.

"Murdering thugs," Morgan said.

Legroeder struggled. "Some of them—yes, they are. But not all. There's a confederation of Kyber outposts out there—and—" He cut off his own words.
Dear God, better not mention just yet that they're getting ready to expand into the galaxy
...

"And what?"

"And—" his eye caught Harriet's incredulous look, and that made it even harder "—and we've got a boss who wants to
talk
to us, wants to stop the hostilities."

"And we're supposed to believe them?" Morgan asked disdainfully.

He drew a breath. "We have to at least listen to them. I can't vouch for the other outposts. But these people from Ivan... they helped us find
Impris
, and got us back safely to Faber Eri. They
escorted
us. As a gesture of good faith."

Deutsch, beside him, murmured a metallic affirmation.

"They sent Freem'n here as an envoy to share information.
And
—" Legroeder gasped dizzily, hoping all these promises would be kept "—there's a shipload of repatriated prisoners on their way back here right now. Right behind us."

"What are you talking about, Legroeder?" Maris said, holding her head as if it hurt just trying to take in his words. "Repatriated prisoners? Are you serious?"

"I am. Look, I know this is all very confusing. Maris, I don't know the explanation for what happened to you. But I know someone who does, or can find out. I'm just asking you right now to keep an open mind. When you hear the rest of the story... Do we have time, Harriet?"

"We'll make time. I'll have them send in some coffee."

"Good. Then let me finish telling you what happened..."

Even recounting the events of the
Impris
rescue in brief, he found his emotions stirring at the memories. "The passage through the flaw was the most astounding experience of my life," he said in a near whisper, as the rush of dizziness that he'd felt in the retelling slowly subsided. He'd allowed himself to relive the feelings far more intensely in the presence of his friends than he had before. At least for those few minutes, he'd forgotten his other problems.

Morgan and Maris were dumbstruck. Harriet, who had heard the gist of the story before, was the first to stir. "It's an amazing story. Simply amazing. And I think now you need to tell it again—this time to the ladies and gentlemen of the press."

Legroeder groaned.

Harriet was not to be put off, however. As she took his arm and propelled him toward a conference room where he could hear the sounds of a crowd, she said, "You might hate this, but if you want to clear the air about everything that's happened, and you want the Spacing Authority and RiggerGuild off your back, you've got to get it all out in public."

"What do you want me to do?" he mumbled.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "Just tell it the way you did to us. You'll knock 'em dead."

The press conference was every bit as chaotic as he'd expected; but through the chaos, he managed somehow to give a coherent summary of his adventure, and convey it as a triumph not only for himself, but for
Impris
and Faber Eridani as well. His lawyer deftly deflected all but a very few questions, and got him out of the room as quickly as she'd gotten him in. They left the reporters with ample fodder for many days of sensational stories, and the promise of more details to come.

"Superbly done," Harriet said, as they rejoined his friends in the guest suite he'd been assigned on the station. "You've got a big day tomorrow. So I think we'd better all clear out of here and let you get some sleep."

Legroeder didn't argue. After everyone left, he threw himself down onto the bed. For a time he felt as if he wouldn't sleep a wink, but instead would spend the entire night with one thought racing against the next, and most of all remembering the shock in the eyes of his friends as he'd revealed the name of YZ/I.

When he rolled out of bed in the morning, he realized he had, in fact, slept like the dead. Even after rejoining his friends for breakfast, he was still groggy. He drank his coffee in near-silence, trying to reconstitute himself before the start of the formal hearings.

The Special Envoy to the Secretary General, one Martha Clark, had arrived during the night, as had a number of Narseil diplomats. They were all eager not just to hear the details of the mission but to put a shape on it in anticipation of drawing conclusions. The arrival of
Impris
was not a problem for them; the arrival of the Kyber was another matter. Legroeder was joined by Captain Friedman and by his Narseil shipmates, and he was grateful for the company and the support.

It was astounding how long it could take to tell even the most basic points of a story when one was interrupted and questioned at every turn, and when there were no fewer than three human and four Narseil viewpoints to be told.

The first day of hearings stretched into three, and by then Legroeder was ready for just about anything except another day of questions. Every time he spoke with Harriet, Morgan, or Maris, he imagined the suspicion and betrayal he'd seen in their eyes that first night.

For their part, they seemed at least to be trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Morgan seemed the angriest and most inclined to think he was an idiot for believing anything the Kyber told him. Harriet, perhaps hiding at times behind her professional facade, seemed to be working hardest at trying to maintain an open mind. Maris was still just trying to make sense of the whole thing.

Legroeder was beginning to wonder if he would ever hear from Tracy-Ace/Alfa, who as far as he knew was still in a parking orbit somewhere well out of sight of the station. As the hearings neared their completion on the fourth day, he was stunned to hear her voice coming through the door of the meeting room. Tracy-Ace herself appeared a few moments later, flanked by Captain Glenswarg. They were followed closely by armed Spacing Authority guards.

"Ah," said Envoy Clark, "our guests from the Kyber vessel have arrived."

"Thank you for permitting us to address you," Tracy-Ace said with a bow. "It's a pleasure to be here representing the Kyber outpost of Yankee-Zulu/Ivan." She was dressed much as she had been the first time Legroeder met her—spectacular in black and gold. She seemed, if anything, to be taller than before; probably it was his imagination. Her eyes searched the room until she found Legroeder. A smile creased her face.

Legroeder started to rise, then caught himself and made do with a blush and a grin. He was aware of Harriet, beside him, and he cleared his throat.

"Friend of yours?" Harriet murmured. "Very pretty..."

Legroeder nodded, not trusting his voice.

"I see..."

Which was exactly what he was afraid of. He had gone, after all, to gather intelligence against the pirates, not to make love to them. But if Harriet was interpreting his discomfort accurately, she said nothing more.

At the front of the room, Tracy-Ace addressed the panel of officials. "A shipload of repatriates is en route, and should be here in a few days," she said, causing an immediate stir. "We'll have names and other information for you at that time."

"Miss Alfa," said Special Envoy Clark in surprise, "are you saying—"

"That we are serious about establishing meaningful relations with your world? Yes, we are..."

It was another hour before the session was called for the day and Legroeder got a chance to speak with her. He hurried to the front of the room as people dispersed, feeling a flash of worry that this would be like their arrival back at Ivan, all business. Which perhaps would have been for the better; but never mind that...

Tracy-Ace embraced him, hard. "Am I glad to see you, babe!" she murmured, kissing him on the cheek, then pulling back to gaze at him. "We were worried, back when you first arrived, that things weren't going too well."

Legroeder gazed back at her in wonderment. "Were you there the whole time?"

One corner of her mouth curled in a grin. "What do you think? Now, if they'll let me go with you, do you think you're ready to take me to meet your friends?"

It took some intervention on Harriet's part to get that much freedom of movement for Tracy-Ace; and even then, guards were never far away. The officers of
Phoenix
and
Impris
joined Legroeder, Harriet, and Deutsch in the dining room, and that was where Tracy-Ace and Harriet first had an opportunity to talk. Tracy-Ace was frowning, the corners of her eyes flickering. Finally she stabbed the air with her finger. "Harriet Mahoney—
Bobby Mahoney!
I almost forgot to tell you, Legroeder—I got news from YZ/I on the way in. They found him! They found Bobby. One of Carlotta's outposts has him, and YZ/I is negotiating for his release." She turned to Harriet. "Bobby is your grandson, yes?"

Harriet looked faint, her eyes wide with shock and joy. "Yes," she whispered. "Is it true? He's really alive?"

Tracy-Ace's face was alight. "He really is."

Harriet leaned across the table. "Will he be freed?"

Tracy-Ace breathed out slowly. "He's not in our hands yet, so I can't promise. But I believe there's a good chance. YZ/I can strike a pretty hard bargain." She glanced around the table with a grin. "And if YZ/I can't do it, maybe we could send in the Narseil."

Legroeder winced a little at the joke, but was filled with gratitude on Harriet's behalf. Harriet was weeping openly now, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. Legroeder took her hand, and she squeezed back fiercely. Then, to Legroeder's surprise, Harriet reached across the table and squeezed Tracy-Ace's hand, too. "Thank you," she whispered. "I just can't tell you..."

Introducing Tracy-Ace to Morgan and Maris was a different matter. After dinner, Tracy-Ace was permitted to come to his suite along with other visitors, and she was there when Maris and Morgan arrived. In fact, she was standing with her hand on Legroeder's shoulder as the two women walked in.

Legroeder blushed as he saw Morgan stiffen. "Hi," he said, managing not to stammer. "Ladies, I'd like you to meet my friend, Tracy-Ace/Alfa." He turned, as Tracy-Ace's hand dropped from his shoulder, and awkwardly completed the introductions. He glanced at Harriet, but she merely raised her eyebrows slightly.

Tracy-Ace stepped forward to meet the other two. "I'm pleased to meet you both at last," she said. "Legroeder has been very eager to get back here to rejoin you. He's told me a lot about you all." Legroeder pressed his lips together and said nothing.

"I'm sure he has," Morgan said brusquely. "Pleased to meet you. Hi, Mom."

"Hello, dear," Harriet said, and appeared to decide to help Legroeder out a bit, after all. "Legroeder's friend Miss Alfa—"

"Please. Tracy-Ace."

"Tracy-Ace, sorry. Tracy-Ace has brought some wonderful news. They've found Bobby, and there's a good chance he'll be freed." Harriet waved to a small sofa and a side table. "Please sit. Get yourself a glass of wine."

Morgan blinked, and seemed to be struggling to recompute.

"That's right," Tracy-Ace said, taking a seat in a chair, while Legroeder joined Harriet on the other sofa. "Bobby's not at our outpost, but we're hopeful." She explained what she had told Harriet.

"That's...
terrific
," Morgan said, her eyes implying that it would have been even more terrific if Bobby had never been captured in the first place.