Rissa and Tregare (20 page)

"This Kirchessel is, then, your friend?"

"And
successor as Hulzein agent on Far Corner. As I said, Tari-standard practice, though of course with misleading variations. Now the codes you've been using to me are valid until you change to the new ones I've brought you. And-" Rissa leaned forward. "Is there word from Earth, from Erika?"

Now he laughed again. "Ah,
is
there, though? You won't believe what she's been up to-no, I can't tel
that
over a cir-cuit. But I have it all here. It's true I shouldn't know about it myself, but I'm a code expert with incorrigible curiosity, so I do know. But you'l see-tomorrow you'l see."

"I shall look forward to that. And to seeing
you,
Osallin."

They ended their talk; Tregare and Jargy Hoad exchanged a few more remarks and signed off. Leaving the scout, Tregare said, "Five ships, Rissa! Only one to go, and Hawkman's dickering for
Valkyriel
Let's
really
celebrate-dinner with Hain and Anse when they get here, but wine and love before-hand!" She laughed and they went into the cabin. they were stil in bed, he reaching across her to refil his wine-glass, when they heardthe aipcar. He sat up. "They're late. I'd forgotten the time-it's almost dark." Then; "Something's wrong with that car-it shouldn't be so noisy." He crawled over her, out of bed, and went to the door. As he opened it a few inches, she saw him reach under the leather flap and bring out the energy gun; then he dove flat to the floor. A hissing, tearing sound came-the door jounced partly open to slam against his head and shoulder, and smoke boiled from its center.

From outside came more smoke; Tregare got to his knees and leaned his weight against the door, closing it. He threw the locking lever, then scuttled toward her on hands and knees. One hand stil held the gun; the other tugged at her arm.

"Down out of there! Here-behind the bed-for now."

She rolled out and joined him on the floor. "What
is
it?"

"Peralta! Peace knows what he's done with my men, but he's got the aircar!" The sound came again; wood charred and fel away from the door, exposing red-hot metal.

"But, Tregare-what does
that?"

"Ship's projector-it's got to be! Lucky he doesn't have ship's power-this whole place would be vapor and us with it. How he ever got the car off the ground-that's what sounded wrong-he's overloaded past al safe limits."

Once more the ear-rending noise. The door's center blazed white; molten metal erupted, and for seconds a blinding beam charred wood beside the kitchen entrance. Tregare leaped to the door and gave a piercing scream; over his shoulder he said, "Let him think he hit somebody!" Then; "Rissa! The pilbox-get there fast-and get Peral-ta!" He ducked and moved to the side window. "I can see him here, at an angle." He fired, blowing the double panes out. "Now maybe I can keep him in the car until you get there. Then I'll try to lure him out. But if I can't, the car's expen-dable." He moved toward the rear of the window, aimed, and fired. "Get back in there, Jimar!

Wait until you're invited!" And to Rissa; "Move! If I give three quick shots or he gets out of the car, hit him with both barrels." She was already moving, time-sense slowed to agonizing pace. Swing the tub, push the release-she ignored the ladder and dropped to land with knees bent, catching balance with hands to ground. The jar hurt her feet but she ran-blinded by darkness, one hand brushing the wal for guidance. When the hand lost contact, she stopped and felt for the access shaft and climbed to the dimly lit pilbox. She swung the twin projectors, still locked together, to cover the aircar, then looked to see her target better. The car's front was torn away; the projector jutted from a ragged open-ing. It shot a flare of ionization-Peralta was still inside. Melted plastic splashed from the car-Tregare held stalemate. The cabin wal smoldered in several places-Peralta looking for a weak point?

Cabin and aircar exchanged shots. Peralta's flare seemed slightly weaker-power running low? Still the man did not leave the aircar, nor did Tregare give her the signal.

The firing ceased. She held her aim on the shadow, dimly seen through blackened plastic, that was Peralta. Nothing moved. Then the aircar inched forward; she tracked the motion. It turned slightly toward her, then away again, approaching the cabin from a changed angle. As it turned, Peralta fired.

He has Tregare pinned against the wall!

Only when the smoking corpse, haloed with blobs of molten plastic, toppled from the aircar, did she realize she had fired. without conscious thought she jumped-slid-down the lad-der. Which way to turn? Yes. She ran along the tunnel and climbed, breathless, up the shaft. Memory found the latch for her; the trapdoor lifted and she pulled herself up. She saw Tregare-
he is alive!-
rubbing something onto his right side. She ran to him but he turned sidewise, his left hand half holding her and half fending her off. They kissed; she pulled back to look at him, but had to wipe tears away to see him clearly.

"Oh, Bran! I was afraid I was not in time!"

He handed her an open jar of orange salve. "Here-you can reach it better," and she saw the angry burns on his right arm and side. He smiled at her grimace of concern. "It's not serious-just painful as hell until we get the gloop on it. Hey-gently, now!"

She smoothed the odd-smelling stuff over and around the burns. He said, "This is just from side flash-the beam dis-sipates in air and I caught the losses." His left hand touched her cheek. "You caught on that he was swinging to pin me, didn't you? I fired the three shots, all right, but his heavier beam drowned them so you couldn't see. Anyway, you got him in time-and I was moving up to the corner, beside the door, so he couldn't have got a direct hit without backing and turning some more."

She stood holding the jar; he look it and gave her a towel for her hands. "Come on-let's get to the scout and find out what happened at Base Two."

the smoking projector effectively blocked the doorway; they could not pass without burning themselves. Tregare went to the blasted window and dropped to the ground; Rissa fol-lowed. She said, "I am afraid I ruined your aircar." Tregare barely glanced at the smoldering remains. "We can get another. And except for the wiring, maybe salvage the pro-jector." He led the way into the scoutship and caled Limmer on scramble. On the screen, the man's scarred face appeared. 

"Tregare? Thank peace, you're all right! Peralta-?"

"Medium well done, I'd guess." He motioned toward Rissa.
"She
got him for me. Now what in hell's name hap-pened down there?"

"Peralta signed the agreements right here before me-your men were here, too. Then he and they went off ship. Not long after, you called. I went out and marked site for Hoad's land-ing and came back aboard. The next I knew, a lot of Peralta's people poured off
No Return,
armed-killing or capturing anyone they could find of mine and Vanois's. I sealed ship and so did Raoul-I saw his ramp go up-but all I know of
Car-charodon
is that it hasn't been taken. We don't have scramble except through you, and I couldn't raise you-so we haven't said much in
No Return's
hearing.

"I did warn Hoad, in clear, but Peralta's men had already boarded him. There was a hell of an explosion over that way, a little later-"

Rissa gasped.
Osallin?
"-and then Peralta loaded the pro-jector on your aircar and took off with it."

"What about my men-do you know? And what's the situation now?"

"Deverel and Kenekke?" Limmer shook his head. "I'm sorry, Tregare-I don't know. And the setup here is that Peralta's soldiers hold groundside against us; we're bottled up. Do you want us to try a sortie?" Tregare did not hesitate. "Anything but that-stay sealed. Wait a minute-" He paused. "Is groundside lit up? Who controls the area lighting?"

"Vanois. Remember-he ran circuits so he could move sup-plies at night without having to go to your powerhouse every time. You want me to-?"

"I'll call him. Now-you have people armed and ready-right? But don't move until I give the word." Limmer agreed; Tregare cut the circuit and called Vanois. The story was roughly the same. Tregare spoke briefly, con-cluding, "I'll be calling in the clear, so when I want ground-side lit I'll just say,
'Hit it.'
Between now and then, cut it all dark." Vanois acknowledged; Tregare tried to call
Deuces Wild,
but received no answer. He shook his head and turned to the flight controls.

Putting concern for Osallin out of her mind, Rissa said,

" Bran? What do you intend ? "

"Same as I told Main and Anse a few days ago-take this scout down there and kill everyone that's outside a ship. It's not a thing I like, but they've left me no other way."

"Might you not better wait for daylight?"

"Can't afford to give them that much time to hit Limmer and Vanois."

"Yes, I see-but I have a thought."

He looked at her. "Go ahead-I'm listening."

"They must not know whether you are alive-but what if
I
call, and see who speaks for
No Return
and what is said to me?"

After a moment he grinned. "Here-I'll set up the call."

Rissa waited, then recognized Hilaire Gowdy,
No Return's
First Hat. The woman's face and voice showed tension.

"Well, I
see you're
alive, Ms. Tregare. What's happened?"

Rissa shook her head. "No-we speak of what has hap-pened where you are."

Gowdy's throat moved, swallowing. "If Peralta wins, you ask me to speak my own death." Rissa wanted to reassure her, but did not need Tregare's headshake to advise against it. She waited.

Gowdy shrugged. "This much, then. Jimar took his armed force offship and controls groundside There's been killing-I don't know how much. I've sealed ship; I now control
No Return.
When I open it again, and to whom-that depends on what's said to me-by you, by Peralta,or others."

Tregare stood out of screen's view; Rissa looked to him, but he gave no sign. To Gowdy she said, "I tell you only this-keep sealed until you yourself are convinced it is right to open."

"There's no choice for me, is there?" Hilaire Gowdy nodded. "All right-agreed." Rissa cut the circuit and looked to Tregare. He said, "That was well done. Now buckle in-we're hitting Base Two." the scoutship, Rissa learned, was not a vehicle for comfort. Takeoff was harsh-accelerations, turning or otherwise, stretched her body's tolerance. Tregare took the scout high, then coasted downward and slanting toward the crater. Rissa
 
said, "What if Hain and Anse are caught outside with Peralta's gunmen?"

He shook his head. "I have to go with the odds-they could be dead, or captive and under cover. If I don't assume that, I can't act at all." Before she could speak he said, "Hold it!" and lit the screen.

"Vanois?" The bearded face appeared, the head nodded. "Get ready! In two minutes-
hit it!"
The screen went dark. Looking ahead, Rissa could see nothing except shadows of hils below. "Tregare! When the lights come on suddenly, we wil be blinded."

"No. Five seconds ahead I put on dark goggles and coast blind. Here's a pair for you." She fumbled and found his hand.

"But how could you have thought ahead, for
this!"

"I didn't. They have other uses-that's what I thought of. Now get ready-and brace yourself-this kite hasn't even
started
to ride rough, yet."

First tensed, then deliberately relaxing, she waited. The scout coasted smoothly. Then, as the ground ahead sprang into briliant ilumination, it swung to one side and al orienta-tion was lost. Four ships grew in her view, rotated, and shot off to one side as forces crushed her first in one direction, then another. Ground rushed to strike her-four towers ahead-ground washed in flame as the towers, the ships, passed on either side within grazing range and the surface again fell away. Sidewise pressure as Tregare turned the scout; he said, "Good pass-I got their main group. The rest'll be disorgan-ized; I can take my time now." Diving again, slower and with less gyration, he raked the ground once more with flame. And again, and again-each time, she realized, less wary of retaliation. Then after two passes when he held his fire, Tregare circled high to inspect the area.

"Time to land, I think," and the scout dropped.

He came near to hitting
Lefthand Thread
as he landed, in line with
Carcharodon
on the other side. He picked up the energy gun-Rissa had not noticed he had brought it-and said, "Now let's see who's on the reception committee." The ship's ramp came down; at the top, holding a gun, stood Limmer. Rissa saw no movement elsewhere. "Bran-shall we go?"

After a moment he nodded. "Anybody that's left, sure as peace isn't organized. Let's
move."
As they reached groundside a man, coming from behind
Carcharodon,
ran toward them. Tregare's gun swung toward him-so did Limmer's. Then Rissa shouted.
"No!"
and pulled at Bran's weapon. "It's Osallin!" Limmer had fired once, but the steep downward angle sent his shot high. Now he raised the gun and waved it. "Sorry! I didn't know..." Now Rissa ran to meet her friend; she saw blood on his face, but even with a slight limp he moved briskly. They met, em-braced.

"Osallin, it's so
good-I
was afraid-are you all right?"

"Yes, Tari-a half dozen of us fought our way groundside, got clear just before the blowup. The others-" He shook his head. "I don't know. We got separated."

His one hand held an envelope. "Here-I told you-Erika ..." Then he looked past her.
"Sniper!"
He pushed her headlong to the ground. Above her she heard the hissing crash of an energy gun-then, nearer to hand, another one, and the bark of Limmer's projectile weapon. Dazed for a mo-ment, she listened to the ringing silence that folowed. Slowly she roled and came to her feet. Heat rose from Tregare's gun. "Got the bastard," he said, "or Limmer did-maybe both of us. But your friend .." Osallin lay on his side, face turned upward, one leg twitching rhythmically. Rissa knelt beside him. "Osallin-are you...?" His smile was quiet; he could have been resting. But then she saw the cords standing out in his neck, and looked closer to see the charred smoking circle low on the right side of his abdomen. She gasped-energy guns!-there would be a matching circle on his back, and between them ..