Rissa and Tregare (22 page)

He shook his head. "No more chances, Gowdy. I-"

Rissa interrupted. "Tregare! There is a way. We should have done it sooner-oh, I am stupid! So many lives-" Brows raised, he looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"I have not told you? No. Well-before I challenged dal Nardo-that morning I spoke with his supervisor, Ami Gustafson. And she questioned me under a truth field, though she did not know I recognized it." He nodded. "I've heard of those. If UET had them when I was a kid, I'd never have lived to get off Earth. But the trouble is,
we
don't have one."

"I wil cal her-ask if the equipment can be moved-if we may borrow it. Or if not, we might use it where it is." 

"How in the name of peace do I transport that many people across the Big Hils in aircars? I'd be al month at it."

"For you to be
certain
of your people, might it not be worth it to lift a ship across and back, once?" While he considered, Gowdy spoke. "She's right, Tregare. And I'd feel better if you put me through it, too." Sidelong he looked at her. "More for your peace of mind than mine, I'l do that-if we get the use of the thing." Yawn-ing, he stretched, then winced. "The burns are acting up. Too much work to unwrap and salve again. I need a pil and some sleep."

"Take Peralta's quarters-the woman who shared them is one of the six locked up. Knowing Jimar, you can be sure of ful security."

"Al right; thanks. A few chores first." He caled the other ships and verified that Deverel and Kenekke were informed and well quartered. Then he and Rissa followed Gowdy to Peralta's stateroom. When she had gone, he inspected the con-sole of monitors and control overrides, more than twice the size of his similar installation on
Inconnu.
He shook his head.

"He could fly the ship from here, or near to it. Rissa-if I'd only seen this before-I'd have
known
he couldn't possibly give up command." He yawned again. "Help me off with this robe?"

As she did so, she said, "Bran? Wil you have to grieve for the man who was once your friend, or close to that?"

"Grieve? I don't know. (I can't let it out, the way you do -yes, Sparline told me. But in spite of everything that hap-pened, for a long time I'll feel-sad, I guess." His mouth twitched, then tightened. "Such a waste, such a damned waste! And Jimar was a man who always
hated
waste."

A few minutes later, with the room darkened, Rissa heard his breathing deepen into sleep. It was some time before she could free her mind of al that had happened-
and Osallin is dead!-and
relax enough to folow his lead.

next morning Limmer brought the lockbox from Osallin's cabin on
Deuces Wild.
The combination had not been set; the box opened at her touch. While Tregare stil slept, Rissa scanned Erika's formal reports; she found the amount of for-warded profits to be greater than she had expected. Osallin's commission, she decided, must be forwarded to his successor. She looked for the new codes he had mentioned and found them. She made an entry in Osallin's notebook so that when next she visited Hulzein Lodge, she would handle the mater in routine fashion. Now she came to the packets containing Osallin's own port-able assets, and frowned. Who did these now belong to? She leafed through them and pursed her lips-the total was nearly 20,000,000 Weltmarks; she had not thought Osalin to operate on such a scale. Then she saw the note-a bold, hasty scrib-ble-on the back of one envelope.

Tari Obrigo: There's fighting aboard-some kind of attack-I have to go help. People can get kiled that way, so-if I do, what's in here is yours. I have no one else-relatives on Earth are sixty years ago, I'd guess. And I know you'l use the boodle, if it comes to you, the same as I would. To fight UET!

The signature was a huge scrawl, underlined.

Rissa nodded; on this basis she could accept the money without qualms. Another 20,000,000 in UET stock-why not? And now she sat and thought of Osallin the man, her first friend off Earth. She waited for crippling pangs of grief to strike, for in a way his death was her doing-and he had saved her own life. But all she felt was a deep, gentle sadness-a longing wish that he could be alive. Again she nodded. "I wil miss him; that is al."

When Tregare woke, Rissa could see that he was irritable from pain, but for the most part he concealed it well. They breakfasted with Gowdy; Limmer and Vanois attended also, and Tregare set out his new work plan for arming
No Return.
Kenekke and Deverel-the latter aiding his bandaged right leg with a crutch-met them at the scoutship. "Good to see you both up and around," said Tregare. "Sorry I can't say the same for the aircar at Base One. Peralta shot the cabin up pretty well, too-but stopgap repairs shouldn't take too long."

Deverel grinned. "Same for me, captain-I heal fast." Tregare and Kenekke helped him into the scout, seated and harness fastened. He looked up at Rissa. "Ms. Kerguelen-I hear it was you that got Peralta. Is that right?" 

"Tregare stayed and kept Peralta pinned in the aircar. He gave me the safer task-manning the projectors at the pillbox." Deverel gripped her hand. "Sure-just to keep you out of trouble. Not because he could depend on you-nothing like that." Surprisingly, she felt embarrassment. "Stop it, Main-or I wil kick you, and you wil have
two
sore legs." He laughed; she seated herself and strapped in.

"If you clowns are done performing, I'll lift this thing." Tregare's words were light, but his voice showed strain. Wel above the burned area, Rissa touched his shoulder.

"Only a little longer, Bran, and I can dress your arm and side again."

"Sure. But right now I wish somebody else here was checked out to fly this beast." He applied power and the scout lifted; he winced at the pressure of acceleration and made the climbing turn gradually, to clear the next higher ridge. Seeing his jaws clench, Rissa did not speak.

When finally he topped the edge of Base One's plateau, Tregare tilted the scout into a drifting, sidewise descent. Sud-denly his hand shook and the scoutship bucked and faltered. Cursing, he lifted it and tried again. Now he attempted no finesse, but slewed the vehicle across to its landing spot and brought it down in jarring, irregular bursts of deceleration. It touched at an angle and wobbled, but came to rest upright.

"Horses' leavings!" He shook his head. "When I was fif-teen I'd have been flogged for that landing!"

"Bran-" She touched his forehead; he was feverish. "Let us go inside and tend your burns. Anse-make Hain com-fortable?

Then-in half an hour, perhaps-let us confer as to how we can clear the aircar away from the cabin." Kenekke stood, looking at the car's remains. "Peace at the gates! You sure did a job on it!"

"There was no choice-I wil tel you later. Come, Bran." She helped him to rise and leave the scout. At the cabin door-way they looked at the debris. "Now that it has cooled, we can squeeze past. But carefully .."

Inside, she sat him on the bed and gingerly pulled away the dressings. The injuries were worse than she had realized; on arm and side both, tissue had sloughed away. The wounds oozed blood and serum.

"Bran! Will the salve-the things you have here-be enough? Why did you not have these tended at Base Two, by those who know more of treatment?"

His head had dropped forward; he raised and shook it, face taut in an attempt to smile. "Get the salve, but spread it on the new bandage, not on me. And the pils-in the metal container

-I'll need two, for now." Now his smile was more convinc-ing. "I've been hurt worse, Rissa-and probably will be again

-it's cumulative shock, is all. Patch me the way I said, leave me a quart of water at bedside, and call me for dinner." When she brought the things he had asked for, he was lying down-right side up, exposed for her ministrations. She did as he had told her; he swallowed the pils and lay back again. She arranged his covers, kissed him gently, and went outside. kenekke awaited her. "The captain all right?"

She told what she knew; he nodded. "He's not for doctors, much. The burns sound bad, but not
big
enough to be realy dangerous, if you folow me. No, it's strain and shock-he's right about what's needed. Forget about caling him for din-ner, though-wait until he wakes up and asks for it."

"You are certain he is in no danger?"

"Sure I am. Why, I've seen him-no, this is no time for you to hear of it. Now, then-" He pointed to the wrecked aircar. Looking, Rissa did not see Peralta's corpse. "But where is-?"

"That? I wrapped it, so as not to have to touch it, and dumped it over the edge, out there. A thousand feet to the first bounce, I'd bet. Waste of time, digging and covering for that one."

Abruptly she felt a qualm, an ache that doubled her over and brought tears. Kenekke caught her arm to support her, but she shook her head. A spasm racked her, then several more before a final lesser one. Finally she straightened and wiped her eyes
. I have done my grieving for Peralta.

"What-?"

She shook her head. "I am all right now. It is over." Now she looked at the aircar. "Anse, how can we move that thing?"

"Tried to drive it right inside, didn't he? And came close. Wel, most of the controls are burned away, and the rest fused 150

solid." He pushed at it, downhill away from the cabin-but although the lower part of the car was undamaged, the wheels would not turn. "Wheel brakes must have set-and no releas-ing them, that I can see."

"How are they controlled? From the body to the wheels, I mean?"

"It's a fluid mechanism, with hoses. An old principle, and simple."

"Then let us cut them." He brought cutters from his belt toolkit. "No-not that one yet. The rear one first." He bent and cut it; fluid spurted. Under the car's weight the wheel pivoted a few degrees and rotated slightly. Rissa studied the ground beside the car. "Now the left of the front pair, and we can push the rear sidewise, pivoting on the other one." He made his cut; they pushed and the aircar turned. Its nose, the projector forming a grotesque snout, scraped and came clear of the cabin's doorway.

"A litle more. It must be facing down, or we cannot con-trol the pivoting rear wheel." They moved in farther. Then she motioned toward the remaining wheel, and he cut again. "Now!" she said. "From behind we can move the tail uphil and turn it enough.''

The car's mass resisted; with one more to help, it would have been easier, but the two had hard going. Grunting and shoving, a litle at a time, they turned the nose toward down-hil. "A rest, now!" she cried, and wiped sweat from her fore-head, catching her breath.

Kenekke, panting also, nodded and laughed. "I see what you're up to-down and out and over, to folow the man who brought it."

"Oh, no-Tregare thinks we can salvage the projector. Downhil first, yes-but then swing the rear to pass above the scoutship and into the rocky ground below the first hummock. Ready?"

They pushed again-slowly, then faster, the wreck moved. As it suddenly accelerated, Rissa tripped and fell. She saw Kenekke pulled into a run, laughing as he swung his weight to the side and held on, dragging for a moment behind the runaway. Then he let go. The gutted aircar plunged into the boulder field, jounced a few times and came to a halt. She sprang up and clapped her hands.

"Bravo, Anse!"

He came trotting toward her, first with a slight limp and then none at all, and shook her hand. "You thought it right

-but you missed a good run!"

Now he looked at the cabin-charred wall and ravaged door-and shrugged. "No time to do a right job here, but you'll want stout metal over that hole-wel, we've got it. And I see there's a window gone. I'l be able to cover it only from outside, but it'l seal the draft, and you can look out."

Rissa brushed her hair back from her forehead. "Those repairs wil be most helpful-I had not thought that far. Now, though-are you not hungry? I am. Come in and I will fix something for us."

He shook his head. "With those pills I don't
think
we'd wake the captain, but let's not chance it. Besides-Hain's in need of company by now, and food as well. So join us, in-stead."

"Yes. Thank you. I had not thought."

"Nobody thinks of everything-but you come close, you and Tregare." He led the way into the scout; they found Deverel on a cot beside the communications position. He smiled and waved a hand. "Any messages?" said Kenekke.

"Limmer wanted to know if we got here al right. I said yes, except that halfway you got nervous, and jumped out and walked." Laughing, Kenekke reached and mussed his partner's hair. "That's your lie for today, Hain-now you're stuck with the truth."

"Wish I could say as much for you. What's
your
story?" As Kenekke in the smal galley began preparing the meal, he and Rissa related their morning's work and afternoon's plans.

"Aircar's a dead loss?" said Deverel. "But not the projec-tor?"

"Yes, that is Tregare's estimate," said Rissa. "You under-stand-he hoped to lure Peralta from that shelter, but instead the man moved to ram the cabin, and-"

Deveral waved a hand. "Sure-I know-just getting a fix on what we'l have now, to work with."

"Yes." Rissa excused herself for a wash-up, but made it brief.

Kenekke brought the food-the meat's aroma sharpened Rissa's appetite-and they ate. When they were done, Kenekke said, "I'l see to that door and window now. No help needed at the first, anyway, so sit and relax, Ms. Kerguelen." He waved a hand and left.

Rissa turned to Deverel. "I must cal someone in One Point One. From here, how is it done?"

"Me, I'd go through the port-but maybe your business is none of theirs. Channel C is direct to Hulzein Lodge, and they can route you in on relay."

"Yes. Thank you, Hain." She reached for the switching panel.

"Private conversation? Should I go someplace?"

"No, no-it is on Tregare's business. And if it were on mine, I would trust you as he does." The screen lit, wavered and produced a faint picture; she recognized Ernol. "Hello," she said, "It is good to see you again. And how are-things-with you?"

More than seeing his smile, she deduced it. "All's fine here. Liesel grumps sometimes, but the way she'd scold a kitten. And what's been happening out there with you?"