Temporary Duty (22 page)

"I do not truly understand your organization, of course, but from what I do understand, I do not see that you have a problem. According to this, I am your senior officer, correct?"

"As the captain’s representative, yeah, I reckon you are," Peters admitted.

"So until I say you are released, you work for me." Dreelig grinned. "I shall have to inform my own superiors. I am due extra compensation for supervisory duties."

"Of course, your superiors could order us released," Todd remarked.

"Of course," Dreelig agreed. "I must act according to the contract we made with your Navy. That calls for us to support you people in certain ways for one voyage lasting about two of your years. I think that this ‘Space Detachment One’ must be how your management refers to the group of you."

"That’s right," Peters told him. "But we ain’t part of Space Detachment One. Master Chief Joshua tells the sailors what to do, and Commander Bolton tells him what to do, includin’ what to tell the sailors. But accordin’ to this, we ain’t part of that system."

"Ah. I begin to see the problem."

"Yeah. If you release us, you can’t release us to SPADET One, ’cause we ain’t got orders to report to it. That means we gotta go home."

"Would you prefer to go home?"

"You gotta be kiddin,’ Dreelig. This here’s the best chance we’ve had." Peters paused. "Second choice, you don’t release us. But we still ain’t part of the detachment, so we ain’t under Chief Joshua or Commander Bolton, and by their figurin’ we don’t count. We shouldn’t be livin’ with ‘em, for one thing."

"We could find you quarters in another part of the ship."

"That’d work, but there’s another problem," Todd said. "So far I like all the Grallt I’ve met to one degree or another, and Peters and I get along just fine, but I’d rather not be one of just two humans surrounded by Grallt. I’d like to be able to talk English, and Navy, and about home, with people like myself, at least once in a while."

Dreelig nodded. "That is reasonable, over a long period of time. Even if you enjoy our company we are not really your people."

"Right," said Peters.

"Let me think about this," Dreelig said. "I believe that I have the beginning of an idea, but there is not time to develop it right away. Could we speak to your chief later in this
llor
? After fifth meal, perhaps?"

Peters nodded. "That’d be a good time, I reckon. We oughta tell him beforehand, set up an appointment, like."

"Yes, that would be polite. I will take care of that arrangement myself, and send you a message. You will be at the suit office, correct?"

"Correct. All this
llor
, all the next, and at least part of the one after that," Todd confirmed.

"Then I believe we have done all we can do at this time, and I notice that they have begun serving the first meal. Let us eat, and go out to face the
llor
with strength."

"Fortitude," Todd corrected. "Face the
llor
with fortitude."

Dreelig smiled. "A fort has strong walls, yes? We have a similar word." He signaled one of the waiters. "For now, I think food is enough."

They got to the suit office well before the beginning of the first
ande
, but not before the first sailors, five of whom were holding up the corridor wall as they arrived. "Chief said not so many at once today," one of them said. "We don’t have a native guide any more. I was here yesterday, so I knew the way."

"OK, your suit should be ready, let’s get you in it," Todd told him. "Then you can go back down and tell ‘em that we’ll be ready for everybody who’s already been measured, one at a time for that, and the rest for measuring."

"We can do it that way," said the sailor, a First Class who wasn’t happy that a Third was telling him what to do.

"Good." Todd wasn’t impressed.

Peters gestured them inside: "Let’s get this show on the road."

Veedal and Keer were already there and turned to with a will. Tee didn’t show up; Peters stole her desk for a duty post. Except for that, the previous
llor
served as a model for this one: sailors being shuffled through the process at maximum speed, short breaks for meals, and back to work. Veedal found ways to shave a little time, managing to squeeze in seventeen per
ande
instead of sixteen, so by quitting time they’d bettered Todd’s predicted square by three.

The cook had taken Peters’s advice and was only providing one meal to humans, including Peters and Todd since the waiter couldn’t tell the difference. That reduced by one the number of things they had to make decisions about. Peters was eating fourth meal, all Grallt items except for mashed potatoes, when Dee came up and informed him that Chief Joshua would see them at 2100 hours; she didn’t stay to chat, and Peters had to retrieve the handheld to translate that into "only twenty minutes for fifth meal."

When fifth
ande
rolled around, Veedal needed another two and eight
tle
to finish the man he was measuring. That done, they barely had time to change in time for their appointment. "Hell with it," said Peters. "We’ll eat in the bar. Assumin’ we want to eat, afterwards."

Todd shrugged. "Dreelig’s pretty bright, and I trust him. But you’re right, we’ll eat in the bar. What’s money, after all?"

There was no sentry by either entrance to the enlisted quarters, but a Second Class Machinist’s Mate sat behind a desk with a logbook and wanted them to sign in; a much more reasonable and Navy-like arrangement, Peters thought. This
llor
was payday; the envelope was there on the desk, with eight four-
ornh
notes. Great. Settling up tomorrow, with everything else.

He was about to slip the jumper of his undress blues over his head when it occurred to him that the
kathir
suit, underneath, didn’t have a white T-shirt collar to show. He swore, squirmed out of trousers and
kathir
suit, and put on skivvies and a T-shirt, then re-arranged the blues. They felt strange, loose and airy, and scratched his legs. The things you get used to.

Todd had "solved" that problem by pulling a t-shirt over the
kathir
suit. Peters was dubious — the suit showed over the neck of the t-shirt — but they were out of time. Dreelig was waiting in the corridor; they marched down to the Chief’s quarters, and Peters did the honors of banging on the door, pausing to make the first stroke at 21:00:00 by the handheld.

"Come!" was the response.

They did what was meant, which was open the door and enter. Master Chief Joshua was sitting in one of the desk chairs; he’d found time to present a more normal appearance, pressed, polished, and glittering. Dreelig stood by the window; the other chair was occupied by Chief Spearman, not so well turned out, sitting with arms crossed and a sour expression on his face. Dreelig opened the ball: "Pleasant greetings, Master Chief Joshua. Thank you for seeing us."

Joshua nodded by way of acknowledgement. "Pleasant greetings to you, Ambassador Dreelig. I understand you wanted this meeting to clarify the status of these two sailors here."

"That is correct, Chief."

"The situation could use some clarification," the other chief remarked. "These two men are not part of our detachment, and by rights shouldn’t be here." He wasn’t one of the ones who had been dealing with the Grallt regularly; you could tell by the way his eyes shifted around the room to avoid looking Dreelig in the face.

"Peters and Todd were assigned to
Llapaaloapalla
, and my captain has delegated me to supervise their work," said Dreelig smoothly. "I do not believe that we have met, Chief."

"I’m sorry," said Joshua in a tone that made it clear the apology was perfunctory. "Ambassador Dreelig, this is Yeoman Chief Spearman. He has a legal specialty, and is here to advise me if necessary."

"I am pleased to meet you, Chief Spearman," said Dreelig calmly.

"And I you, Mr. Ambassador," said Spearman, arms still folded, eyes slitted. "What is your position aboard this ship?"

"We do not use the same structure you do, but in your terms my rank would be approximately Lieutenant Commander," said Dreelig without any particular emphasis. "I am head of the division you would probably call ‘Alien Relations.’"

"And as regards these men, sir?" Spearman persisted. "The situation is extremely unclear, and I for one could use some guidance. Commander Bolton won’t be here until next week. Can you provide us a way to communicate with our superiors?"

"No. We have no way to communicate except by physical travel." The two chiefs looked at one another, dismay showing, and Peters did his best to keep his face immobile.
I tole you t’ bring radios, dammit!
"At any rate, we are all responsible, intelligent beings," Dreelig continued. "I don’t believe the situation is so complex that we cannot solve it ourselves."

Joshua closed his eyes for a moment, looking pained, then looked directly at the Grallt for the first time. "What is your understanding of the situation, sir?"

"When the contract that permits your presence was being finalized, we concluded that we required the assistance of persons who were knowledgeable about the quarters and other conditions you would require. We requested that assistance, and your command authority was pleased to grant it, in the persons of Peters and Todd." Dreelig indicated the two sailors with a gesture. "They were assigned to my division. Again in the terms you would use, I am their division officer." Peters could hear the smile in Dreelig’s voice, and wondered what the chiefs made of his facial expression. "In fact, since you are also assigned to the Alien Relations division, I am your division officer also."

"I understand, sir." Spearman shifted his gaze to Peters. "Have these men performed their duties to your satisfaction?"

"Peters and Todd have been performing their duties to my complete satisfaction," Dreelig said. "Those duties will not be completed before this vessel departs on its voyage, at which time I will assign them to Detachment One, as a transfer within my department. In the meantime, they are subject to your orders, as any sailor of similar rank would be, subject only to my override."

"Aye, sir," said Joshua. "As a matter of interest, sir, do you have the power of reassignment over all the men in the detachment?"

"An excellent point, Chief. I do not, by specific provision of the contract," Dreelig replied. "However, as you have pointed out, Peters and Todd are not part of Space Detachment One until and unless I assign them so."

"Aye, sir," said Joshua again. Spearman’s eyes were wide; he made a sound approximating "Ah!" When Dreelig sought eye contact he looked down at his shoes.

"Did you have a question, Chief Spearman?" Dreelig asked mildly.

"Only for clarification, sir. May I have permission to recapitulate the situation as I understand it, sir?"

"Certainly, Chief."

"Aye, sir. We have here two groups of people, both assigned to your division. In the first are the members of Space Detachment One, who are here to fulfill the terms of the, ah, contract as you call it, between the U.S. Navy and yourselves. In the second, smaller group, are Petty Officers Peters and Todd, who are here to fulfill a separate request made by yourselves to the Navy."

"That is correct, Chief Spearman. An admirable summation."

"Thank you, sir. In that case, our ordinary customs and regulations are sufficient to cover the situation. The previous misunderstanding–" his hand twitched slightly "–was due to our failure to understand this." He glanced briefly at Chief Joshua.

"Very good. I trust those procedures will be followed in good faith, Chief."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Very good," Dreelig said again. "There is one more thing, Master Chief Joshua."

"Sir?"

"Starting with the first
ande
of the next
llor
, no human will be outside these quarters, except under escort, without wearing the
kathir
suit. I believe your term is ‘standing order’." He gestured at Peters. "I see Peters has not worn his. I believe this is because he was concerned about this interview, and the
kathir
suit is not part of the uniform. Is that correct, Peters?"

"Yes, sir, it is," Peters responded.

"From this moment, while you are aboard this ship, the
kathir
suit is a part of the uniform. What you wear over it is up to you, but if I discover that any man of this detachment has been disciplined in the smallest way for wearing the
kathir
suit under any circumstances whatever, the consequences to you personally will be the gravest I can devise. Is that clear, Master Chief Joshua?"

"Yes sir!"

"Chief Spearman?"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"Very good. You men, come with me. Peters, first we will go to your quarters for your safety equipment. Return to your normal activities, Master Chief."

"Aye, aye, sir," said Joshua with a decisive nod. He stayed erect, even stiff, as Dreelig shepherded Peters and Todd out the door. Todd, last one out, reached around and pulled it shut.

There was an audience of four or five sailors in the corridor. Dreelig led, at a gait somewhat stiffer than his usual shamble. They stopped at Peters’s room, Dreelig and Todd waiting outside while Peters hurriedly shucked into his
kathir
suit and pulled his undress blues over it. They stayed stiff and formal down the stairs and as Peters signed out for himself and Todd, and almost marched across the ops bay. It was only when they entered the elevator and the door closed behind them that Dreelig collapsed against the wall and let go a forceful series of the staccato barks he used for laughter. The two sailors followed suit in human fashion; Todd, a little the less incapacitated, pushed the button, and the elevator started up with its usual clanks and groans.

"That was fun," said Dreelig.

"You–hunh!–you might have warned us," said Peters, feigned offense spoiled by chuckles.

"I could not warn you. I was, as you might say, making it up as I found necessary," Dreelig told him. "
Kh kh!
I begin to understand why your people use strict hierarchies so much. It is so much fun for the superiors in them."