Hotel Andromeda Part 23

She waved a negligent extremity. A few moments later she'd called back the Security robot and Gemmy gave it per- mission to bring the toy rabbit from his room. While they waited, Gemmy saw to a few other customers in need and re- freshed the drinking pond for the Gillspuns. Then he returned FACE TIME 165.

to the security chief's table and sat back on his haunches again. She showed her teeth-and explained to him the rather peculiar ramifications of Milly's remark about the "hot stuff."

He thought he understood it well enough that he wouldn't make the same gaffe again and he said as much.

Chief Antonini watched him for a long moment-very thoughtfully, if he judged correctly. Then she said, "You don't think this Terran of the familiar nose is dangerous. Why not?"

"Good question," Gemmy said. "Why not, indeed?" His right foreleg pawed the blue-and-green turf. That was a bad habit of his when he was lost in thought-rough on the car- peting. He realized she was watching his foreleg with great interest and paused in mid-stroke. "Because," he said, "he talked to me the way you talk to me."

"How soT'

"Interested. Aware of our differences, but without being pa- tronizing. Without being ..." He paused and sought a way to phrase it without being patronizing himself. "People of other species often speak to me as if I were a child or, worse, a dimwit. You don't. Neither did the Terran with the nose."

"So ... not the sort you think likely to wish to disrupt re- lations between species. I do see your reasoning, Gemmy- My job is to be paranoid, though. My paranoia suggests that per- haps your Terran was acting a part."

"Perhaps. I'm not sure I'd be able to tell the difference."

Chief Antonini threw back her head and croaked. "Don't let it get to you. Some Terran actors are good enough to fool me, and I've had a lot of practice sorting."

"It's not that." Gemmy said. "It's just that he seemed a nice guy and I'd hate for him not to be."

"So would I, Gemmy. So would I-Ah!"

The security robot had returned, toy rabbit in clasp. To Gemmy's surprise, the robot handed the rabbit to him. He, in turn, handed the toy to Chief Antonini. She'd opened her case to lay an a.s.sortment of instruments on the table. As she picked up the rabbit, she said, "Don't worry, I'm not planning to take it apart. Not unless I have to and certainly not without your permission."

She inspected the rabbit carefully, turning it first one way, then another. Milly screamed for Gemmy and he hustled to carry drinks to two tables' worth of first-timers who'd just 166 Jane? Kagan come in. Easy tables-the nice thing about Hepetellists was that they drank from a communal bowl. One bowl per table and he hurried back to see what Chief Antonini had learned.

Her mouth ends had turned down. She upended the rabbit and pointed. "Bad news, Gemmy. See this? The rabbit mea- sures distance. Now why should someone have-quite delib- erately, from the looks of it-rejiggered an everyday toy to measure the width and length of the reception hall?"

"Oh, my," said Gemmy, horrified at himself. "And I showed him the staff route to the reception hall, too!"

She looked him in the eye. "Don't panic. There may be a perfectly rational explanation-or even a harmless irrational one. Perhaps the nephew is young enough to be learning the idea of distance, for example...."

Glumly, Gemmy said, "That sounds unlikely. Has anybody made any threats against the Mopellings? I'd've thought they were too new for anybody to hate them enough."

She laid the rabbit aside and put away her instruments.

Then she folded her hands on the table and said, "I won't speak for your people but, as for my people ... sadly the sim- ple fact of 'new'-like 'different'-is frequently enough to spark death threats." Again she looked him right in the eye.

"When I said 'Don't panic,' I meant it. This"-she patted the rabbit-"has to be investigated, precisely because there have been threats against the Mopelling delegation."

Gemmy knew his fringe had turned dead black. "The Terran didn't sign the check to his room," he said.

Surprisingly, she showed her teeth and took a deep breath.

"Of course he didn't. That would be too easy'" She waited a moment, then she said quiedy, "Gemmy, I want you to go get yourself a drink-your choice of relaxant, on me-then come back here and sit until you feel better. Then we'll talk some more."

Gemmy, limping ever so slightly in his right hind foot, did as she suggested. When he returned to the table. Chief Antonini said, "The limp, Gemmy, forgive me for ask- ing. ..."

"I do it when I'm disturbed. The limp's not a species-wide indicator, though. Just me."

"I'm very sorry to have disturbed you. I'll make this as easy as I can. You tell me when you're ready to talk some FACE TIME 167.

more. I've only one question, really, and it's quite straightfor- ward."

Gemmy drank. Slowly, he felt his fringes return to some- thing approaching their normal hue. "I guess you'd better ask and get it over with, then."

"Would you recognize the fellow again, do you mink?"

Because the answer was now of such importance, he gave the question careful consideration. "Yes," he said. "I'm quite sure I could. In fact, I thought I recognized him from the first."

"Very interesting. Recognized him from what?"

"I don't know. He said he'd never been to the hotel before-but, of course, he might have been lying."

"He might well have been," she acknowledged. "He might have been here to case the joint." She peered into her own drink. "No, he'd have had no need to see the reception room this time if that were so."

"Would you like me to search the hotel for him? I can get off duty for something that important. You'd only have to tell Ferrus."

"No, that's not necessary. I'll a.s.sign someone to the bar. If this fellow comes back, you'll point him out to my man and my man will handle him from there."

"Handle him?"

She raised her right hand. "Nothing violent, I promise you-not unless he starts it."

Terrans always said that, in Gemmy's experience, but he also felt Chief Antonini was not the sort-then again, he'd felt the other Terran.... It was all too much for him.

"Why here?"

"Because he knows about the staff entrance to the reception room. My staff will keep a close eye on the guest entrances.

You keep your close eye on that staff entrance."

Gemmy downed his drink in a single motion. He had the horrible feeling he'd spend the next two days black-fringed from morning till night.

Middleditch, March, and Maclsaac, the Terrans a.s.signed to watch the bar and the staff entrance leading from it, were not as quiet as Chief Antonini. In fact, the three of them were a lot like any slightly joyous bunch of tourists. Gemmy sup- 168 Janet Kagan posed they were acting; they did not drink nearly as much as they ordered. Fearing for the health of the turf if they dis- posed of any more of their drinks that way, he asked them if they'd like him to choose them a drink this time. Middleditch (who seemed to be in charge if anybody was) said, "Yes!

That's a good idea!" When the others agreed, Gemmy decided that Chief Antonini had given him a good report He brought them a round of Dubs's special concoction- Devilish Dogs. Colorful enough from a Terran point of view to look fiendish but utterly non-intoxicant. Middleditch sipped his cautiously, then showed all his teeth at Gemmy and said, "Just the thing!"

For a while, the bar got so busy that Gemmy didn't have to think about anything other than getting the next drink ordered and the next drink poured and the next drink delivered. And then he found himself face-to-face once more with the Terran with the familiar smeller. He heard himself say, "Jing jang, without the leaves? Or would you like something different to- day?" His voice sounded almost normal, to his astonishment.

The Terran showed all his teeth at once. "Hey!" he said.

"That's some memory you've got! Yes, that'd be just fine."

He glanced around the bar. "Take your time. I see you're a lot busier than you were the last time. The reception committee must be here, I guess."

What would be the normal response to that, Gemmy won- dered. Should I say yes? He caught himself glancing in Middleditch's direction and stopped- "Yes," he said. "Hang on. I'll be right with you."

He went to Dubs for the jing jang and had an inspiration.

"Another round of Devilish Dogs, too."

He delivered the Devilish Dogs first. As he set them on the table, he said to Middleditch, "The jing jang is for the fellow you wanted pointed out."

"Well done," said Middleditch. "Okay, boys! A toast to our host!" They all raised their gla.s.ses to Gemmy and drank them down.

Feeling terribly conspicuous, Gemmy crossed the bar to the suspicious Terran's table. "One jing jang, no leaves," he said.

The Terran didn't show his teeth. "Have you hurt yourself,"

he said. "Should you be working this hard with an injured leg? I realize that leaves you three, but still ..."

FACE TIME 169.

He'd been limping again. "I'm okay," he said, feeling like a total fool. If a Terran could be this nice and be an a.s.sa.s.sin, there simply wasn't any hope left in this or any other world.

"It'll all be over soon."

"Oh, you mean the reception. I suppose so. Tomorrow, isn't it?"

. Gemmy nodded, then realized he'd given the man informa- tion yet again. He'd have kicked himself but this Terran would have noticed. "There's a quieter bar on level twelve.

Well, quieter for the moment. You might prefer that."

"Thanks for the tip." The Terran leaned back in his chair.

"This one's more convenient. Besides, I like the service here."

He meant that as a compliment, but Gemmy was no longer sure of anything. "Thanks," he said, because he couldn't think of anything else to say. Then he excused himself and got back to work.

When at last he could bring himself to look in that direc- tion again, he saw that Middleditch and March now sat one on either side of the Terran with the familiar smeller. The sus- picious Terran laid both hands, palms down, on the tabletop; he was not showing his teeth. Feeling horribly guilty, this time for the suspicious Terran, Gemmy looked away again.

Maclsaac, who remained at the other table, where he could watch the staff entrance, flagged Gemmy for another Devilish Dog. Gemmy hurried the drink over to him, hoping to leam something, but the man said nothing and Gemmy couldn't bring himself to ask.

It'll all be over soon, Gemmy thought, and realized to his dismay that was just what he'd told the suspicious Terran. He limped on to the next table to take another round of orders.

For a moment, everybody seemed well taken care of.

Gemmy sat back on his haunches just to rest his aching heel-and found himself face-to-face with Chief Antonini. He came to his feet as if he'd sat on a cactus- "Thank you, Gemmy," said Chief Antonini. "You've been very helpful." She showed her teeth.

That seemed so out of place in the circ.u.mstances that Gemmy wondered if he'd gotten Terrans all wrong all along the line. He could feel his fringes turning black again.

Chief Antonini looked at him carefully; she hid her teeth.

170 Janet Kagan "Gemmy, I think you'd better come along with me and talk to the fellow for yourself. Please."

So it wasn't an order, it was a request. And Gemmy said, "Of course," and followed her. His limp was now even more p.r.o.nounced.

Antonini took that into account and moved slowly. "I thought you'd be interested in learning the result of your observations,"

she said. "Don't go black-fringed on me, Gemmy- As it turns out, we picked up the two Terrans who sent the threatening notes. Neither one of mem was your friend from the bar."

'Then why... ?"

But they had already reached the table, and she left his question unanswered. Gemmy reluctantly stood beside her, unable to look the suspicious Terran in the eye.

The Terran with the familiar smeller leaned back, showed all his teeth at once, and said, "Chief Antonini, as I live and breathe! My favorite nemesis! If the Furies are all as good- looking as you, my dear, then send them off in my pursuit, by all means!"

Maroh began to croak with pleasure, but Middleditch shot him a swift look and March stifled his croak so quickly he al- most choked on it.

"Gemmy," said the chief, "I'd like to introduce you to Wily Topkind, the bane of my existence." But Gemmy saw that she was showing just as many teeth as w.i.l.l.y Topkind was.

"We've met," said w.i.l.l.y Topkind. "Good to see you again, Gemmy. Sit down and take the weight off that sore leg of yours."

Gemmy didn't need asking twice. He sat, still bewildered by the Terrans' behavior.

w.i.l.l.y Topkind went on, "You know I add spice to your life, my dear. Why don't you admit it? For my part, I'm quite will- ing to admit that you've got me fair and square. I suppose I'll sit out this reception in my hotel room"-he glanced at Middleditch and March-"probably with these rather grim fellows for company."

"You surely will," Chief Antonini said. "And likely the Terran delegation will file charges. But for now all I ask of you is that you tell Gemmy precisely what you've been up to.

FACE TIME 171.

Between the two of us, we've just about ruined his outlook on life."

w.i.l.l.y Topkind made a face that Gemmy recognized-the same face he'd made when he'd asked about Gemmy's leg.

"We're the cause of his injury? How ... ?"

"He thought you were a nice guy, w.i.l.l.y. Then I came along and made him think you were a suspicious guy." Chief Antonini turned to Gemmy. "w.i.l.l.y is suspicious-but remem- ber I said there might be an irrational but harmless explana- tion?" She held out her hand to w.i.l.l.y. "Meet the irrational but harmless explanation."

"Most of us call him w.i.l.l.y the Weasel," Middleditch said, as if that should mean something to Gemmy. It didn't.

Topkind croaked. "Gemmy, a weasel is a small Terran an- imal renowned for getting into tight places."

"It's not complimentary," Chief Antonini said firmly, but w.i.l.l.y the Weasel showed a lot of teeth and said, "Oh, / like it!"

"Getting into tight places?" Gemmy said, faintly. "I really don't understand."

"w.i.l.l.y has a hobby. You know what that is? Okay, w.i.l.l.y's hobby is getting his picture taken with famous people of all species."

w.i.l.l.y Topkind showed his teeth again. "Getting face time is the proper term-among those of us who do it."

"Getting face time," Chief Antonini said. "I a.s.sume you've got your brag disc with you, w.i.l.l.y? Why don't you show it to Gemmy? I'm not sure that will explain your behavior, but it would be a start."

"I'd be pleased to show you, Gemmy." From his shoulder pocket, he drew a jewel box and tapped the contents into the table slot. The tabletop came alive with tiny holographic fig- ures. "Best view from this side, I think," said w.i.l.l.y Topkind, gesturing for Gemmy to stand beside him. Chief Antonini motioned him into place and peered over his head, also watching the figures.

The 'gram showed the arrival of President Hannes Thorvald on Ordoverwerit-all the usual bells and whistles had been trot- led out for the Terran's landfall. Gemmy, having seen this 'gram a dozen times-it had been all over the newscasts for some two weeks-glanced questioningly at w.i.l.l.y Topkind.