Long View - Rissa And Tregare Part 30

The two shook hands; Ernol said, "If you fight like she does, unarmed, I'd appreciate a practice session sometime."

Ivan grinned. "I worked more with weapons-unarmed, maybe I'd be the one learning. Sure, though-I might have a couple of new moves for you."

Servitors brought food. "Eat now, fight later," said Liesel.

213.

WHEN coffee and liqueurs were served, Tregare excused himself and returned a half hour later. "Talked with Limmer," he said. "Things are moving well. But we'd better go across tomorrow, Rissa, and check the work before anyone does any cutting. Spee and Valkyrie are the same cla.s.s as Lefthand Thread, but not the same age. There may have been some modifications."

"Very well. Bran. And Ivan goes, also?" Tregare nodded. "Good-Ivan, you will have a new experience." Then, "And did you speak with Base One?"

"Yes. Main caught part of a message from the packet. It's pretty close, now, but he missed the landing date-noisy signal."

Liesel smiled. "Hawkman-he'll be here soon-and about time! But, Bran-you and Rissa are leaving again, so soon?"

"Only for two-three days. Why? Something's up?"

"Well-" Liesel looked at her daughter. "This girl's had long enough to try out her man. When Hawkman gets home, I think we'll marry her off and get it over with."

"Mother!" Sparline was up and around the table, hugging and kissing the older woman. "Mother-I'm so glad!" Never before had Rissa heard Sparline call her mother anything but Liesel.

Ernol said, "I am, too," and leaned to kiss Liesel's cheek. "Thank you-and I guess this means I'm doing my job all right?"

"You don't have to ask that-you know you are. Now there's one question-only because Hawkman and I may be going to Earth, leaving you and Sparline in charge here."

Ernol's brows raised. "Yes?"

"Names. By custom, you'd each keep your own. But you've come up fast; some of the oligarchs could get snicky. 'Ernol Lombuno? Who's he?'-you know? So if you'd like to add the name Moray-or Hulzein-we'll put it in the contract."

"I-hadn't thought of the possibility. I-"

"You don't have to decide now, think it over. Whatever you and Sparline prefer, that's how it'll be."

Ernol nodded. "It's a great compliment, Liesel. My own 214.

name-a Lombuno commanded troops that won victory against terrible odds. But I'd be just as proud of Moray or Hulzein, too."

Holding Ernol's hand in both of hers, Sparline looked up. "Whatever Ernol decides, that's what I want, too." She smiled at him. "And if you take Moray or Hulzein, I get to add Lombuno."

Her mother laughed. "She's got you there, Ernol. Well, you two figure out what you want. Now, then-anybody for cards?"

Tregare shook his head. "Not me-not tonight." Rissa followed his lead, and one by one the group dispersed.

TREGARE, next morning, lifted the new aircar toward the pa.s.s. Rissa, Ivan beside her, followed in the older one. "Watch carefully," she said. "At the crucial points there are landmarks." She showed him the oxygen equipment; they fitted the tubes into place. Ahead, Tregare came abreast of the pa.s.s; she saw him turn up and into the buffeting currents. Then she, too, turned.

As they climbed, she did not speak. When the dogleg loomed she said "Wow!" and swung the car viciously, at full power, into the first turn. She heard Ivan's whoop; when they were through the second and into more open s.p.a.ce, she glanced aside to him. He was beating his palms against his knees and laughing.

"Oh, that's beautiful, Rissa-I'm glad you didn't tell me ahead of time!" His next words did not disappoint her. "Let me try it sometime?"

"If you have the landmarks correctly." He reported what he had seen. "Yes-that is right. Of course the reverse trip is somewhat different. You will see."

When they neared Base One, Tregare swooped toward it, then up again. On the car's speakers Rissa heard the sound of his call and an answer but could not make out the words.

He swung up and along the ridge above the cabin, and she followed, as he took course for Base Two.

After a time, the crater and its s.h.i.+ps came into sight. Ivan whistled. "Five, by G.o.d! And he's arming them all, isn't he? What's he-no, I mustn't ask yet; right?"

215.

I "Soon," she said. If the truth field shows him clear of UET's b.o.o.by traps...

She landed beside Tregare's aircar, where he waited. He said, "Ivan-you mind if I ask a few questions, in that building over there?"

Ivan looked puzzled; then his face cleared. "Truth field? Sure-you'd be crazy if you didn't. I mean-I know where I want my loyalties to be, but maybe Erika's people didn't spring all the triggers UET planted in my head, back at Welfare. Maybe some weren't geared to that situation. If that's true, I want to know it-as much as you do, maybe more."

He grinned. "Let's go."

TREGARE'S questioning was painfully deliberate, with pauses while he looked from Ivan to the indicators and back again. At one point he said, "We're getting a wiggle I can't pin down. Let's try it from another angle." He frowned and shook his head.

"All right-Erika, not UET, trained you for killing. But what if she did exactly what they wanted?" He looked down, and up again.

"No reaction. Well, then-" His voice came harsh. "It's killing time, Marchant!

Who's your target?"

Ivan leaned forward, tensed. "The enemies!"

"Whose enemies?"

He tried to rise; Rissa clutched his shoulder. "UET's! You!"

Rissa gasped. So he was the UET plant we feared! But watch-watch and listen ...

Ivan sank back in his chair; his eyes widened. "But how could they-?"

Tregare's pointed finger held his gaze. "They knew where Rissa had gone. They knew she meant to get you out. So they planned for it."

Rissa said, "But .you, Bran-they could not know-"

"Not me personally," said Tregare. "Anybody opposing UET. Right, Marchant?"

Ivan nodded; he looked down at his fingers, spread them, then clasped them together. "Do you have to kill me-or maybe just turn me loose somewhere I can't hurt anything?" His clenched hands beat down on his knee. "Oh, h.e.l.l-here I 216.

thought-all this way, and I even found Rissa-lwas hoping, but-"

"No!" said Rissa, and Tregare shook his head.

"Nothing like that," he said. "If you weren't pretty well defused already, you couldn't have got that up top and said it to my face. But a few precautions. You mind working under a hypnotic? Not to plant anything into you, but to spring what else is still there?"

Ivan shrugged. "Whatever you say." From a drawer Tregare took an ampoule, and made the injection.

Now the questions came fast. Twice Ivan crouched and snarled, ready to attack. Each time Tregare fired a repet.i.tive "Why?" forcing the man to Consider his answers until he saw past their origin to his true feelings. Gradually the responses became less violent; soon Tregare could handle each with only a few questions, nodding as the indicators held a steady green.

Finally he turned to Rissa. "He's safe now; Erika must have got most of it out. I'd bet my life on him-in fact, I'm going to."

Yawning, he stood and stretched. "That was work! Well, I'd better get on and see Limmer. Ivan'11 be a while coming out of it-you'll stay with him and bring him along later?"

"Yes, Bran. I will seek you first on Lefthand Thread."

"Fine. If I go somewhere else, I'll leave word." He left, and she took his seat at the field controls. Can I do it?

She had to try. "Ivan-the women at Welfare, who hurt you-remember?" He winced.

"What did they do? Show me what they did."

He lay supine, spreadeagled on the floor, reliving what he told. Again and again she shuddered. Tie a boy down, arouse him s.e.xually-then punish that arousal with vicious pain.

No wonder normal response was killed!

She thought, then said, "Get up and sit again. Now-Ivan, how old were these women?"

Middle-aged, most of them, he told her. She nodded. "Ivan-they are all dead now, or near it.

Do you realize they are dead? You have killed them, Ivan -simply by traveling among the stars, by staying young while they aged and died." She leaned forward. "Dead people can- 217.

not hurt you, Ivan. They cannot touch you-you are beyond their dead reach!"

His brow wrinkled; he shook his head. Quickly she said, "Spit on them, Ivan-spit on them'." He spat. "Trample their bones to dust!" His feet beat against the floor. "Now they no longer exist. You have destroyed them. You are free of them. Your body can do as you wish it to-and there will be no pain, but only joy."

His face twitched; again he shook his head. "It is true!"He recovers from the drug-there is little time. She went to the door and locked it, came back and undid his clothing and her own. "Here is how it will be with you, Ivan, from now on."

She watched his smile begin. "You see, brother? There is no pain. .. ."

CLOTHED again, and he also, she sat with him as he came to full awareness. He looked up at her. "I dreamed. I dreamed that I-was all right again.''

She squeezed his hand. "And you are all right-forever now, you are. The past has no more power over you."

He sat up. "But-what really happened? It seemed-"

"What does it matter? Your mind and body know they are whole again." .

"But you-" He frowned. "No-that was my mind, I guess, and the drug. You wouldn't-"

"Always, I do what is necessary. Believe what you will-I cannot see your dream, to know if it is true or not. Unless you wish to tell me..."

"No!" He got to his feet slowly; she stood also. "I'll keep that to myself; sharing it might spoil it. But-whatever-my life's thanks to you!"

"You make me very happy, Ivan. Are you ready to go to the s.h.i.+p now?"

"Yes-a little shaky, but improving fast. And hungry!"

She laughed. "And so am I. Shall we go and see if it is lunchtime yet?"

ABOARDLefthand Thread and ups.h.i.+p, they found Limmer, 218.

Felcie, and Tregare in the galley. Lunch had begun; Limmer waved for two more servings.

Rissa introduced Ivan. Felcie said, "Tari's brother? You just got here? You're a little older, aren't you? What's it like on Earth, when you left? Not too snooky, I bet.

Are you glad to be here?"

Tregare laughed. "Don't worry, Ivan-you get used to it. Answer what you can keep track of and let the rest hang or come later. All right?"

Ivan smiled and slowly nodded. "I'm a little smeared yet, Felcie; it took a hypnotic to pull some bugs out of my head." He turned to Tregare. "Did it all come out right?"

"Sure-there wasn't much-less than I expected. But from the looks of you, it made more difference than I thought."

Ivan shrugged. "Tensions I didn't know I had-now they're gone." He looked to Felcie. "You asked-well, by chrono I'm three years older than Rissa. Not quite that, bio-I rode deepfreeze all the way here. Came in on Graf Spee. Peace knows, yes, I'm glad to be here. What Earth's like-or was-that's no fit subject for mealtimes."

Counting on his fingers, Limmer chuckled. "You'll do, man-you got all of them!''

The talk-light, friendly chatter-progressed. At first Rissa watched Ivan closely, but soon decided his adjustment was stable and complete. Certainly his responses seemed open, unguarded. Apprehension gone, mentally she sighed in relief.

AFTER lunch, while Felcie showed Ivan around Lefthand Thread, Tregare and Rissa inspected the preliminary work done on Valkyrie and Graf Spee. Only a few minor corrections were needed; cutting and reframing could proceed, then the arming itself.

Coming downs.h.i.+p in Graf Spee, they met Ilse Krueger. The small woman wore a coverall suit; her hair was pulled back into a tight knot. She said, "Welcome aboard, Tregare-Tari. I was down in Drive when you came in, I guess. Everything going all right, above?"

"Fine," said Tregare. "And is everything all right with you, Ilse?"

She shrugged. "Now it is. First here, I felt Limmer was 219.

crunching me-and you sure as peace were. But then I asked around. When I heard that everybody got the truth field treatment-well, after Peralta I couldn't argue with that logic. But you didn't have to give me that garbage about shooting me down if I didn't kowtow the right way!"

"Oh?" Rissa recognized Tregare's best deadpan expression.

"Yes, oh! Not much I'd put past you, Tregare-but blowing up an unarmed s.h.i.+p and all aboard it, out of spite for losing an argument? I didn't believe that for a minute, you peace-bed.a.m.ned pirate, you!"

Tregare laughed. Rissa reached to grip the woman's shoulder, gently. "Ilse Krueger-I find that I like you."

Ilse patted Rissa's hand. "That's good-and I'm glad-but I'm a b.i.t.c.h on jets and never forget it. You ought to hear-"

"Then we are much alike-otherwise I would not now be alive."

Tregare said, "You can trade stories some other time. But Tari has a point, Ilse. We married in a dueling arena. She'd just killed a man twice her weight-a skilled man-without weapons."

Ilse blinked and stared at Rissa. "I wouldn't have though! it. But I guess I should have- short haul or long, what other kind of woman would Tregare take up with?"

"Could have been you, Ilse-when we first met, on South Forty. You had your own little harem then-the twins-so I left the string loose. But I've always figured I missed something worthwhile."