Long View - Zelde M'Tana Part 21

"You do that," said Zelde. "I'd sure admire to know."

The man certainly recovered fast; now he spoke with force, almost lively. "It's because of what I want-a higher place than I'm likely to get from UET-that I'm no threat to you, Ragir . . . Zelde." He refilled his coffee cup and drank from it.

"Suppose-just suppose, now-that I took the informer's route to command. Turned you in, so that UET retook the Great Khan before you could lift." He c.o.c.ked his head to the side. "What's the ship's new name?"

Parnell shook his head; Peralta continued. "All right- say I did that. Then, you might say, as Captain I'd be in prime shape, given a trip or two to reshuffle personnel to my own purpose, to make my own Escape. See anything wrong with it?"

"Quite a lot," said Parnell. "Do you?"

Peralta grinned. "Too right, I do! Because where would I go?"

Now Zelde saw it; she gasped, and the man nodded. "What Escaped ship or Hidden World would tolerate a man who got free by betrayal?" He shook his head.

"And when Tregare heard-that armed ship of his would hunt me down if it took him the rest of his life. You see, Ragir?"

The way Parnell sat now, he looked more relaxed. "Jimar-I wish I could help you, because our side needs you.

174.

You're a fox-what tricks you don't know, you'll invent when you have the chance.

And you realize a basic fact- that good faith is best trusted when it's grounded firmly in self-preservation!"

"I'm glad you appreciate my reasoning." Done eating, Peralta moved to pick up the rest of his. clothes and finish dressing. From a jacket pocket he took a package, and gave it to Parnell. "Almost forgot this-your courtesy copy of our log. Not as ingenious as yours, I'm afraid. Pretty dull stuff, mostly."

Parnell gave the routine thank-yous. Checking his clothing and apparently satisfied he was complete, Peralta nodded and held his hand out, first to Parnell and then to Zelde. "Hangover and all, it's been a pleasure. How soon do you lift?"

Parnell shrugged. "Day or two." Hah! Today most likely.

"Don't wait too long, is my tip. Nosing around a little, down in Old Town, trying to get a line on you-I heard rumors. Suspicion's building, Ragir-and my questioning may have added to it. I'm sorry, if that's so, but I think you understand what my problem was."

"Yes," said Parnell. "It could have been myself in your shoes." He paused, then said, "Once free of this place, my ship will bear the insigne Chanticleer."

"That's good to know; thank you. And if, some landing, you hear of a ship called No Return, that one will be Jimar Peralta's."

At the door he made a half bow, then turned and left. Parnell looked at the closed door. "Jimar has his faults, but no one can call him stupid. If he were-with all that ambition. ..."

"I know, Parnell. We couldn't of let him off here alive."

They went to Control, where Parnell set up a dual comm-watch, separating onship communications from the circuits to groundside. He gave the Port a schedule for lift- off two days later. The ship's own schedule, though, set the lifting at mid-afternoon that same day. The timing allowed an initial course toward the next destination shown in the faked log. But that course pa.s.sed near the system's largest planet-out where a single ship couldn't be detected from Terranova. And the pa.s.sage was close enough to use the ma.s.sive, barren giant in a sling maneuver that would let 175.

Parnell point the Khan toward either Hidden World he chose.

It sounded good. Zelde hoped it would work.

At noon, Zelde took the watch from Lera Tzane. Checking the "raw" log-it would be edited down to essentials before going into permanent record-she found a call from Cort Verrane. He'd asked if the cargo was complete, and Tzane had given him the planned lie that two essential items were still missing. And Verrane blew up-the items had been delivered, he said, and, "If you people would get your heads out of your a.s.s, maybe you could see where you're going!"

Tzane had tried to soothe him, but he finished by demanding "a full investigation, before you leave this port!" Zelde frowned. d.a.m.n!-Lera should have pa.s.sed this one to Parnell. The timing, though-yeah, the call came before she had clearance to call captain's quarters. But later, when she did have that go-ahead-this sure's h.e.l.l wasn't something to forget about!

By intercom she found Lera in the galley, and put her questions.

"But I-it didn't seem to require any action. After all, we're lifting in-let's see-a little over two hours from now."

"If we're let to. A man like Verrane-he could still make trouble."

"What should I have done?"

'Told Parnell, first chance. Or me, at least, at changeover." Zelde stopped-h.e.l.l, this was her superior officer she was chewing out! Was she riding Parnell's authority, the way Dopples said she would? She shook her head-no time for that stuff. "Kowtowed a little, maybe-promise you'd get right on it, give a full report by late afternoon, keep the spoiled brat happy 'til we're out of reach and off the hook.

That's what I'd of done." Would 1, though? Parnell never gave hindsight much points. . . .

"Let it go, Lera; I'll call Verrane's office, see if I can patch things." Tzane's apologies came fast; Zelde said, "It's all right," and cut the circuit. But it wasn't all right, not until she fixed it-if she could.

At the other comm-panel-for offship-she got Verrane's secretary first try. No, he wasn't in. Yes, Officer 176.

M'tana could leave a message. Zelde thought, then said, "The cargo mixup this morning. I see by the log, Officer Tzane didn't make it clear she started a correlation search right away. Well, the mistake's here at our end, all right- somebody working relief at the freight ramp, likely. Hasn't found the items themselves, yet-but she'll report again before you close shop there. That's fifteen hundred; right?" With the Great Khan two hours into s.p.a.ce . . .

The man confirmed. "I'll get your own report to Mr. Verrane as soon as possible, Officer M'tana. Thank you."

"Same here." She cut the screen and turned to see Par-nell standing beside her, eyebrows raised. Quickly she explained.

He nodded. "Yes. Best way to handle it, I think. Too bad Tzane didn't do so this morning." At her look, he said, "In the galley, she was telling me. So I came right up."

"Ragir-you think we got trouble?"

"While we're on Terranova? Of course. We've had it all along, if you stop to think. Ever since we landed."

"Yeah-I guess." Then, slow about it because she wasn't sure what to say, she told of her talk with Lera Tzane. "Is that what Dopples meant? Was I getting too big for my Hat?"

"No-somebody had to move fast. Zelde, on this ship the only difference between Hats is precedence of command; basically you're all doing the same job. And you had the watch. Except-"

"What, Ragir?"

"You shook Lera down a bit. Rightly so-but I have in mind for her to l i ft us today, and I want her feeling ready and able." He looked at his chronometer. "It's time you had a break, anyway-I'll sit in for you. If she's still in the galley-well, you might. . . ."

"Sure, Parnell. If I can."

Going into the galley, she met Tzane just leaving. The woman nodded and started to pa.s.s; Zelde took hold of her arm. "If you got a minute, Lera-sit with me?"

A stiff nod. "If you wish." Zelde got coffee for both, then sat facing the other.

Where to start? Smiling, hoping to make Lera feel easy, she told about her call to Verrane's office. "So I think we're all right now. No point in worrying, anyway."

177.

Face tense, Tzane leaned forward. "But it could have been bad, couldn't it-the mistake I made?" She shook her head. "1 don't know why-"

"Too much stuff on your mind, like all of us-but not for long. Once you lift us off here, soon now, things'll clear up a lot."

It wasn't working; Lera's face stayed blank. "Lift ship? Me? I can't do it; I don't feel sure enough of myself."

"Parnell does. You landed us, didn't you? And that's fancier-a lot fancier. Liftoff, you just point us right, like the computer says, and pour it on. No sweat."

"Then if it's so easy, Zelde, why don't you do it?"

"On account of Parnell picked you. And you're rightly in line ahead of me, plus you landed us real good." She grinned. "I'll get my turn sometime; no hurry. h.e.l.l, I never seen a li ft yet. Only one I had, I was down there naked in Hold, Portside Upper."

Finally the woman smiled. "All right; I'll be ready. After all, it doesn't take any diplomatic talent to li ft a ship."

Zelde reached to grip her arm. "Now you got it."

When she got back up to Control, Parnell was slumped in his seat. Her footsteps made noise on the deck; first his head turned, then he sat straighter. d.a.m.n, he looked tired-face strained, and no good color to it. Standing, now, he said, "I'm going to take a rest. Call if you need me-and ten minutes before lift, in any case."

"Parnell, you all right?"

"I'll make it. I'm taking my next pill early, and may need an extra before I sleep tonight. We'll see when the time comes."

"All right." Quickly she hugged him, her cheek to his, before letting him go. Then she took the control seat.

The log, nothing new-well, she hadn't been gone long. Outside screens, all- quiet.

There sat the Bonaparte-and what was Peralta doing just now? Beyond, ugly as usual but no more so, the Admin building. Old Town, looking quiet enough-she wished she could have seen more of it. Farther out. where clouds hid the sea-some weather coming, seasonal changes on the way. Good thing to be away probably, before going offship meant slopping in mud and drizzle.

178.

Not a bad world, though, Terranova. Except for UET. . . .

She shuddered, then. Sure wish we was lifted already!

The intercom sounded; she flipped the switch. "M'tana here."

"Drive room-Harger speaking. Sixty minutes to liftoff, and all green on the checklist board."

Sixty more minutes? But all she said was, "Acknowledged, and thanks."

"Report cleared, then. Short of a hitch, which I don't expect, my next call will be the five-minute alert." Then, not so formal; "Who's lifting us? The captain?"

"No. Acting First Hat Tzane. Being as she brought us down so nice and easy."

Harger laughed. "She did, at that. Well, tell her she's got all the punch she needs from this end. Harger out."

"Right." With the circuit killed, Zelde found herself wishing that Parnell hadn't streamlined the procedures quite so much. UET's liftoff routines called for almost constant reporting back and forth-wasted effort, sure, but something to do, to ease the nerves. She shifted in her seat-how could she take a whole 'nother hour of this?

She wasn't sure how long it had been, when on the outside screen she saw the vehicle coming up the road. Only at one place, where the slope was gradual, could she see any part of the lower road-the curve at the first switchback. That's where she saw it-just a quick look, not enough to tell what kind of car it was. Then it rounded the turn and was behind the cliff again.

Well. Now she sat up, concentrating. The road came in view over to the left of the Bonaparte; she watched to see what was climbing the hill-and where it would go.

And finally the car showed. It was closed over, not like the ones the Port used, and above narrow windows a thick bulge ran the length of it. And she knew what it was.

The Committee Police their own d.a.m.ned selves!

When the car pa.s.sed the turnoff to Admin and still kept coming, she flipped the switch and called quarters. "Parnell? I think you better get up here!" No answer.

"Parnell!

179.

Captain! Get woke up and come to Control. Don't stop to dress-carry your clothes.

It's-"

"All right, Zelde-I'm on my way. But this had better be good."

/ wish it was! When Torra Defose had talked to Zelde, over at Admin, she'd come in an open car. Not this combat job. Zelde hadn't seen one of these since Earth-since she was running a district for Honcho. But she hadn't forgotten.

On intercom to the main ramp: "That car. Anybody wants to come aboard, you stall! Quick as we can, we'll get help down." She couldn't order that yet-she had to wait for Parnell. "Keep this here circuit open, so's it relays up anything they say."

"Right-and no one's coming through me." She recognized the man's voice, remembered his face-but couldn't put a name to it. She shook her head. Not now.

The car pa.s.sed the ship's safety perimeter, ignoring the guard's command-over his loudhailer-to halt. If we had guns on here, like that Tregare! But they hadn't.

At twenty meters out, Zelde's guess, the car stopped. She watched-do your trick-and the car did. Its topside bulge folded away and a gun raised out, to point at the open airlock.

A projector, an energy gun-bigger than the heavy thing she'd used at Escape, bigger even than the useless blaster that went with the power suit. Zelde waited.

"Ahoy, the ship-Police business! Request to board." The voice from the bullhorn, relayed by intercom, distorted so that Zelde made out only the bare words.

To the ramp guard, she said, "Don't answer 'til you have to-and don't shoot yet."

The man acknowledged.

From the car came four armed Police, wearing the plastic hooded helmets Zelde remembered. Then one unhel-meted figure-and Zelde recognized Torra Defose.

Friendly, huh? I should of knowed!

That one had the bullhorn, and now used it again. "Guard-this is not an attack, but you must allow me to board. Don't try to close your ramp; my gunner in the car would cripple you. His angle of fire, through the airlock, bears directly on the major circuits between your drive and control rooms. So, guard-will you be sensible? May I board now?"

180.

"When topside tells me you can. No offense-but I have my standing orders." Zelde heard the man clear his throat. "It shouldn't take long." Nervous, was he? Well, who wasn't?

Time to take a hand-Zelde turned on her outside speakers. "The Great Khan, control room speaking. n.o.body called ahead about this boarding. The captain, he'd like a little more reason than a gun and some uniforms. This ship's dealt civil here; anybody comes on us this way should show some paper about why, I think." Had she said that right? Now she listened.

She zoomed the screen view down, and saw Defose grin. "M'tana, isn't it?"

This here's the enemy, remember-so talk careful. Zelde said, "That's right. M'tana, Acting Second, on watch. But the captain, he'll be here in a minute and say for himself."

'That's not necessary-you'll do. Meet me at the airlock, top of the ramp. That's an order-on the commandant's authority, if you prefer it that way. I have the papers you seem to want. Come down and inspect them."