Long View - Zelde M'Tana Part 5

Zelde just watched; Turk said, "I don't have any numbers: sorry. But why Terranova especially? And what's a straight shot?"

Parnell's smile went a little sour. "Riding up near light, as we are, do vou know how much energy it takes to change course?" Turk looked blank. "A right-a.n.a.le turn costs the same, in fuel, as slowing to zerch and climbing back. When it came to Grounding, we'd be out of margin and go splat. UET's fueling isn't planned to give us choices." He said more, about slighter turns and sines and cosines: Turk didn't seem to get it any better than Zelde did. He paused. "Except for Iron Hat, Terranova's our best chance to sit down safely, with a little leeway. But I wish I knew more about our chances of getting Hidden World data there."

Turk hawked a cough. "Something, maybe still good and maybe not. Before UET boarded us on here, word hit the staging area. Sources I can vouch for. The one running Terranova's Underground, code name Horsehead. Young, they said- though not bv the time we get there, of course. And if that's where we do go."

Like stone, Parnell looked. "Given a better choice, I'd take it."

Turk blinked. "Well. Risky, taking an Escaped ship into UET country with fudged papers and out again safe-but we all know it's been done, and more than once." Turk scratched her head. "I remember something else about Terranova.

There was word-a second s.p.a.ceport planned for the big island there, at Parleyvoo settlement. By the time we'd get there, it should be in business for some years."

The man smiled. "Yes. At a secondary base, less chance of UET ships groundside with us-and armed ones, especially. It's a good thought."

He made to stand: Zelde moved to help him. He tried to wave her awav. but she said, "Just while we're getting vou there. Going into meeting, you walk it by yourself: sure."

"All right." And with one woman bracing him on either side, they went out and along the corridor.

Zelde knew she looked a mess. Parnell's old coverall suit 45.hung loose on her except where a belt cinched it at the waist: she had the legs turned up so as not to scuff, and the sleeves rolled. Where the energy beam's side- losses had burned part of her hair, she had some scalp blisters-didn't need a bandage, but she could smell the salve that soothed the burns.

She shrugged. What difference did it make?

Just outside the galley Parnell stopped, looked to each woman, and drew free of them. Then, as they followed, he walked in. He went to the one vacant seat at the end of a long table. At his gesture, Zelde and Turk brought other chairs and sat flanking him.

Zelde recognized a few of the people, the ones who'd visited Parnell or she'd taken messages to. Mr. Adopolous, the Second Officer-Dopples, Parnell called him sometimes- spoke first. His cheek tattoo was only half the pie-the bottom and lefthand quarters. The thin-faced man, bald at the front with a big fluff of curly black hair remaining, talked fast and loud. "Well. Are you finally ready to do busi- ness-Captain?"

Parnell's cheek twitched but he kept his voice quiet. "We're here for that, aren't we? I have an agenda ready. Unless you have a priority item in mind, Dopps, can we go ahead with it?"

Dopples opened and closed his mouth, swallowed and then nodded. Parnell said, "Start recording," and at the foot of the table a young rating turned switches and made a go-ahead sign.

Parnell cleared his throat. "Now then-meeting of surviving Control and engineering officers, and senior ratings, of the Escaped ship the Great Khan. Ragir Parnell presiding. First item-unless a majority overrules, I am confirmed as Captain and Cyras Adopolous as First Hat. Your vote?" He looked around the table. "Done. After this meeting, the ratings present will caucus to nominate four of you as candidates for the Second and Third Hat slots; Dopples and I will make the final selections. All right?" Again he scanned the group; no one said anything.

Parnell sighed. "We can't change the paint job-our ship's insigne-until we're in and out of a colony for fuel and supplies. But for ourselves, I propose that this ship 46.now become Chanticleer. Any other nominations?" Silence. "Then be it so recorded."

Adopolous fidgeted, and started to raise a hand. Parnell said, 'I'm coming to it, Dopps, I think. Where we go next-right?" The balding man sat back, and Parnell explained their limitations and outlined Turk Kestler's suggestion. "A new port-just having two ports on one colony-gives us better odds against running into UET mus- cle. We can get a look at both, going in, and take our choice."

"You have in mind," said Dopples, "that if you're wrong about Terranova, we won't have fuel to go anywhere else?"

"Of course. But do you have an alternative you like better?"

The motion pa.s.sed.

The next few items, Zelde couldn't follow. Bored, she daydreamed, until Parnell said, "All right. What's left to do now is the divvy." Around the table, one and then another nodded-leaning forward, intent on what came next.

"I think you've all heard of the Agowa formula for dividing ownership after Escape. Even back in the Slaughterhouse, smuggled copies were pa.s.sed around. I propose we take that as a basis, with modifications if the majority here so votes."

A heavy-set senior rating-Zelde wasn't sure of his exact rank-raised a hand. "Not meaning to sound grabby, sir, but I don't see what's wrong with one person, one share."

Two or three others made supporting noises-but shut up when Parnell thumped his good hand on the table, not very hard. "Because, Declennter, that's not the way it's earned. How much risk, and for how long, did you have in this Escape?" Before the man could answer, Parnell continued. "Not unti l five days ago did you have to put it on the line-when Dopps and I and poor old Terihew decided it was time to move, and got around to asking you. You know how long we'd been working it out, with our necks on margin every time we took a chance on talking to the wrong party? More than a year, that's what. No offense, Decko-when the time came, you did a good job. But you don't get the same share I do, because you didn't earn it."

He paused. "Comments?"

The man shook his head. "No, sir. I was asking, was all.

47.I'd never thought about it, the way you just explained. No more argument."

"Good. Anyone else?" No one spoke. "All right. Basic Agowa divvy is half-in descending scale-to the Control officers, twenty percent likewise to the Engineering officers, the reminder to the crew in shares, with ratings getting double. Any case that needs a vote, Captain's vote breaks ties. I move that this system-and I'll quote individual percentages in a minute-be adopted, subject to amendment by majority vote here."

A fattish, sandy-haired man-Harger, Chief Engineer- spoke up. "Officers, yours and mine. Do you mean just we survivors, or including the replacements? I lost my Second-Wanela moves up from Third and I have that slot to fill. So my new Third- and the two Hats you and Dopples pick-do they get officers' shares, or ratings'?"

Blinking, Parnell rubbed his eyelids. "That's a good point. It does make a difference-I hadn't thought." For a moment, he bit his lip. "In truth, they haven't earned officers' cuts. On the other hand, Dopps and I-and your people-we'd look pretty greedy, splitting dead men's portions." Frowning, he drummed fingers on the table; then he smiled. "Compromise-surviving officers take the shares of our new ranks only. The rest goes into the crew's pot, to increase all the other shares." He looked around; no one answered. "Vote?" And then: "All right; pa.s.sed. I think it's the fairest choice."

Dopples said, "With the casualties we took, the crew shares were pretty good- sized already. But I agree, Parnell-your way gives everybody a better stake in the ship."

"About half again what it would have been, and a little more." As Parnell gave the numbers, Zelde listened; working for Honcho, she'd had to learn those things. What she understood of it-from Captain's twenty percent down to just over half a percent for unrateds in the crew-was that Control and Engineering officers together held only a bare majority in wealth and voting. She wasn't sure how much voting there'd be, or why-but in it, to stay on top, Parnell was going to need his people behind him, solid.

"I think that covers most of it." She could hear how tired he was; she hoped n.o.body else could. "Anyone who wants off, any place we stop, the rest of us pool and buy them out." He grinned. "You, Dopps-you'd better stay 48.on. I can't afford you!" More relaxed now, the man smiled back. Making slow work of it, Parnell stood. "Then we're adjourned."

He turned to Zelde. "My leg's gone to sleep. Steady me while I walk it alive again?" She went to him, and when he tried to move she held his arm until the rest of them left, most giving parting words or gestures. Then Turk took his other arm and the three moved along together. "I didn't fool them much, did I?"

"What matter?" said Zelde. "You been hurt; they know that. Easy now-not much more to go."

Back in his rooms, he sat on the bed and looked up at Turk. "I want to thank you." She nodded. "How are you quartered?"

"All right. With so many dead, and the Uties locked up, there's vacancies.

Dopples let me put my people in them- issued what clothes he could, and fit us into galley schedules. Some of us have jobs to do now, and that's good." She waited, then said, "There'll be more than a few saying, when they hear, that we ought to have shares, too. What should I tell them?"

He began to shake his head, then squinted. "Starting with the fighting some of you did, and now working, you can earn credit toward shares. It'll take some figuring, but I'll handle that."

"You think fast, Captain-and good. That ought to hold them. Well-I'd better get back and see what's been going wrong. I'm straw boss, sort of, for my crowd-mainly to get them settled in, on here, without bothering your people any more than we have to. I'll see you."

Turk left, and Parnell said, "She'll be a help, that one."

"Sure. She was Underground-big in it, I think. Couldn't hardly be dumb, could she?"

Zelde got his jacket off him, then the shoes. She started to do more, but he shook his head. "That's enough. Just to lie down for a while."

"You hurting?"

"Some. I'll manage."

So it wasn't the time yet. All right-she could wait.

Parnell woke hungry. Zelde called the galley; it was one of a few places she knew how to get hold of, on the inter- 49 com. "Could somebody pile a couple hot trays for captain's quarters?" The man at the other end asked when she wanted them. "Oh, I'll come get 'em. Thanks." As she left, Parnell gave her a smile.

Going into the galley she felt funny. She didn't know anybody much, yet. They seemed to know her, though, and several told her h.e.l.lo, looking friendly. Not like down in the hold. She tried to figure it, and decided it was partly she was younger- sort of a pet, the way the Kids had been with little ones, sometimes. And couldn't hurt, either, that she'd knocked out the power suit. Anyway, having people act nice was a help, with everything so strange and a little scary.

She got the food down to Parnell and they ate. He did better than he had been, but still left some; she didn't let it go to waste. Drinking coffee, he looked pretty relaxed, so she said, "Some things I don't know." His brows lifted. "Like what's the ship going to do?"

First he didn't say anything. Then: "I think I know what you mean. We got clear of UET, but what happens from now on?" Zelde nodded. "Well, we're in business for ourselves. When we make connections with the Hidden Worlds, which is our prime concern now, we have to keep ourselves in fuel and supplies by giving service. Buying and selling cargo, carrying news and messages and pa.s.sengers." He looked thoughtful.

"Most of us are on here because we prefer s.p.a.ce to groundhogging. Some will get off, somewhere or other, and there'll be people wanting on, too, so there's always some change. The difference now is that we decide those changes, not UET."

Zelde thought she had it straight but wasn't sure. She felt her frown tighten up.

Parnell said, "Look at it this way. Our first priority is keeping the ship a working concern. The second is to be some help to other Escaped ships and to the Hidden Worlds. And the third is, any time we get the chance, to do UET one in the eye."

"Like how?"

"Escaped ships sometimes raid small colonies, just to hijack needed supplies. That's one way, but quite a risk for an unarmed ship." The armed ship Zelde had heard about, he didn't mention.

50.Parnell's hip and thigh healed fastest; the leg stayed stiff, a little, but he moved around all right. Fesler took the st.i.tches out of his belly, but Zelde thought the gut wound still hurt him, inside. The shoulder was worst, though; when he tried to exercise, to make it move loose again, his face got gray. Then he'd take another pill and keep trying.

Zelde fetched and carried, stayed beside him when he took duty, slept in his quarters on a foldout cot. Hearing what he heard in Control and what he said back, she began to understand a little bit of how things were done on Chanticleer. She got really interested, and began to ask questions-but never when Parnell was busy, or more tired than usual.

When time came to change course and set thrust, aiming for Terranova, she watched like a cat at a mousehole. At first she couldn't follow it at all, couldn't see any pattern. Then she noticed something-the numbers Parnell said, and punched into the computer terminal, kept getting bigger. But not so much bigger, each one, as the one before had been. It was leveling off, whatever he was doing-and it did, and then the numbers got smaller and the dropoff kept getting faster, until the bright trace moving on a side-screen went out of sight at the bottom, and Parnell said, "Curvature zero, effectively." And over the intercom: "Keep thrust as-is for now, Harger. We'll correct later."

Excited, Zelde had all she could do to keep her mouth shut-but until they were back in quarters, she did. Then, after they'd eaten, she said, "Parnell, I'm learning!

Changing course, what you did-it started to make sense. When you-" She explained, words coming as fast as she could talk. Then she waited.

"Yes." He nodded. "You got that part straight. I rather thought you were bright, Zelde, even though you're obviously not schooled. Now the important thing is, if you want to train in these matters on a regular basis, you'll be a bigger help to me than you are already. Which also means, of course, that you'll be improving your own status." He paused. "I think I'll list you on the roster as-oh, apprentice navigator.

Does that sound all right?"

She grinned. "Just fine, Parnell!"

So she began to study, not just watch, what happened in Control. First she had to learn what things were called and what they did-she was a long way, she knew, from know- 51.ing anything about how they did it. And she had to relearn reading. She'd known how, a little, the earliest she could remember-but except for keeping records for Honcho, she'd never used it much.

She got tired sometimes, and discouraged at all the mistakes she kept making.

Once when she'd tried three times to call a star-sight bearing and come out worse the more she tried, she went off watch feeling like something you throw away, and back in quarters she curled up and looked at the bulkhead. When Parnell came in and said h.e.l.lo, she didn't answer. He walked over and sat down alongside her, and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Something wrong, Zelde?"

"It's just-I'm no d.a.m.n good, Parnell! All I do is f.u.c.k up."

His arm squeezed her. "Now, that's not true -not true at all. You can't get it right all at once; n.o.body can. But I've been keeping track of your progress, and considering your lack of the usual background-"

Eyes stinging, she sat up straight; his arm dropped away from her. "Background, yeah! I don't know half what I need to, and maybe I never will. Parnell, I-"

His finger to her mouth quieted her. He said, "I'm the captain around here, and if I say you're doing well, don't argue with me." Startled, she looked up to him, but he was smiling. He nodded, and said, "It may be that you need more help than I've found time to give you. All right; we'll change that."

Briskly, for once, he stood and moved over to his work desk. "Now tell me what happened, and we'll see where the problems are."

For a minute or two she froze up and couldn't talk at all, but then she shook loose from whatever it was and settled down to work.

Probably she'd been trying to do too much on her own, Zelde decided. Now she got easier about depending more on Parnell to tell her things. "I guess I figured you had too much on you already, without me pestering," she said once.

"If you pester, Zelde, I'll let you know it."

Her official status on the roster meant she could ask other people questions, too, in Control or off-duty in the galley. Most were willing to help, to explain anything she 52.needed. Dopples, the First Hat, wasn't. His answers were curt-and, often as not, off the point. After a time she gave up asking him anything at all, and tried to avoid asking anyone else when he was there.

One question only Parnell could answer-but she couldn't decide how or when to ask. Either he was busy or tired or his face showing pain-when there was any time for personal talk, he wasn't in shape for it. So all she could do was wait.

She didn't know much about the way living patterns had been on the Great Khan.

On Chanticleer, though, arrangements seemed pretty flexible. She knew that a lot of people were living paired-up, some for keeps and some not, and the pairs weren't always of both s.e.xes. From what she'd heard of UET, that last part had to be new on the ship. She guessed it was about like it had been among the Kids- everybody free to choose.

Well, that was fine with her-but what about Parnell?

One day when Zelde and Parnell came off-duty together, he poured a short drink and sat down to look through some papers. For a minute or so she watched him, expecting that he'd take his usual pill and lie down, but he didn't. She opened the navigation manual to where she'd left off, and began reading-but now and then she looked aside to him. She saw him set the papers down and open a drawer, taking out a small folder. He opened it and looked-and sat, looking, for a long time.

Then, on his cheeks, she saw the tears.

Without thinking she closed the manual and went to him, standing and looking over his shoulder but not touching him. What he held was the picture of a woman- just the head and bare shoulders. Oval face, a strong smile, blonde hair long enough that the picture stopped before the hair did. Softly, Zelde said, "Real fine, that woman. Who is she?"

Parnell turned his head and looked up. She thought he'd wipe his eyes, but he didn't seem to notice. "She was my- we were together a long time. Until-" He shook his head. "It was her life or the ship-the ship, and all of us."

"Parnell-I don't know what you're saying."

"We'd already begun Escape. It was out in the open- 53.too late to stop. Plain bad luck, they caught her. She was on the job, right where she was supposed to be-someone else got signals crossed, I suppose. The same way I missed my try at Czerner, so that he got away."

Czerner? Oh, yeah-he'd been UET's Captain. Now Parnell's head moved back and forth-violent motion. Zelde bent down and held him to her. He said, "I can't even blame Czerner for using her as hostage-she was the only handle he had. But-" He looked up again and gripped Zelde's arm. "I couldn't give in, you see-give us all up to UET again. Not even to save her life, I couldn't do that!"

"He-he killed her?"

"Never mind who did it-or say that it was I, because my words triggered Czerner's order. I-" Now he cried freely, and Zelde crouched to hold him, moving to get her arms around better, and rubbing her cheek against his ear.

She whispered to him-not words, only sounds to comfort. A long time later he pulled away, wiping a sleeve across his face, enough to turn and look at her. She said, "Your woman gets killed-it takes 'til now, before her man grieves?"

"I-all this time-always busy-so tired. . . ."

"Yeah. Takes strength to grieve-to do it right."

His smile, not complete but starting, surprised her. "You know a lot of things, don't you? Thanks. I'm glad you're here."

"I'm not done yet." She got up, pulling on his good hand until he, too, stood. Very quickly she kissed him, then moved toward the big bed; he let her lead him.

"You're ready for me now." She began to undo his shirt.

"Hold on, Zelde. I-"

"You're ready; you know it." He didn't stop her-but he didn't help, either. After she unfastened his trousers she stepped back and got her own clothes off, watching him all the while. With no expression on his face he undressed, also-my G.o.d! the scars on him!-and then sat down.

But still he shook his head. "Zelde-you're much too young."

"I been s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g for longer'n you'd likely guess. Missed it lately, too-same as you have, I bet. Now you just lie down there-that's it-and don't worry.