Part 61 (2/2)
”Would they?” Patricia's voice was flat. ”I can think of at least one who might not.”
Walter ignored that. ”I'm not sure I trust this little weather a.n.a.loger overmuch,” he said, frowning. ”It's wishy-washy about the deep trough below Rockall. Doesn't want to commit itself on trend. We may have to ask Marc to do a deep scan of the system. If the storm drifts our way we could be in for an uncomfortable couple of days that could be avoided with a course change, given the proper trend data.”
Patricia was not to be distracted. ”You know Hagen hates Marc. The boy is looking forward to setting the Magistratum on his father! We'll have to use force to keep that time-gate closed.
Nothing else will suffice. Unless you convince the children of their danger, Walter.”
”I like sailing along the moonpath, don't you? It doesn't often happen that it works out just right that way-but when it does, it's magic.”
She slammed her coffee cup down on the chart console. ”Stick your head in the sand, then! Keep dreaming that we can solve this terrible mess with sweet reason and kindly intentions. But Cordelia Warshaw and I know better-and it won't be long before even Marc has to face the truth.”
Walter's lips compressed into a hard line. He stared straight ahead, adjusting the wheel with delicate movements.
Patricia said, ”I was talking to Jordy about the teleportation of external ma.s.s. In order for Marc to carry objects situated outside his CE rig, he'll have to expand the upsilon-field generated by his mind. It means jacking up the input power to the rig-putting a greater and greater stress on his brain. He can't do it abruptly or he'll risk overload. Kramer's not even sure that Marc has the capacity to encompa.s.s an area large enough to be practicable. Then there are the pa.s.sengers. Will they need life-support gear for jumps on Earth? All we have is the spare suit of CE armour, three more tons of ma.s.s for Marc to carry.
The testing will take time ... But I hardly think Hagen or Aiken Drum will delay opening the time-gate while Marc solves his teleportation problems.”
”We could ask them to,” Walter said.
Patricia was at the wheelhouse door. ”We will. With the Xlasers behind us, and all the concerted coercion we can lash together!” Then she was gone.
Walter tracked her briefly to make certain that she had retired to her cabin, then scanned the rest of his s.h.i.+pmates. They were all either asleep or occupied with their work-except two. Marc was gone on the jump and Alexis Manion was unexpectedly at large, wandering about the main deck, pausing from time to time to swab at the brightwork with a polis.h.i.+ng rag. He was under the influence of the docilator. No one had thought to send him to bed, and only the magnates had the requisite command code. Subsidiary Grand Masters such as Walter were forbidden to interfere with the potentially dangerous Manion.
”Poor devil,” Walter muttered. The dim figure disappeared behind the night-shrouded forward deckhouse. For some time Walter brooded about Manion, whose crime had been revealing to the children the truth about their elders. Then it was time to farspeak Veikko, and Walter forgot the dynamic-field specialist as he sent his mind ranging eastward to the Alps.
WALTER: Hey, boy.
VEIKKO: I'm here, Walter.
WALTER: How are things going?
VEIKKO: One of the climbers got a touch of pulmonary edema and another has frostbitten feet. But we progress. Camp 3 was stocked today. The a.s.sault teams leave here for the big push tomorrow. Basil is still on the mountain leading the support group down, and by rights the a.s.sault party should wait until he gets back. But we're expecting Firvulag company, so they're jumping the gun. Basil delegated a Tibetan medic named Thongsa to lead the other six a.s.saulters in a single group until they connect up with him. Then they'll split into two smaller teams as originally planned and Basil will lead them to the aircraft.
WALTER: Sounds like this Basil hasn't had much rest in the last week.
VEIKKO: He's led just about every other support group. I can't believe the guy is seventy-two. Rejuvenated, of course.
WALTER: That makes him a year younger than Marc. And a couple of years older than me.
VEIKKO: Well, we all know b.l.o.o.d.y Marc's immortal. But you look-I meanWALTER: The Ocala regen tank was getting a bit obsolete. I didn't make much use of it. I'm sure this Basil is a product of more sophisticated Milieu technology if he's the climbing superman you say he is.
VEIKKO: It must be quite a place ... the Milieu, I mean.
WALTER: You'll see.
VEIKKO: ... Walter, are you sure you still want to try it?
<script>