Part 66 (2/2)
Kuhal's opaque blue eyes held warning. ”Those who think so should keep their thoughts to themselves.”
Neyal shrugged. ”Come aboard with us and hoist a jar,” he invited Kuhal. But the latter declined, saying he had to hurry back to Castle Gateway.
”I was only summoned to Roniah to act as the King's negotiator in securing the services of Lord Wayland-Velkonn,” the Earthshaker said. ”With the Truce upon us, I must make sure that the platform for the time-gate is completed inside Castle Gateway before sports fans come north in great numbers for the Tourney. All manner of spies are abroad these days, and the King wants the site secured.”
Tony looked surprised. ”But surely you'll build the Guderian device outside the castle, where the Milieu side of the warp opened ... ”
Kuhal said, ”I would have thought so myself. But the King sent to us one Dimitri Anastos-late of the outlaw cadre called Basil's b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. This worthy seems to have spent his days in the Milieu designing upsilon-field equipment, and he presumably knows something about the theory of temporal plication as well.
At any rate, he cautioned us that our device would not work unless there was no possibility of interference from the Milieu device. Our gate must debouch into empty air on Elder Earth.”
Tony looked wise. ”Right. I see. Just as this end has you materializing half a metre or so in midair above the open rocky place fronting Castle Gateway.”
”It seems,” Kuhal added, ”that the tau-field will operate more or less anywhere within the environs of a certain futuristic city in the Rhone Valley. The original machine was even moved about by its inventor. But if one selects a site where the-uh-s.h.i.+pment would materialize inside an obdurate ma.s.s of matter, then the Guderian device simply will not work.”
”Fail safe,” Tony noted. ”It would be depressing to emerge from the warp into solid rock. Or even partially embedded in the wall of a French provincial cottage.”
Kuhal said, ”This Anastos picked out a suitable spot inside Castle Gateway. We're building a platform on it, to take into account the way this region has risen slightly in the six million years between now and then.”
”You will be there at the games, won't you, Shaker?” Neyal asked. ”Our Sasaran lads are ready to put on a good show at s.h.i.+nty, but we'll need cheering on.”
”I'll be there,” Kuhal said, ”unless our friend does his work very quickly. In which case I have a previous engagement.”
Neyal laughed uncomprehendingly. ”Well, see you anon. You come right along, Velkonn. We'll be casting off straightaway.”
He whacked his fist to the nine-pointed star on his cuira.s.s in a farewell salute and beckoned Tony to follow.
”I-I will do my best,” the metallurgist said again to Kuhal.
”Good luck to you and your lady.” He turned away and went slowly down the pier, threading his way through bustling porters.
Lord Neyal was arguing with a truculent silver foreman, waving his clipboard, and seemed to have forgotten about his pa.s.senger.
Tony sat on a mysterious crate for a while, unmolested and unremarked. Finally the captal of the guard told him he was to be quartered on the endmost boat, so he ambled on board. The cabin with his baggage was tiny and drab, so he went out into the open stern, which projected out toward the mainstream of the Rhone. The inflated fabric formed a comfortable bench, and it was pleasant to sit in the sun and watch the other river traffic.
Lord Neyal's promise of an imminent departure turned out to be a typical Tanu piece of over optimism. An hour pa.s.sed, then two. Tony fell asleep.
He woke to an ironic telepathic voice: Nu if it isn't the prize shlemiel!
He peered groggily about. At first he saw nothing but the broad river, streaked with maroon and ochre from the sunset, and the twinkling lamps along the curving esplanade, and the big torcheres flaming in the twilight at the head of the pier.
Eh! Out on the water shmuck! Upstream 80 metres.
Tony strained to focus his fa.r.s.ense. His eyes made out a dark narrow blob, some kind of rivercraft. His mind-sight, still muzzy from sleep, sorted out a rough-hewn figure leaning on the gunwale and watching him.
Tony said: Chief Burke.
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