Part 25 (1/2)

Roz tilted her head to one side, watching the landscape. 'There are some things that shouldn't be messed with.'

'Yeah,' said Chris. 'Let's hope there was only the one.'

The Ithaca Chasma was a ma.s.sive gash in the moon's icy surface, a hundred klicks wide, five deep. It wrapped around three-quarters of Tethys. Chris and Roz were still in the viewing chamber when the pa.s.senger s.h.i.+p pa.s.sed over its edge. In the distance they could see Ithaca City.

'Looks like a kid's toy box,' said Chris. The city was a knot of buildings and lights, one huge dome covering the city centre, dozens of small domes and shapes cl.u.s.tered around it like 184 building blocks. And around those, hundreds and hundreds of s.p.a.cecraft.

Chris grinned and got up, walking right down the front, almost pressing his nose against the insulated hypergla.s.s. Roz followed him down, taking a front-row seat.

'Look,' he said. 'There's an old Indigenous Cla.s.s carrier, in for repairs. And there's a whole flock of those brand-new Vipers.

Looks like they're having their weapons fitted. And look! Holy cow! The Gulf of Tonkin Gulf of Tonkin! Look at the size size of that baby!' of that baby!'

As they drew closer to the city, the transport slowly cruising down, they could see the flags. Stiff plates of metal at half-mast.

Some of the domes were painted with alien symbols.

'Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your quarters. We'll be arriving in Ithaca City in ten minutes. Please be ready to disembark. Thank you for flying Solar Transport.'

Neither of them was carrying much. Roz had brought a small bag of essentials; she stopped in the s.p.a.ceport to buy a few more bits and pieces, while Chris thumbed through the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p magazines in the newsagent's.

'Do you want to grab a hotel room first, or have ' she looked at her chronometer ' lunch?'

'Let's have lunch,' said Chris. 'Get the feel of the place.' He held up the book he'd bought, the Lonely Galaxy Guide to Lonely Galaxy Guide to Tethys Tethys.

They took the slidewalk to the city centre. The most expensive hotels and shops were right in the centre; the price got lower the closer you got to the edge of the dome. 'You pay for sky,' said Roz.

And it was sky. During the day, a constant simulation of Earth weather was projected on the surface of the dome. It was surprisingly convincing though the liquid-crystal clouds would always threaten, never rain.

The Ithacans were a mix of human and alien lumbering Martians, Skags in overalls, bulky Hith jostling elbows and appendages in apparent unconcern. On Earth, the aliens would have been in little groups by themselves, or alone, keeping to one side, eyes fixed on the ground. Or they'd have shuffled or slid up 185 to you, asking for spare change. Here they were literally just part of the crowd.

Chris was reading the guidebook, miraculously avoiding collisions. 'Here's a good place,' he announced. 'A Jeopard bagel bar.'

They got off the slidewalk and went in. It was a small place done up in simulated wood, with a small crowd at the counter, selecting ingredients from the display.

The Jeopard serving them was a skinny, muscular cat-man, wearing white shorts and sleeveless top, slicing bagels with a knife gripped in thick fingers. As Chris watched, the alien skewered an olive on a slender claw and used it to garnish someone's salmon sandwich.

The Jeopard gave him a small, round smile, careful not to show his fangs. He had very short, fine grey fur, subtly patterned.

'What can I get for you?' he said.

'Two bagels, one plain and one with peanut b.u.t.ter and mashed banana, and two incredibly strong coffees, please,' said Chris.

'Yes, sir!' said the Jeopard. 'Eat here or take away?'

Chris looked around. Roz had already taken a seat, and was reading the guidebook. 'To eat here.'

'OK. Have a seat and I'll bring it to you.'

Chris sat down. Roz didn't look up. 'Any help?' he said.

'I think we should try the Martian Quarter,' said Roz.

'Do you think Zatopek is likely to have gone to ground there?'

'He could be anywhere,' said Roz. 'But remember, we're looking for someone who looks just like the Doctor.'

'Hey, that's right,' said Chris. 'He's got some serious history with those folks.' He glanced over at the Jeopard, who was filling a jug with frothy milk. 'Didn't he once mention '

'He stopped the Jeopards from invading their neighbouring planet,' said Roz. 'A year later the Empire swept in and conquered both worlds.'

Chris tried to read the guide's screen. 'Is that all in there?'

'Not quite.' Roz lowered her voice. 'There's an entry on the conquest of Jeopardy.' She handed him the guide.

'It was only ten years ago,' said Chris. 'After we left. It says there are only a few hundred thousand Jeopards.'

186.

'Small planet.'

'They mustn't have bothered to indenture them.'

Roz jerked her head, and Chris saw that the Jeopard was heading for them with a tray.

'Let's split up,' said Chris.

'After lunch,' said Roz.

The Martian Quarter was a separate dome. The slidewalk pa.s.sed through a series of force fields, each one an airlock, allowing you to acclimatize. The air was cold and thin, the 'sky'

was violet, and half the buildings were under the ground.

There were just enough humans to rea.s.sure Roz that she didn't stand out too much. She went from shop to shop, showing the tall reptiles the two photos she was carrying. One of the Doctor, one of Zatopek, just in case.

First chance she got she picked up a heat ray. It was a smaller version of the standard Martian weapon, designed for human hands. Nasty little b.u.g.g.e.r: you couldn't set it to stun. Still, now she felt less underdressed.

Most of the shops had a symbol hung outside which she didn't recognize, a stylized figure in clay or sometimes bra.s.s. The guidebook said it was a symbol of mourning.

After a couple of hours she took the weight off her feet in an almost empty bar. The menu was mostly Martian adaptations of human food, lethal curries and salsa and strong, bitter drinks. She ordered a coffee and a plateful of cakes to take the edge off.

'Have you seen either of these men?' she asked the bartender.

The Ice Warrior shook his lumpy head.

Roz sat down with her coffee. It tasted like dregs she was surprised it wasn't melting through the cup. She popped one of the little cakes into her mouth and took another look at the guidebook.

A Martian stepped up to her table, looming overhead. Big green man. 'I'm fine, thank you,' she said, not taking her eyes off the book.

'You're an Adjudicator,' said the Martian.