Part 27 (1/2)

But to his astonishment, she said, ”Why do I let him what? Be what he is?

How can I prevent it? He is a medic, he knows what he is. If he wanted, he would go to Psi Center and put himself under the care of the telepaths. Why do I let him work for me, command the Net? Because it is safer than any other choice I can think of.”

”Safer for Zed,” Dana said. ”Not for his victims.”

She rose and faced him. ”Do you think I don't know what he does? I do -- more or less. I have seen the effects from close up. On another world, he would have to find willing victims. Do you think he couldn't? There are worlds where they would not even blink at what he does.”

”Not many,” Dana said. It irked him that she should presume to tell _him_ about other worlds. _He_ was the Starcaptain.

”We will not fight,” she said simply. ”But don't try to escape when you are in the Hyper section of the city.”

”I won't,” he said, standing in his turn. Now their eyes were on a level again.

”When shall you go?” she asked.

He wanted to say to her: Now. Free me. I will do this for you anyway, I will help you find Loras U-Ellen, and then I will leave. Free me. But something held the words back. He could not bear to think that she would refuse him, and he knew she would.

He gave the question some thought. The Auction would disrupt everybody's normal patterns. He could not be sure of finding Tori Lamonica tonight; it was pure luck that he had seen her today. ”Tomorrow -- perhaps the day after tomorrow,” he said. ”Fine. I will have Binkie make you a four-day credit disc. Your limit will be one hundred credits.” She paused and then said, ”I a.s.sume that will be sufficient?”

”To buy a few drinks at some Hyper bar?” he said. ”Oh, yes.”

”Good. I don't know how you plan to do this -- but I needn't. What I would really hope is that you can convey a message to Loras U-Ellen for me. I want to meet him.”

”That's the message?”

”Yes.” Walking to the footstool, she poured herself more punch and returned with the gla.s.s to the bed. She sat down and pulled the printout to her lap. She looked up. ”Thank you, Dana,” she said. ”You've helped me a great deal.”

The aircooling system, overloaded, thumped in irritation. Dana started to sit down and then realized that she did not want him there. ”You're welcome,” he said, with irony, and knew as he reached the door that she had not heard it.

”FEDERATION OFFICIAL CALLS FOR SECTOR REFERENDUM!” the PIN headlines screamed in the morning. ”A-RAE CALLS SLAVERY IMMORAL, ASKS FOR FIVE WORLDS TO VOTE.” The picture with the newscan was of Michel A-Rae and Rhani Yago at Auction Place.

Rhani, grimly reading the article below the headline, thought that it was clever of A-Rae to make his call for a referendum the day after the Auction. She wondered when she had first started thinking of him as an adversary.

Binkie was going through the rest of the mail. The pile was extra-thick because of the one-day lull. Most of the letters were formal replies to the Yago party invitations. ”Is there anything in that stuff I should see?” Rhani said.

”Not yet, Rhani-ka,” Binkie answered.

Rhani returned her attention to the PINsheet. ”FEDERATION OFFICIAL CALLS FOR SECTOR REFERENDUM.”.

Well, he could do that, of course. Any Federation official above a certain rank could suggest a vote on any question involving Federation law. ”A- Rae signs the first pet.i.tion.” There was another picture, of Michel A-Rae signing a piece of paper. For there actually to be a sector-wide vote, a pet.i.tion would have to be made to the government of each world, signed by one- tenth of its citizens.

Of course, A-Rae was an Enchantean. Rhani tried to recall the last Chabadese census figures, and could not. ”Binkie, what was the total from the last planetary census?” she asked. ”To the nearest million.”

Leaving the pile of mail, he bent over the com-unit. ”Five million, Rhani-ka.”

”Citizens or total head count?”

”Total head count.”

”How many voters?” Tourists and slaves, of course, could neither pet.i.tion nor vote.

”A little under two million,” he said.

Rhani rubbed her chin. All A-Rae would need was two hundred thousand valid signatures on the pet.i.tion.

Were there two hundred thousand voters on Chabad who did not support the slave systems? She didn't know. She wondered what the voting population figures on the other four worlds were, and decided that she didn't want to know. She went on reading. ”A-RAE RESIGNS AS DRUG CAPTAIN.” He had to do that, of course.

His job demanded political neutrality, and he had just abrogated that.

”HENRIETTA MELONES BECOMES ACTING CAPTAIN.” She was probably his second-in- command. Eventually the Federation bureaucracy would name someone else to the post, but that could take months.

Rhani wondered how long A-Rae had been planning to make this suggestion.

There was no guarantee at all, of course, that any of what he wanted would come to pa.s.s. He had six weeks to obtain sufficient signatures on the pet.i.tions -- not merely the pet.i.tions on Chabad, but those on Ley, Sabado, Enchanter, and Belle. Even if the question was actually put to a vote, how could A-Rae count on the outcome of a referendum? Maybe he knows something I don't, Rhani thought.

For the first time in a long time, she was beginning to feel outmaneuvered. She simply had no idea what A-Rae might do or say next.

I have to find out who he is -- was, she thought.

Amri's excited voice sounded on the intercom. ”Rhani-ka, look outside!

There are people all over the steps!”

”What?” Rising, Rhani went to the window. The morning sun blazed over the streets. Below her the steps of the house seemed covered with people, strangers.

”What are they doing?” she said aloud.

”Rhani-ka, you might want to look at this,” Binkie said. He was holding a dirty sheet of paper in one hand.

She scowled. ”I know what it is,” she said. ”What does it say?”

”_You will never be free of us until you have freed the slaves_,” read Binkie.

Rhani felt like shouting, What in six h.e.l.ls is that supposed to mean?

”Fools,” she said. ”Put it in a safe place, Binkie. Officer Tsurada will want it.”

She gazed out the window again. ”Who are all those people, do you think?”

she said.

Binkie shrugged. ”Sightseers,” he said. ”Curiosity seekers.”

”Tourists?”

”Some of them are probably tourists.” He hesitated, and then said, ”Like the people on the sector worlds who come to see the Net load. They make a holiday of it.”

Rhani scowled. She found that picture mildly repugnant. ”Well, I don't have to have them on my steps,” she said. ”Call the Abanat police for me, please, and ask for Officer Tsurada.” She walked back to her chair, stabbing the intercom on the way. ”Corrios, I would like breakfast now, please.”

Before Amri had even brought the breakfast tray, Sachiko Tsurada came on the corn-line. ”Good morning, Domna,” she said. ”I understand you have a small crowd around your house. We have dispatched two units to move the people away.”