Part 16 (1/2)

”That's what this Tower has needed,” Kincaid remarked, offering a hand to Laria. ”Young eager blood! A transfusion for us weary weight lifters.”

”I've these sorted, Lio,” Morag was saying. ”Now how do I contact the recipients?”

”That”-Lionasha took the pile from Morag-”is where our 'Dinis a.s.sist. Here's another set. Fraggit, but I'm glad you read 'Dini that fast. I still have to puzzle. Fig, Sil, Nim and Dig . . .” She beckoned the 'Dinis over. ”As soon as you've got these done, you can show Kev, Su, Dar and Sim how we arrange them for collection. Then you may take the girls' 'Dinis out for a look round.”

GOOD, GOOD. WE DO FAST. Fig, who was organizing things in the absence of Tip and Nil, handed out the sorted files. The experienced 'Dinis picked up com units from the rack, and as they dialed the appropriate numbers, explained to the newcomers how distribution was handled. Fig was as good as its boast, and within half the time it usually took, thanks to Morag's deft help with Lionasha, the 'Dinis went out of the Tower to rack the message tubes where they could be collected.

WE'RE DONE, WE'RE DONE. WE GO. BACK LATER, Sil announced, opening the door just wide enough to lean its head inside and deliver the message.

”Wow,” exclaimed Lionasha, looking with deep relief at the clear works.p.a.ce. ”No wonder Lyons are the Primes of choice,” she added, grinning at Morag.

”Well, we're still learning, you know,” Morag said, with such modesty that Laria, overhearing, laughed. ”Honest, sis. There's a lot more in such a busy Tower as Clarf than there ever was at home, for all the big daddies we had to heave.”

”What do you think about a setup like this, Laria?” Vanteer asked, showing both the Prime and Kincaid the sketch pad. ”This'd be easier to construct. . .” The stylus tapped the third drawing. ”But this might be more efficient. And dead easy to put up. Could have one done by morning, I think. I know Lvlr can get us the materials and have them here by dark. Might even get it to give us the benefit of its expertise. Lev's done some bits and pieces for us before now.”

”Then you'll keep us?” Morag asked, eyes round and mocking.

”You just bet we will!” Laria and Lionasha chorused, and they all burst out laughing.

Your report and the materials collected on the surface are still being a.n.a.lyzed, Jeff told Thian on the Was.h.i.+ngton. His mental chuckle echoed in his grandson's mind. * am reliably led to believe by no less a personage than High Councillor Gktmglnt that the planet you've so adroitly investigated is completely atypical of the Hiver colonies and has confounded all the Mrdini experts. Ours as well, despite the fact that we may not have had as much experience with the species as the 'Dmis.

What's the gist, Grandfather? The xenbees here will want details. When such are formulated, a copious report will be sent. Right now confusion reigns. One: Your Hivers do not appear to have sent out any spheres, since you say there has been little use of the available ore deposits and the sphere they used to arrive there is deteriorating. Two: The queens are a third smaller than our specimen at Heinlein Base. Three: Eighty installations on a planet that size are unusually few, since Xh-3S had ten times that many and, to judge by the age of their oldest sphere-fragments have been a.n.a.lyzed-Xh-33 is a much younger settlement. Four: The inactive worf^-ers you found in the stable, holding place, whatever, are also much smaller than usual. Five: According to Mrdinis, Hivers always send off excess queens.

If there are no excess queens?

Aye, there's the rub, Thian. There should be and there aren't. Yet that colony is by far the oldest, judging by the a.n.a.lysis of the sphere fragments- it should have sent off colonies in peeping with the currently understood Hwer patterns.

So, what do you wish us to do now?

Checi^ your findings by infiltrating at least ten of the other queen Hives and get more GC readings. The pheromones you got from the one queen's quarters are not at all what emanates from the Heinlein queen. Get us more soil samples from as many cultivated fields as possible near existing Hives for cross-checking. And as a treat, snag us samples of the various worker types. If, as you've discovered, they're dormant or resting or whatever it is that fceps them immobile until needed, that shouldn't be difficult or expose a team to queenly retribution. It would, however, be very interesting if the queens did respond in some fas.h.i.+on to ... ah . . . losing some of their wording types.

Thian couldn't help but chuckle at his grandfather's droll tone.

”Let us in on the joke, will you, Thian?” Admiral As.h.i.+ant asked dryly.

When Thian recited exactly what his grandfather had reported, As.h.i.+ant guffawed. ”Well, frankly, I don't see that we'd have any trouble absconding with a few specimens.”

The experts want several of each from different installations, Jeff Raven said, having been able to hear the Admiral's response through the link with his grandson.

”Don't want much, do they?” As.h.i.+ant said with a sniff. ”I suppose the experts'll want some of the queens' attendants too, for comparison's sake.”

Yes indeed. But not if it puts teams at risf^.

”I shouldn't indulge myself with whimsical remarks in your presence,” As.h.i.+ant said.

Who's to know what risf{ is involved until we try it, Grandfather? Thian also vocalized that query. We will neutralize the smell of us, though, since odor does seem to get through their chitinous skulls.

Inform the Admiral that's a splendid idea, to get queens' attendants too, was Earth Prime's response. And might prove a salient factor in figuring out this atypical situation. Thian obeyed.

”Humph,” said As.h.i.+ant, looking pleased. ”It is an oddity, to be sure, but how that can help us reduce the threat of Hivers in general is beyond me. We'll still need to identify any, and every, planet they occupy and somehow render them unable to colonize.”

Inform the Admiral that I could wish his view was more widely held. Again Thian relayed the message.

”Are the militant still asking for species annihilation?” As.h.i.+ant asked, his bushy eyebrows raised in dismay.

With growing fervor. The High Council remains unanimously in favor of some solution that does not. The militant anmhilationists refuse to be pacified by planetary containment and insist that the queens would only find some other way to ”terrorize occupied s.p.a.ce.” Odd that you, Admiral, are more of a pacifist.

”As Admiral of the first Star League1 Fleet that managed to destroy an enemy without sustaining casualties of our own,” As.h.i.+ant replied when Thian conveyed that information, ”I would prefer to keep that record. Going up against zplanet of belligerent Hiver armies might ruin such a worthy aspiration.”

”If you'll pardon my intrusion, Admiral,” Thian said, speaking for himself. ”They didn't even know we were in the queen's inner Hive. How would they recognize a punitive force if they refuse to 'see' us when we are patently present? The only objects they appear to recognize as a threat are other s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps. Even one of their own spheres, as Xh-33 proved to us.”

”Ah, but an attack launched on their installations would surely result in some reaction,” As.h.i.+ant said. ”You identified a great quant.i.ty as well as variety of creatures in the underground Hives.”

”None of them armed with anything but farm tools and a lot of limbs,” Thian said.

History is full of examples of very poorly armed insurgents managing incredible victories over much stronger, better armed foes, Jeff said. However, we do have the advantage of being able to 'port specimens into a secure container, especially if you can replicate the environments of their Hive accommodations to prevent their being aware they've been moved.

It's the sting-pzzt we'd have to endure that bothers me, Grandfather, Thian said, and gave a shudder at the thought of proximity to such a concentration of that uncomfortable Hiver emanation, despite the 1 The Nine Star League of the original yarns had increased its members.h.i.+p and is now referred to as Star League.

lie m.u.f.fling the body armor provided. Eighteen Hives to visit? That first one had been enough.

Only need to handle them long enough to get them in a personnel carrier to 'port 'em bacf^.

Where?

Offhand, I'd say Heinlein Base. There are other facilities within that base, well separated from where the queen is. Of course, if you can acquire enough, I'm certain there are enough eager xenbees elsewhere in the Star League desperate to check^ their theories about the creatures.

Thanf^ you, Grandfather, for this interesting and challenging a.s.signment.

Cheeky boy, was the retort, but Thian sensed only Jeff Raven's amus.e.m.e.nt in his use of the Rowan's favorite epithet.

As Thian suspected, far too many scientists back on Star League worlds and Mrdini home planets were eager to examine live specimens of the different Hiver workers.

Will I be expected to fill that order list, Grandfather? It'd practically depopulate the planet.

Certainly not, Jeff replied. Both Gtymglnt and Admiral Metyurian reaffirmed the original orders. There may be other Hiver planets where more specimens can be gleaned . . . that is, if the militants calm down. Heinlein Base is out and another, less obvious destination is being considered. I'd limit those who know about this operation.

Even on the Was.h.i.+ngton? Thian was surprised.

Especially on the Was.h.i.+ngton. We have reason to believe that the militants managed to get a few aboard despite our precautions.

When Thian discussed his orders with Clancy, Gravy and Commander Kloo, Semirame immediately confirmed Earth Prime's suspicions.

”How did that happen? I thought security checked everyone on board.”

”There's been some scuttleb.u.t.t,” Rame said with a shrug. ”Sleepers or those who were halfway in agreement anyhow.”

”After all we did?” Thian found himself appalled at such intransi- r gence. He'd achieved far more than his original brief by removing eight spheres with no Fleet casualties.