Part 25 (1/2)
”Rralans forever!” Kelly shouted in Middle Hrruban, jumping up and down, fists clenched.
Todd grinned at her, proud of her for using that language, and more moved than he could say by her offer to help, by returning to Earth and the Alreldep job he knew she must hate. But, then, she was as Doonan-no, Rralan-as he.
”All right, now then, folks,' Ken said, rubbing his hands together as he would before taking on any difficult task. ”We've got more to do than we thought. But we've got help. I don't think we'd better let tonight's conclusions loose on the planet.
There's enough panic and crazy-minded speculation as it is, with rustling and false accusations and suchlike just before Treaty Renewal.
So, while we're knocking down the accusations against the boys, we'll see if we can also find any clues that might show us that the scope of the conspiracy goes beyond Landreau and-' He looked at Hrrestan.
”And Third Speaker,' the Hrruban added for him.
”Too bad we can't use their techniques against them,' Kelly said, ”and start finding the tadpoles in their ponds. Get that Treaty Controller impeached or something.
”Oh!” Nrrna's little cry of surprise focused attention on her.
”Yes, Nrrna?” Hrriss prompted, and that was when Todd really began to notice how tender his friend was toward the pretty female and how often she seemed to rely on him for rea.s.surance.
”The Treaty Controller,' and she bowed her head slightly, keeping her eyes averted from Kelly's sudden grin of comprehension, ”received delivery of a doc.u.ment box the day Kelly returned. It must have been very important for him not to send an a.s.sistant or secretary.” Kelly snapped her fingers. ”I've got a memory like a sieve. I got a coded comThline message today from Dalkey Petersham. He was very cagey even in code. He's got something he needs to get to me and he doesn't trust the comp-mail lines.”
”Did he say what?” Todd asked, aware of an unusual uneasiness with a guy comp-lining Kelly all the time. But that was silly. They needed help from whatever quarter it came.
”what I got from the code was that, as a very junior official, he was supposed to check over and delete some ancient accounting tapes.
They were for the s.p.a.cedep slush fund. There seemed to be large financial disburs.e.m.e.nts about ten years ago from that fund and all of them were paid to accounts off-Earth. He thought they might be useful to me, but he won't send it comp-line and wants to know how he can get it to us in as they say . . . a rapid irregular fas.h.i.+on.”
”Isn't Captain Feyder back on Earth?” Todd asked.
”Been and gone, according to Kiachif,' Ken replied. ”He'd done us all the favor we can ask of him with that Mayday beacon.”
”We could get in another medical s.h.i.+pment,' Kelly said, glancing sideways at Nrrna.
Her eyes went into slits of anxiety. ”Oh, no. I was in trouble over the gloves when they saw how many packets had been trampled on.
My superior was going to send a harsh message to our office on Terra.
So I told them that I had opened the box outside, to take inventory, and a wind had come up and scattered them.”
”The wind was named Kelly,' the redhead said, giggling at the memory of the trouble she and Nrrna had had to get the staticbarged packets back into the carton. ”I even found one inside my tunic.”
”The count was off so I had to say that some had blown away,' Nrrna dropped her jaw and purred her pretty laugh.
”You've got a resourceful female here, Hr'riss, Kelly said. ”And you nearly wouldn't let her help.”
”I shall not again be so foolish as to interfere with her good plans,' he said, pulling a solemn face that made Kelly laugh.
Todd looked from Kelly to Hrriss and Nrrna, and then at Hrrestan and Mrrva, who seemed quietly pleased about the behavior of Nrrna and their son.
”Hey, friend, did you forget to tell me something this morning?” Todd asked.
”Nrrna and I plan to be lifemates,' Hrriss said, his eyes glowing as he glanced down at Nrrna. ”The joining is due to take place about the time of Treaty Renewal.” Todd dropped his jaw, so like a Hrruban that Kelly smothered her giggles. ”Oh, really? Well, you didn't waste any time while I was gne, did you?” But his eyes were glowing with pleasure and approval. ”why, you old tomcat, you! Congratulations!' He gave Hrriss a hearty punch on the arm and took one of Nrrna's hands, lifting it to touch his forehead in the Hrruban gesture of well-wis.h.i.+ng and congratulation. ”To think you went out and did that all by yourself,' he said, unable to leave off teasing Hrriss. He could see that Hrrestan and Mrrva were delighted and his parents seemed to have known. He felt a little silly that he hadn't twigged to it.
”We plan a celebratory feast on the occasion,' Hiriss said, ”and we would be honored if you would stand as master of ceremonies.”
”The honor is mine,' Todd said, falling back into his chair and letting out a hoot of relieved laughter.
”Well, I feel lots better. I admit I wondered why Nrrna was suddenly so much a part of the investigation. I thought she was a friend Kelly had brought in to help her.”
”Of all the . . .” Kelly jumped to her feet and ran out of the room.
”what got her so uptight?” Todd inquired of everyone in the room.
”Kelly has been helping you, you numskull,' his mother said with a weary sigh of exasperation for her son's obtuseness. ”She's the main reason you and Hrriss have been reunited.
”I know she's been helping me,' Todd said, still perplexed.
”Then do not sit like a mda in warm mud contemplating its toes.” Hrriss said. He rose and gave Todd a shove toward the door. ”I have had the opportunity to make plain to her my grat.i.tude.
It is time that you adequately express your own.
Do it suitably in the style of Hayumans, but do it now!” Half stumbling onto the porch because Hrriss had put considerable strength into that push, Todd corrected himself and looked about for Kelly.
Twilight made if difficult to see, but he spotted Calypso's hide and saw the mare moving before he realized Kelly was astride her.
”Kelly! Kellllleeee! Wait a minute!
He knew she had seen him, for he saw her white face turned in his direction, but she cantered off anyhow. Piqued, Todd took the nearest horse from the tie rail, Robin's fleet racer Fargo, and started after her.
Todd was juSt gaining on the cantering Calypso when Kelly realized that she was being pursued, and kicked the mare into a gallop.
”Kelly! Pull up!” Todd yelled angrily.
She bent low in the saddle and urged Calypso later.
Todd had half a mind to pull up right then and there. He hadn't meant to insult her. Didn't she know him well enough by now to know he liked her? Why, she was as moody as a Hrruban female in estrus.
In shocked surprise, Todd almost pulled up Fargo as he suddenly understood what he'd been too self-involved, first in the Hunt and then in clearing his name, to recognize. Hisheart seemed to expand in a peculiarly painful but marvelous way. . . as it had when he had embraced Hrriss on the bridge . . . but not quite the same way.
Stunned by the intensity of his feelings for Kelly, he clapped his heels into Fargo's sides and sped after his girl.
For Kelly was, and she had proved her love for him over and over again, only he'd been dense as two planks not to realize that his former friend and willing cohort had turned into a lovely girl, who could wear frilly wide skirts imported specially from Earth to look her best at the Hunt dance. For stupid him! why she bothered with such a lunkhead he couldn't understand, but he had to catch up with her and see if he couldn't set matters straight between them.
A girl who had ridden between his home and Hrriss's doing her best to say to each what they weren't permitted to say to each other. And she had even gone to the extreme of dyeing her gorgeous red hair, risked her safety on Earth's slideways and sleazy Aisles, bearded inspectors with purloined doc.u.mentation and. . . And he hadn't the sense to realize what any Hrruban male would have known-that Kelly wanted him just as much as Nrrna wanted Hrriss.
Now he exercised his wits and saw the turn off the main road that would give him the jump on their head start.
He drove the bay up the hill and down, hauling him to a dead stop across the narrow trail. Calypso was travelling at such a speed that she did a stifflegged stop to avoid cras.h.i.+ng into Fargo. Kelly, who'd been looking over her shoulder, came tumbling out of the saddle, right into Todd's arms. He caught her before she could slide out of his grasp and pulled her sideways across the low pommel.