Part 28 (1/2)

. . they've skipped out of an untenable situation.” Pat blurted the slander out and then began to weep. Kelly put her arm around her protectively.

”Never!” Kiachif said in a voice that would have been heard from stem to stern of the White Lightning through closed safety hatches.

”Commander Rogitel escorted them,' Kelly said in a caustic voice, her eyes on the captain. ”With marines. I heard,' and while she couldn't mention Madam Dupuis, she was certainly the most reliable source, ”that two strange and armed Hrrubans took over from the marines when they got on the grid.”

”Did they, now?” Kiachifs eyes went wide.

”Now, that's a nasty turn-up. And I'll tell you one thing.” He swerved toward Martinson, his long stained finger almost in the man's nostrils.

”I don't want to hear one more word from anyone that Ken Reeve, or Todd, skipped out of any obligation-to Doona, to Amalgamated Worlds, even to ol' Terra! You see that gets put about right smart, Martinson.

I've known Ken Reeve a quarter century. He's run at lot of stuff I'd never be caught charging, but he” done it and won out over odds that would have pipped plenty on this planet. If he didn't show u when and where he was supposed to, then he wa prevented, if you understand me. Now, you d those tears, Patricia Reeve, and stand up proud foi your man and that fine son of yours,' he said.

somewhat awkwardly but kindly patting her shoulder. ”Your man is a fighter. Your boy, too. They'!] be back, sure enough, before you've any more time to miss them.”

”Thank you, All,' Pat said gratefully.

”You kno him in ways I don't. You've given me new hope And so have you, Dr. Tylanio. You were so goc': to come all this way for us.” The laser expert took an envelope from hi pocket. ”This is a copy of my report, signed anc sworn to by an accredited Amalgamated Wofid'.

notary. Your son and your husband will doubtle find this useful.

I will, of course, be happy to testif in person to the authenticity of my investigations.

Tylanio handed it to Pat and bowed. With Martin son at his side, he left the room.

”You see, signed, sealed, and sworn to. Pro& positive of no perjury, Patricia,' Kiachif said in low voice. He gave her one more squeeze an started for the door.

With the pretext of courtesy, Kelly followed him touching his arm and bending close to his ear.

gotta see you, Captain, and preferably before that expert leaves the planet.” Kiachif gave an almos imperceptible nod of acknowledgment, not so much as altering his stride as he continued on out of the house.

Then she turned back to Pat, Inessa and Robin comforting her, and said in her normal tone, ”I'd better get on home now but I'll be back tomorrow.” She clattered down the steps, whipped Calypso's reins free from the rail as the men piled into the flitter.

As it took off, it wallowed from side to side and she grinned.

Trust Kiachif. which she did.

Kelly had been looking over the last charges against the boys that still had to be cleared before Treaty Renewal Day. And the valuables and interdictables they were supposed to have stolen and secreted on the Albie would be the hardest part. Having Dr. Tylanio's proof that the log tape had been altered, or even a carefully edited one subst.i.tuted, was a real relief. If only they could somehow prove that Commander Rogitel had switched the doctored tape for the genuine log record. . . He'd had more opportunity than anyone else. And reason.

But if the tapes of alleged visits to collect valuable artifacts, including the Byzanian Glow Stone, were adjudged a simulation, then they hadn't been where they were accused of stealing things. They hadn't stolen anything. As Todd and Hrriss maintained, all that junk had been planted on the Albatross and that had to have been done while the Albie was on the pad at Hrretha. Rogitel had been there.

But where were Todd and his father? Than goodness, Captain All had soothed Patricia Reev on that score. Maybe the word that they weri detained would get out and Robin wouldn't hi sporting black eyes for defending the family honor She knew Hrriss was lying low. Which was smart 0 him. Rogitel might not have considered the youn Hrruban dangerous when he shooed him out of th Launch Center, but Newry knew different. Wh; hadn't Todd come out with an accusation righ then? In front of the marines. Surely they could hi made to testify - - or could they?

A tiny noise penetrated her cogitations. Lookin up from her desk, she nearly fell off her chair at th face grinning outside her window.

You scared me to death, Captain All,' sh' whispered hoa.r.s.ely at him.

”Your manner did suggest a need for caution la.s.sie.” It wasn't the first time Kelly had crawled througi that window, and taking the captain's hand, she ra with him to the deep shadows of the barn where ni one was likely to look for them.

”You hit the nail on the head with Klonski, yo know,' she said, ”though I daren't even get in touc] with Inspector DeVeer right now.”

”And which nailhead would that be, la.s.sie Kiachif asked. ”Though Tylanio agrees privatel with me that the work on the tape is exactly the SOT of thing Klonski would do so well.”

”You also said he was a genius at fixing securit systems.” Kiachif nodded, his eyes glinting in th dark. ”And Dalkey's records show he got paid several huge hunks of credit. I think some of it went to pay for him hobbling Doona's security satellites.” ”Oh-ho-ho! I've been away too long.”

”You have.

Todd and Hrriss found payments to a Doonan account . and it belongs to Lincoln Newry.”

”Martinson's a.s.sistant?” The whites of Kiachifs eyes, for once, Kelly noted, without bloodshot cobwebs, were visible in the shadow. ”No wonder you wouldn't speak out in his presence. Does Patricia know?” Kelly shook her head. ”She's got enough to fret over right now. ”Sides, I didn't think it would cheer her up.”

”Not a mite nor a moment, if her men are missing. Go on.

”Hrriss said Todd broke Newry down into admitting that he'd been letting the rustlers in and out of Doona, only when he was on duty.

The s.h.i.+p Todd saw the other night was probably registering on Unc's screens while he was denying an atmospheric insertion. ”But the beacons ”Klonski's fixed them. Hrriss said there's an unprogrammed function key on the launch board that interferes with satellite recording. Furthermore, Linc Newry can authorize export doc.u.mentation . like for Reeve freeze-marked livestock going off-planet to unknown destinations.

And the rustler is Mark Aden.”

”That young lad? Hmmm, isn't often someone fools All Kiachif.” The captain frowned. ”The nerve of him, making me transport rustled animals! And all that scud about making a new life.”

”Apparently he's made a very profitable one, Kelly said drolly. ”At the Reeves' expense.”

”But they always treated him well.

He even said so ”Inessa didn't,' Kelly said. ”She had a flirt with him but she gave up on him because he aiway' wanted her to get her father to help him get a ranch of his own. He was a funny guy, never forgave hasty word or a silly joke on him. Hrriss thinks he” the one seeded the ssersa. Todd found a half-empt sack of it by the corral he found. It'd be just the sort of rotten trick Mark Aden would do, to make Inessa sorry she ditched him.”

”Fascinating, la.s.sie, fascinating.

I think Dr. Tyla mo has one more job before I return him to the quiet rectangles of his hall of learning.” And between one breath and another, Captain All Kiachif disappeared. That night Kelly slept well for the first time since Todd and Ken had beer hauled off to Earth.

The very next morning, Kelly had a call from <” frantic=””>

”Kelly, they are hunting Hrriss.” The girl w sputtering so badly that Kelly at first didn't under stand the import of her words.

”Hunting? Hrriss?”

”The Treaty Controller has demanded his presence immediately on the Island. He sent four 0 the Third Speaker's special force for Arriss. ”So where's Hrriss?”

”He has made himself scarce. Hrrestan told him that is what he must do. Oh, Kelly, I am so frightened. ”Don't be,' Kelly said as firmly as she could. ”I've got official confirmation that the Albie log tape was a fraud. Tampered with, fixed, altered. And that means that neither Todd nor Hrriss was where they're charged with being, so they couldn't have stolen those things. And illegal possession of those artifacts is really the last charge against them. And we'll soon have proof, too, of what Todd and Hrriss discovered talking to Linc Newry.”

”But what good does all this proof do when Zodd is missing and Hrriss is, too?”

”A good point that, Nrrna,' Kelly said. ”You just keep your cool, friend. It's up to us now.” She stopped by the Reeves', just in the crazy hope that Todd and his father had returned home.

They hadn't and the gloom that hung over the ranch house was depressing. Kelly did ask to have a copy of Dr. Tylanio's doc.u.ment.

”To keep with all the rest of the evidence, Mrs. Reeve,' she said in an offhanded manner.

”You've got all these mysterious sources, Kelly,' Inessa accused Kelly, her face and eyes showing the strain that affected the entire family. ”Why can't you find out about Dad and Todd?” Kelly suppressed her annoyance with the girl whose flirtation with Mark Aden was having such a long-range effect. Then, generously, Kelly reminded herself that Inessa had been just a kid at the time. Perhaps this would all sort itself out and Inessa would never realize that her childish infatuation was part of this dreadful affair.