Part 33 (1/2)
”When he remembers to come home to eat,' lIsa tossed at him as she went away to see to the needs of her children. Todd stared after her ”Marriage has done her good,' he muttered to Hrriss, and dug into the stew. ”I never thought I'd eat any of this again.” Then he had to swallow without truly savoring the fine flavor, for Sampson DeVeer approached their table.
”You cut that mighty fine,' DeVeer said, and then drew up the young man in the plain uniform hovering beside him. ”You might like to meet my companion, Reeve. Dalkey Petersham.”
”Really?” And Todd realized in one second that the man he had feared as a rival to Kelly's affection was no real compet.i.tion. So he pumped the young man's hand energetically. ”We owe you a lot, Dalkey, for putting out your neck for people you didn't know. Come, sit down.”
”Well, I did know Kelly and I sure discovered a lot of real creative accounting. Which .
”Which what?” Todd prompted, gesturing for Dalkey to fill a plate from the food on the freshly filled tray.
”Which actually lost me my job.”
”You haven't really lost a job, Dalkey,' Todd said, ”you've just been transferred. An accountant who could uncover that s.p.a.cedep slush fund is just the sort of fellow we need to set up a system here on Doona that can't be diddled.” After Dalkey had expressed his deep appreciation of the offer and accepted with considerable alacrity, Todd turned to DeVeer.
”Which reminds me. Just before Dad and I got kidnapped, Hrriss and I got Linc Newry to admit he'd been falsifying export doc.u.ments and disarming Doona's security satellites to let rustlers in and out.
What's happened to him?”
”He gave himself up,' DeVeer said with a note of satisfaction in his voice, ”after I had a most interesting chat with a Dr. Walter Tylanio. Once he was in custody, Newry gave me more information which led me to the real rustler.
”You got Mark Aden?” Todd's eyes flashed, remembering the score he had to settle with that b.a.s.t.a.r.d for his vindictive use of ssersa.
”He is under arrest on Zapata Three, awaiting transport back to Earth for trial. It would seem that he kept a computer file of the layout of each ranch on Doona and the best secluded spots to secrete the livestock pens. He's the one who planted the artifacts on your s.h.i.+p while you were occupied by your mission on Hrretha. He did so with s.p.a.cedep credentials to pa.s.s by Hrrethan security guards.
Newry was the one who switched log tapes.”
”I always thought Rogitel had done it when his men were busy hauling artifacts out of the Albie's panels,' Todd said.
”No, I have Newry's confession.” DeVeer nodded at the grim looks that Todd and Hiriss exchanged.
”It couldn't have been Rogitel. He did the shopping for the artifacts with the illicit traders on Hrretha.
Remember, Newry had asked you to give him your flight plans nearly two weeks before your actual departure. So he sent them to Klonski, who's rather proud of the way he handled that a.s.signment. Took him thirty-six hours of intensive work. He s.h.i.+pped it back to Newry in an authorized s.p.a.cedep courier run and put it in the Albatross before you launched.
Klonski had left gaps for your legitimate stops, triggered by signals from the beacons...o...b..ting Doona and Hrretha. Aden is the one who made the insertions into the interdicted systems in a s.h.i.+p with identification codes altered to match yours.” Todd let out a long sigh.
”So we're cleared of everything? Then why was the Treaty so nearly cancelled?”
”Third Speaker had also rigged that resolution so that your presence was absolutely essential to the Renewal of the Treaty.”
”And Hiruna waited until he knew he had Third right where he needed him,' Todd said thoughtfully. ”It was close!” DeVeer nodded. ”However, you both might like to accompany that is, if you can leave off eating that delicious food for a short time?” he asked them. ”You rather deserve to be in on this.
I've one more criminal to bring to book.” Todd and Hiriss hastily dashed their fingers into bowls set on all the tables to cleanse hands.
DeVeer led them to the head table where they waited respectfully until Sumitral and Naruti concluded their conversation with Second Speaker Hrrto.
When Ken and Hrrestan were beckoned by DeVeer to join them, the group advanced on Landreau and Rogitel who were seated as inconspicuously as possible for men in brilliant white uniforms. They were the only two ignoring both the food and the merrymaking going on around them.
”Well, what do you want?” Landreau asked sourly, glaring at the Reeves. ”You have everything you claim you value. This abominable colony has a permanent charter, and your so-called honor is restored.”
”Admiral Allen Landreau?” DeVeer said formally. ”As an inspector of Poldep and in the presence of a representative of Amalgamated Worlds Congress and a senior officer of s.p.a.cedep, I arrest you on the following charges: conspiracy, fraud, misuse of public funds, attempted kidnap ping, suborning of witnesses, aiding and abetting grand larceny and felony theft, aiding and abetting violation of Treaty Law, and conduct unbecoming a senior officer of the s.p.a.ce Department.”
”Have you quite finished with this fairy tale?” Landreau snapped. ”I am about to return to Earth and pressing duties there-unlike other officials who seem to have infinite time to play.”
”This is scarcely a laughing matter, Landreau,' Sumitral said.
”Don't attempt to instruct me,' the head of s.p.a.cedep growled, his face turning red. ”You're my equal, not my superior. You don't outrank me in any way. In fact, s.p.a.cedep is a larger department than AIreldep and takes precedence over yours. If ”Ie didn't exist, there would be no aliens for your department to relate to, not the Siwannese, not your tame p.u.s.s.ycat people!”
”Sir,' DeVeer said, ”I must suggest that you not make any more statements until you have engaged a counsel for your defense. We have impounded your records, and I am obliged to remind you that anything you say now can and may be used in evidence against you.” ”Read me-Admiral Landreau-my rights?” Landreau shouted.
Nearby Doonans turned to look. Once the identified Landreau, they continued to stare.
”How dare you even question a senior official 0 the government, when these d.a.m.ned Reeves an the real troublemakers?” He flung a contemptUoU hand in Todd's direction before he planted a fingertip in the middle of the Poldep chiefs black tunic and pushed. ”You, a Iumped-up little Aisle constable, have the unmitigated gall to interfere with s.p.a.cedep, to access s.p.a.cedep files, to snoo: into my department! i have a good mind-I have-!
Landreau suddenly clutched at his chest. His eye protruded in DeVeer's direction and then rolled ur into his head as he slid to the floor.
”Get a doctor!” Todd shouted, dropping to hi' knees beside the man. Rogitel knelt down and ben his head to Landreau's chest.
”His heart has stopped,' Rogitel said, his voic( more expressionless than ever.
”He doesn't get out of it this easily,' Todd said and flattened a hand over Landreau's sternum. Hi hit it a short rap with the other fist and then starte( cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Mike Solinari was beside them in a moment. ”Dr Moody is coming.” He looked at Landreau. ”I don' think anything can be done, Todd. Look at all that blood in his face. I think he had an apoplexy.”
”What?” Rogitel demanded. ”Can't you revivi him?”
”Not from that sort of a fit,' the young veterina nan said, exhibiting only a clinical detachment. ”Ht burst a blood vessel. Embolism. Instantly fatal People with high blood pressure are p.r.o.ne to it.
Probably had it coming for years.”
”You can say that again,' said a new voice, and All Kiachif pushed his way to the group looking down at the Admiral's p.r.o.ne body. ”No one had it coming to him longer, stronger, or wronger than he did, if you know what I mean.” He pulled at Todd's shoulder. ”You might as well stop that, laddie. It won't do him a bit of good. Don't waste any more breath on him. I know a deader when I see one.” Kate Moody arrived a moment later and confirmed young Solinari's and Kiachifs diagnoses.
”There's nothing I can do for him. Here, some of you help me get him out of here. We'll take him to the Health Center. My skimmer's outside.”