Part 19 (1/2)
”It seems to me--”
”How can anything 'seem to you?' You're new here.... I'm sorry Kit.
What were you saying?”
”No. Go ahead.”
”That's only the half of it. Right after Russia takes our place and we're scratched off the list, the games go into their final phase.
That was the rumor all along, and it's just been confirmed.
Interesting to see what they do with all the contestants _after_ the games are over, after there's no more Nowhere Journey.”
”We could go back where we came from.”
”Ten thousand years in the future?”
”I'm not afraid.”
”Well, anyway, the Soviets put up a man, we can't match him. So it looks like the U. S. S. R. represents Earth officially. Not that it matters. We hardly have the chance of a very slushy s...o...b..ll in a very hot h.e.l.l. But still--”
”Our contestant, this guy who meets the Russian's challenge, has to be a newcomer?”
”That's what I said. Well, we can close up shop, I guess.”
”You made a mistake. You said no newcomers have arrived. I'm here, Jase. I'm your man. Bring on your Russian Bear.” Temple smiled grimly.
CHAPTER VIII
”You got to hand it to Temple's kid brother.”
”Yeah. Cool as ice cubes.”
”Are you guys kidding? He doesn't know what's in store for him, that's all.”
”Do _you_?”
”Now that you mention it, no. Isn't a man here who can say for sure what kind of environmental challenges he'll have to respond to.
Hypno-surgery sees to it the guys who went through the thing won't talk about it. As if that isn't security enough, the subject's got to be a brand new arrival!”
”Shh! Here he comes.”
The brothers Temple entered Earth City's one tavern quietly, but on their arrival all the speculative talk subsided. The long bar, built to accommodate half a hundred pairs of elbows comfortably, gleamed with a l.u.s.ter unfamiliar to Temple. It might have been marble, but marble translucent rather than opaque, giving a beautiful three-dimensional effect to the surface patterns.
”What will it be?” Jason demanded.
”Whatever you're drinking is fine.”
Jason ordered two scotches, neat, and the brothers drank. When Jason got a refill he started talking. ”Does T.A.T. mean anything to you, Kit?”
”Tat? Umm--no. Wait a minute! T.A.T. Isn't that some kind of projective psychological test?”