Part 22 (1/2)
XV
The _Harriet Barne_ settled co away from her They had the outside sound pickups turned as low as possible, and still the noise was deafening
The spaceport was ja above, with police cars vainly trying to keep them in order All the bands in Storisende see the ”Planetary Hy in the to on!_
When they opened the airlock, there was a hastily ie, actually a farm-scow completely draped in red and white, the Planetary colors They all stopped, briefly, as they came out, to enjoy the novelty of outdoor air which could actually be breathed Conn saw his father in the scow, and beside hi, al up and down in excitean Gatworth to meet his son, and Lester Dawes to wyn
He didn't see his mother, or his sister Flora he had hardly counted on, but he was disappointed that hisher father as he shook hands with his; then she threw her arms around his neck
”Oh, Conn, I' I could on-screen, everything you saw, and all the places you were, and everything you were doing”
The scow--pardon, cereether Over her shoulder, he saw his father and Yves Jacquerins Then they had to break it up while he shook hands with Fawzi and Judge Ledue and the others, and by the ti down in front of the stand at the end of the dock, and the band was still deafening Heaven with ”Genji Gartner's Body,” and they all started up the stairs to be greeted by Planetary President Vyckhoven; he looked like an elderly bear who has been too well fed for too long in a zoo And by Minister-General Murchison, who represented the Terran Federation on Poictesh he had just ar cruet for the wine decanter Genji Gartner's soul stoppedon, but the speeches started, and that orse And after the speeches, there was the parade, everybody riding in transparent-bodied aircars, and the _Lester Dawes_ and the two shi+ps of the new Planetary Air Navy and a swar salutes
In spite of asn't, but ht just as well have been, a concerted conspiracy to keep theet a feords privately with Sylvie
”My ?”
”Is anything anything else? I've been in the middle of it ever since you went away Yourabout all these co like that, and it's all too big, and it's going to end in a big sets onto Merlin You know, she won't say Merlin, she always calls it, 'that thing'”
”I've noticed that”
”Then she begins talking about all the horrible things that'll happen when it's found, and that sets Flora off Flora says Merlin's a big fake, and you and your father are using it to rob thousands of s and orphans of their life savings, and that sets yourcyclic reaction, like the Bethe solar-phoenix
And every time I try to pour a little oil on the troubled waters, I find I've gotten it on the fire instead And then, Flora had this fight with Wade Lucas, and of course, she blames you for that”
”Good heavens, why?”
”Well, she couldn't blaht? Lucas is in business with your father now, and she can't convince him that you and your father are a pair of quadruple-dyed villains, I suppose Anyhow, the engage back to Koshchei?”
”As soon as we can round up so along I've had it, Conn I'ue case”
”But, Sylvie; that isn't any place for a girl”
”Oh, poo! This is Sylvie We're old war buddies We soldiered together on Barathruirl, and”
”That's what you think If you expect to get any kind of a gang together, at least a third of theirls, and ork gets slack, they're always the first ones to get shoved out of jobs I'll bet there are a thousand girl technicians out of work here--any line of work you want to name I knohat I'll do; I'll make a telecast appearance I still have some news value, from the Barathruirl's Joan of Arc by this tiirl can punch any kind of a button a man can, and a lot of them knehat buttons to punch, and why Say she could find fifty girls
He had a slightly better chance to talk to his father before the banquet at the Executive Palace that evening They shared the sa committees seldom chase their victims from bedroom to bath