Part 24 (1/2)

Felcie breathed deeply. ”That'll do, Tregare-and thanks. Now what do you want me to do here?”

”Come eat, so you don't starve. That's what I'm going to do.”

DININGon Lefthand Thread, Rissa watched Felcie's reactions -the girl could not hide her obvjbus interest in her companions. Except for occasional sidelong glances, scarred Limmer ignored her, or pretended to. s.h.a.ggy Vanois returned her stares until Felcie looked away. Catching Felcie's gaze on her several times, Hilaire Gowdy finally said, ”What the h.e.l.l are you gawking at?”

Felcie reddened; she looked down and then up again. ”All right, since you asked- heart failure pretty soon if you don't knock some of that lard off!”

Gowdy inhaled a gasp, then let it out in a laugh. ”Well, you're right, peace knows.

Funny-you're the first that's had the gall to say it. Even-”

”Like she said, you asked.” Tregare was grinning as he spoke. ”Now, then-Felcie's got the truth field working. No sense in wasting the evening. Hilaire? Can you bring those fifteen of Peralta's down to the new building, under guard? In about an hour?”

”You want them first, do you?”

”That's right.”

”They'll be there.”

173.

RISSA sat beside Tregare as Felcie, on his other side, explained the finer points of operating the field. ”Yes, I see it,” he said. ”All right-here comes the first batch.”

Unhandcuffed and unhobbled, the fifteen filed in. Only Gowdy followed; she was armed, but the gun rested in its holster. Rissa thought, Certainly, she is sure of herself.

”Who's the top ranker?” said Tregare. Gowdy indicated a stocky man whose head was bandaged. ”All right-sit down there and name yourself.''

The man sat. ”Elrain Hardekamp, onetime First on the Attila. And you're Tregare-all primed to kill me because I wasn't on your side, when I'd never seen you before.”

”Easy, Hardekamp-no matter what you say here, your life's safe. Now tell it-why you mutinied with Peralta, and how you stand now.”

The man half-stood, then dropped back to his chair. ”Mutiny? No such thing.” He shook his head. ”Two years, nearly, I hid on Tweedle, UET looking for us all. Then Peralta came and got us out. He wanted my oath and I gave it.”

Hardekamp gestured. ”What he said was, we were joining an Escaped fleet-that he wasn't in command, but he should be. Our first job was to take care of that for him-well, it didn't work. I don't know who's right and who's wrong, but I went with the man who saved my b.u.t.t on Tweedle. I guess I'm stuck with that.”

”Maybe.” Tregare waited, then said, ”Peralta's dead by my doing. Would that stop you from joining me, if I offered?”

Hardekamp rubbed his hand across his face. ”That's a straight offer?” Tregare nodded. ”I don't know what was between you and Peralta-no way I could, you see. But I'm trained for s.p.a.ce, not groundhogging. So if you don't mind, we being on the wrong sides from each other lately, then neither do I. I'll sign it or swear it, whatever.”

Tregare looked at his instruments and nodded. ”You're a truthful man. Forget the oaths; I'll settle for a handshake.”

When that was done, he said, ”All there was with me and Peralta-I might as well tell all of you-I helped him take his s.h.i.+p from UET, and he owed me service for it. But he couldn't forget he'd been senior in the old days-he wanted command 174.

and tried to kill me to get it. He lost.” He shook his head. ”I would have bought him out fair. I offered that, and I'd rather he'd accepted.”

”So would I,” said Hardekamp. ”Or that he'd stayed. He was a fox, that one-the way he got us up free from Tweedle. But you must be a better one, Tregare.”

”Maybe, maybe not. I'm here-let's get on with it.”

The next few questionings were brief; the men and women followed Hardekamp's lead, and the indicators stayed green. Then a tall man, one eye bandaged and right arm in a sling, sat.

He said, ”I won't bother lying, Tregare. You killed my brother when you flamed groundside. I wouldn't s.h.i.+p with you if the world was burning away under my feet! So kill me and be d.a.m.ned to you. But if you were any kind of man, you'd give me a fighting chance.”

Tregare stood; his hands shook. ”I'm sorry about your brother. But Peralta gave me no chance. I had to make my own. I give you better than that; you go free to make your way on this world.” He gestured to Gowdy. ”Get him out of here!”

The rest of the interviews took little time. Tregare shook his head at one man. ”You're out.” To Rissa he said, ”The indicators flickered; I'm too tired to find out why.”

When it was done, they slept again in Peralta's former quarters. The next day all personnel were questioned under the field, and Tregare designated three more to be grounded; he did not state his reasons. Limmer, with Kenekke riding ”shotgun,”

delivered the five to One Point One and brought the scout back barely before dark.

NEXTmorning Tregare and Rissa inspected new installations onNo Return, found few errors and decided to return to Base One. Over lunch, Rissa said, ”Felcie, would you like to come with us, or must you stay to guard the equipment?” ”Oh, I'm sure it's safe here. I'd like to go with you.” So five rode the scout to the plateau. Nothing had changed; there had been no intrusion. Once aground, Felcie was shocked at the effects of Peralta's foray- the damaged cabin 175.

and wrecked aircar. ”What a snick! Looks like somebody used s.h.i.+p'sweapons!''

”We did,” said Rissa. Felcie's mouth opened, but closed without replying. ”Come, Felcie, I will show you a little of the place. All right, Bran?”

”Sure. I've got some calls to make.”

Rissa gave Felcie a conducted tour. First the cabin-but no mention of its defenses. Then outside-to the plateau's edge with its sweeping view of lower Hills and plain, then back past cabin and outhouse for a short climb, far enough to see the plateau as a whole.

”It's well planned,” the girl said finally. ”And I love the location! I've never been far into the Big Hills on the other side-a little higher than Hulzein Lodge, but not much.

How'd you ever get an aircar over here-special model, or did Tregare bring it in his s.h.i.+p?''

Rissa laughed. ”I will not tell you just yet. I may have the chance to show you, instead- and I would not want to spoil the surprise.”

The sun neared the high-flung horizon. They returned to the cabin, found it empty, and went to the scout. Deverel and Kenekke were absent; Tregare worked at a sheet of scribbled calculations. He looked up. ”You see all the sights, Felcie?”

”Yes, and I'm really impressed.” She paused. ”I almost forgot-could you give me a circuit to Ami? I haven't reported in yet today.”

”And how about yesterday?” said Rissa.

”Oh, I called her in the afternoon. You were busy; the tall man-Kenekke-arranged the circuit for me.”

”All right,” said Tregare. He punched for Hulzein Lodge and asked for the relay; an unfamiliar face appeared briefly and then Ami Gustafson came to the screen. ”h.e.l.lo,”

he said. ”Ms. Parager's here to talk with you.”

Felcie moved to the screen. ”Everything's fine, Ami. The equipment behaved a hundred percent snooky, and now I'm up at a different place. Wow-was there ever a fight here! Oh, not now-before I came, I mean. You should see-”

Tregare cleared his throat. She looked at him. He neither smiled nor frowned, but she turned back and said, ”I think I wasn't supposed to say anything about that. Pretend I didn't, will you, Arni?”

176.

Over her shoulder, Tregare said, ”Let's say, Ms. Gustaf-son, that I'd appreciate it if you-and anyone there with you -doesn't repeat it.”

Gustafson nodded. ”Don't worry. I neither meddle nor tattle. And Felcie-put it firmly in your mind that anything you see on that side of the Hills-except the scenery- isn't to be talked about when you come back.”

”Yes, Ami, I will. But-maybe I'm not coming back!”