Part 43 (1/2)

Take the biggest breath you can, kid.

Out of the corner of his eye, Peter saw Johnny's chest rising. He inhaled, thinking firmly of the net and its lifesaving units sitting in the center of the Amazon's Amazon's cabin s.p.a.ce. As he 'ported, he felt Johnny's wide-open mind pus.h.i.+ng with him, and a second reinforcement-nowhere near as strong but steady. Lance! He might not be able to initiate the gestalt but he could sure give it a shove, his grasp warm and firm on Peter's. cabin s.p.a.ce. As he 'ported, he felt Johnny's wide-open mind pus.h.i.+ng with him, and a second reinforcement-nowhere near as strong but steady. Lance! He might not be able to initiate the gestalt but he could sure give it a shove, his grasp warm and firm on Peter's.

Then, like running into a wall in the dark, Peter felt a psychic stop. G.o.d! Had he missed? Had he reached his limit somewhere out there between Earth and Mars? Would men and women die because he was overconfident?

Breathe, kid.

Peter felt the elbow in his ribs. Opening his eyes he exhaled, sparkles of imminent anoxia dancing before his eyes. He let himself collapse in the chair.

”Have you done it yet?” Dirk asked anxiously, his eyes dark with concern. Someone loomed beside him on the screen. ”Shandin said the generators went off the gauge.”

”We can't be certain, Dirk,” Johnny said, panting. ”But we sure did give it a d.a.m.ned good try, the three of us . . .” He grinned at Lance. Tone-deaf he may be, but he's an a.s.set. We'll tell him how and why later. Tone-deaf he may be, but he's an a.s.set. We'll tell him how and why later. ”Knew you'd be a help. Tell Captain Vartry to look in their s.h.i.+p. Only s.p.a.ce we knew wouldn't be occupied.” ”Knew you'd be a help. Tell Captain Vartry to look in their s.h.i.+p. Only s.p.a.ce we knew wouldn't be occupied.”

”Yes, of course, the s.h.i.+p would be a logical telepad.” Dirk Coetzer took a deep breath, his eyes unfocusing briefly.

”Now don't get any ideas, Dirk,” Johnny cautioned him, quickly raising one hand in restraint.

”No, no, of course not,” he said, but there was just that little curl of his mouth that suggested he was not above thinking ahead. ”There's a communications lag, you know.”

”I know,” Johnny said. ”It's only thirty-seven million miles from here. Take exactly 198.6 seconds-3 minutes and 18.6 seconds.”

”That long?” Peter said, desperately wanting it all to have happened simultaneously.

”And to come back,” Johnny said with admirable sangfroid.

”Drink this,” Lance said, putting a gla.s.s of orange juice in front of Peter, who was leaning limply back in his chair, and fresh coffee in front of Johnny.

Do you realize what we just did? Peter asked. Peter asked.

We s.h.i.+pped a package all the way to Mars, that's what we just did, Johnny replied. Johnny replied.

We hope, Peter said with a gulp. Peter said with a gulp. We also just merged our minds. We did We also just merged our minds. We did WHAT? Johnny leaned forward so quickly that he nearly knocked the cup off the surface. WHAT? Johnny leaned forward so quickly that he nearly knocked the cup off the surface.

Lance stared at Peter, his mouth dropping open.

I felt you, and Peter pointed at the General, and Peter pointed at the General, and then and then you, his finger went to Lance, you, his finger went to Lance, come in to help me push. We were all in on that one! Oh, we've talked together over distance, but we've never come in to help me push. We were all in on that one! Oh, we've talked together over distance, but we've never combined to combined to 'port anything. This, my friends, is a major breakthrough! 'port anything. This, my friends, is a major breakthrough! With that declaration, Peter lifted his gla.s.s and toasted them both. With that declaration, Peter lifted his gla.s.s and toasted them both.

”But, if you did,” Coetzer went on, unaware of that telepathic exchange.

”If we did,” Johnny said, winking at Peter and Lance, ”there'd be a new contract. And there would be a new organization for you to deal with.”

”What?” The admiral didn't quite absorb that.

Johnny! Peter protested. Peter protested.

”Let's just bide our time,” Johnny said smoothly. ”It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings. And we sure want to hear her.”

In his office, Dirk was fiddling with a pencil file, turning it over and over in one hand, glancing to his left.

Johnny sipped his coffee. Peter drank his juice. Then, resorting to physical means, he walked himself to the serving alcove and found apples and carrots. He clumped back to his station, aware of Lance watching him. He wished he were a little more graceful but that would come. He hadn't quite the muscular strength in his thighs to sit smoothly and flopped down.

Johnny doodled.

Lance tapped his fingers.

Dirk Coetzer kept running the file through his fingers.

The comm bleeped.

Everyone jumped.

”They got the message,” Shandin's voice said. ”Vartry's going out to the s.h.i.+p.”

Johnny's doodles got wilder.

Lance went to the head.

The tension in the office was thick enough to cut.

Peter finished an apple and thought seriously about a carrot. He looked at the records for generator use. He hadn't had the pads on so he didn't know how many calories he had burned in that 'port. He wished now that he had since that data would be necessary, he fervently hoped, in the future.

Dirk was now swinging back and forth in his chair, looking anywhere but into the screen and at the three telekinetics. He rubbed his face.

Peter rubbed his face, p.r.i.c.kly with short bristles of beard that he was finally growing.

More time elapsed.

We could 'port some of these, Peter suggested, wanting to do something. There were some downside 'ports he felt up to doing. Peter suggested, wanting to do something. There were some downside 'ports he felt up to doing.

You're a glutton for punishment, Johnny said. Johnny said.

Are you okay, Johnny? Peter reached out to close his fingers about his friend's arm. Peter reached out to close his fingers about his friend's arm.

Well, I did take a deep breath, but if there was another piece of that pie?

I'll get it, Lance said, rising. Lance said, rising.

”You're eating, aren't you, Pete?” Dirk asked.

THEY GOT IT! Madlyn Luvaro's loud voice was never more welcome. Madlyn Luvaro's loud voice was never more welcome. DASH SAYS CAPTAIN VARTRY HAS IT! IT'S THERE! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! DASH SAYS CAPTAIN VARTRY HAS IT! IT'S THERE! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!

Johnny shouted the message out loud.

Dirk Coetzer leaped from his chair, arms flung out, face split with the joy of success. The next moment the screen showed him dancing about his office with Nicola as a startled partner.

Peter stared at the sight, for a moment weak with relief before exultation flooded his mind, soul, and body. Johnny was yodeling like a drunken cowboy, clapping his hands over his head, folding them into the victory sign. Lance was doing some sort of stamping dance around the room.