Part 2 (1/2)
They're what are called flare stars, which fits, too. The whole thing is forty-five or fifty light-years away. The Hunter isn't really sure about the speeds of their interstellar flyers, but thinks the distance is reasonable.”
”You've mixed a few p.r.o.nouns up-mostly the 'we's'-” his mother said, ”but I think we get the picture. All right, we'll be optimistic too-we have to be, just as both of you do.” The Hunter appreciated her choice of words; after the confession about his life span, it would not have been unreasonable for a human being to suspect that Bob was just another incident in his life, who would be dying a little sooner than his other hosts. In fact, the alien was seriously disturbed, by Bob's situation, and at least as much bothered by his own responsibility for it. He was not permitting himself to think about his own future if they failed to save Bob's life.
Bob's father might have been as aware of this as his wife seemed to be, but his words provided no evidence either way. His job with PFI involved enough responsibility to make him a forceful and decisive person, and his words, after a few moments' thought, concerned only the actions to be taken.
”All right. Step one, Bob gets a good night's sleep so he can at least start tomorrow looking and acting normal. Two, he visits Ben Seever first thing in the morning, tells him everything, and takes whatever steps possible to get an a.s.signment which won't make his condition any worse. It would be nice if it left him free for work on the search project, but we'll stay with possibles for the moment.
”Three, I do what I can about getting hold of free-diving equipment-I know there isn't any on Ell, but I think the company is experimenting with it on Tahiti. I also do research on metal- detecting equipment, its availability and usefulness for underwater work.
”The Hunter thinks of every possible way to get the attention of any of his people who may be on the island, or on Earth, without going to the extreme of publis.h.i.+ng the whole story worldwide. I wouldn't mind doing that myself, but if it would interfere with whatever they'd normally be doing here, it might cause them to give up Earth as a bad job and leave. I don't see that that is really likely, but we're not taking the chance.
”Finally, both Bob and the Hunter give serious thought to which, and how many, additional people we might let into the business. I doubt that five people, one in shaky health and one restricted in his physical movements, are going to be enough. I know it will take thinking, but think.”
But it was not thought which started the first recruiting action.
3. Complications
”Lighted any more fires lately?”
It was not a standard greeting by any criteria, and to both Bob and the Hunter it was more than disconcerting. The young woman who had given it was not herself surprising; they both had known Jenny Seever for years, and had heard that she was working for her father. As the island population had grown, the company had made additions to the Seever residence, turning it into a small hospital. Seever himself had had to become a little more formal in the matter of keeping records on his patients. The first thought to cross the minds of the two visitors was that Seever had made a record of the earlier project, and his daughter had come across it in the course of her work.
Bob, however, rejected this after a moment's thought. The doctor would not have written anything down, much less left the record where anyone else could find it, without first consulting Bob himself and his symbiont.
Nevertheless, the girl seemed to know something. The police project had indeed ended in a fire, an oil-fed bonfire which had consumed the alien fugitive, and the question could hardly be coincidence. However, Bob had read his share of detective stories, and was not going to be tricked into telling her more than she might already have learned.
”Lots,” he answered, after a hesitation which he realized was probably revealing. ”It was a good spring in the Northeast, and picnics were quite the thing before finals. Why?”
Jenny made no direct answer; her listeners got the impression that she had not expected the sort of response Bob had given. In this they were quite right. Since she was much quicker-witted than Bob or the Hunter, she knew better than to continue firing blindly after the first shot, had missed. She changed the subject, letting others make what they could of it- not that she thought of the man standing in front of her desk as representing two people, of course.
”I suppose you want to see Dad.”
”Sure. I can't start work for PFI without a checkup, and I owe PFI several years of work in return for my chem degree, so obviously PFI wants me to have a checkup. Also, I'd like to see him anyway, just as an old friend. Is anyone with him now?”
”Yes. You'll have to wait.” She couldn't resist one more shot ”Would you like some matches?”
”No, thanks. I don't smoke.”
”Not even fuel oil?”
”Not for fun.”
The Hunter rather wished he could take part in the duel, but had to admit to himself that his host was doing well enough.
Obviously the girl knew something; any chance of coincidence had vanished with the second question. It would be necessary to learn her status from the doctor before anything revealing could be said, but this seemed as obvious to Bob as it was to his symbiont.
”People have queer ideas of fun,” Jenny countered.
”I see. Like being mysterious. Look, Kid, or Miss Seever or whatever you want me to call you, I don't know what you're talking about.” The Hunter, with the pa.s.sion for strict truthfulness which had developed naturally in his long life, was rather disturbed by this remark. Even the reflection that it was not totally false, since Bob could really only guess what she was talking about, did not console him completely. ”If someone has burned a house or something like that here on Ell, I don't know anything about it-I've been away for two years, and just got back last night. If you're talking about something else, you'll have to be specific enough to make sense. If you're just being funny, it isn't. If you've been reading mystery stories, change detectives. I'm not falling for the all-is-lost-fly-at-once line.”
”Why should you?” she asked. Bob felt for a moment that he had made a slip, but carried on without a break that anyone but the Hunter could have spotted, both hoped.
”I shouldn't and I couldn't. There's nothing to fall for. If you're suggesting that I'm a pyromaniac, check your dad's files-you keep 'em now, don't you?”
”Thanks. That's an idea I hadn't thought of,” she returned. I'll do that when I have the time.”
Neither spoke again for ten minutes or more. Both sat, thinking of all the things he might have said differently. The Hunter made a few suggestions to him, but got no response. Jenny paid no obvious attention to her visible guest, and appeared to be busy with her normal paper work.
Eventually a door opened and a ten-year-old boy with his arm in a sling came through, followed by the doctor. The latter interrupted an admonishment about tree-climbing as he caught sight of Bob, came over to shake hands warmly, and ushered him into the examination room.
”Heard you were back-I suppose everyone has, by now. For good this time, isn't it? Did you drop over to be sociable, or are they putting you right to work? How are you, Hunter?-I suppose you're still there.”
The Hunter almost answered; Seever was the one human being who sometimes made him forget that communication had to be by relay-who habitually spoke to him as though direct conversation were possible. Bob was usually amused by this, but showed no sign of it this time.
”Both, I guess,” he answered Seever's last question -first. ”Yes, the Hunter is here. Nothing's been said officially to me about showing up for work, but I imagine they're taking it for granted.
Unless I'm told otherwise, I'll be over at the main shop on Monday; but there are problems I'll need your help with, first.”
”Oh?”
Bob wasted no time in recounting the situation; Seever listened silently. He nodded or raised an eyebrow at times but said nothing until Bob had finished. Then he summarized.
”As I see it, you two want to find one or both of those s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps, or their remains, as a step toward getting in touch with some of the Hunter's people who may or may not be on Earth, in the hope that they can solve or get hold of someone else who can solve, Bob's medical difficulties, a.s.suming they can be solved.
Pretty iffy. We are hoping they can be, that they're actually on Earth, and that finding the s.h.i.+ps will help you find the people. I won't ask pardon for the loose p.r.o.nouns, you know what I mean.
My job is to keep you functioning, and, if possible, free part of the time-holding the juggler's plates in the air, as the Hunter so aptly puts it-until all this is ac-accomplished.”
”It could be said more encouragingly, but that's right as far as you go,” conceded Bob. ”You do have one other job. Somehow PFI will have to be persuaded to use me in some way that won't either kill me too soon or reveal my medical problems to too many people.
You can't just say I'm not able to work. Old Toke takes a big interest in people, and I can imagine his s.h.i.+pping me back to the States, or j.a.pan, or wherever he happens to think I can get better medical attention than you can provide here. I mention this, of course, just to keep you from loafing between the shots of whatever you have to give me to keep me going.”
”Phmph,” snorted Seever. ”Whatever I- ”And in addition,” the young man went on, ”you'll really have to do something about Jenny.” ”My daughter? Why? If you're falling in love with her I certainly don't object, but you'll have to do your own courting.”
”Did you ever tell her about the Hunter and our adventures a few years ago? Or tell your wife so Jenny could have heard, or write any of it where she could have come across it to read?”
”No. None of those. I've wanted to tell Ev, but it isn't my secret.
I will, if you and the Hunter ever let me. I've never written any of it anywhere.”
”Then why did Jenny just now greet me, or us, with questions about fighting fuel oil fires? As I remember, she was away from Ell when we disposed of the Hunter's little problem--and she'd have been only about eleven then, anyway.”
”That's right, she was.” Seever was both puzzled and surprised.
”I can't imagine what she's up to, or what she's found out, or how.
If I talk in my sleep that coherently I'm sure Ev would have said some-thing, and it still wouldn't explain Jenny's hearing me. Do you want to have her in and ask her right now, or have me ask her alone later on, or hold everything until you've done some thinking and investigating on your own?”