Part 31 (2/2)
”Ready to roll, Clee,” James announced
”Roll”
”Why, I lost contact!” Miss Flurnoy exclaimed
”Naturally,” Garlock said ”Did you expect to cover a distance it takes light thousands of years to cross? You can record anything you see in the plates You can talk to Jim or Lola any time they'll let you Don't bother Miss Bellamy or me from now on”
Garlock and Belle went to work All four Galaxians worked all day, with half an hour off for lunch They visited seventy planets and got back to Margonia in time for a very late dinner ComOff Flurnoy had less than a quarter of one roll of recorder-tape left unused, and the Prih information to start the project they had in mind
And shortly after dinner, all five retired
”In one way, Clee, I'ure out why all the Prirown-up ones, I mean--on all the worlds are just about the same cantankerous, you-be-damned, out-and-out stinkers as you and I are How does _that_ fit into your theory?”
”It doesn't Too fine a detail My guess is--at least it seems to me to make sense--it's because we haven't had any coh to smack us down and ist would say”
”And I know _exactly_ what you'd think of whatever he did say, so you don't need to tell hed and presented her lips to be kissed ”Good night, Clee”
”Good night, ace”
And the next , early, Garlock and Belle teleported theement and appointment, of course--across almost the full width of a nation and into the private office in which Deggi Delcamp and Fao Talaho awaited them
For a time which would not have been considered polite in Tellurian social circles the four Pri the other with blocks set tight, studying each other with their eyes Delca bruiser He was shorter and heavier than the Tellurian Heavily muscled, splendidly proportioned, he was a th His hair, clipped close all over his head, was blonde; his eyes were a clear, keen, cold dark blue
Fao Talaho was a couple of inches shorter than Belle; and a good fifteen pounds heavier She was in no sense fat, however, or even plump--actually, she was almost lean She ider and thicker than was the Earthwo a wider and deeper frame
She, too, was beautifully--yes, spectacularly--built Her hair, fully as thick as Belle's own and worn in a free-falling bob three or four inches longer than Belle's, was bleached almost white Her eyes were not really speckled, nor really hter and darker shades of hazel She was, Garlock decided, a really remarkable hunk of woman
Both NarGodians wore sandals without either socks or stockings Both were dressed--insofar as they were dressed at all--in yellow Fao's single garment was of a thin, closely-knitted fabric, elastic and sleek
Above the waist it was neckless, backless, and alht and clinging skirt Delcaless shorts
Garlock lowered his shi+eld enough to send and to receive a thin layer of superficial thought; Delcamp did the same
”So far, I like what I see,” Garlock said then ”We are well ahead of you, hence I can help you a lot if you want me to and if you want to be friendly about it If you don't, on either count, we leave now Fair enough?”
”Fair enough I, too, like what I have seen so far We need help, and I appreciate your offer Thanks, immensely I can promise full cooperation and friendshi+p for roup; and I assure you that I can and will handle any non-cooperation that i” Garlock s level ”I was going to bring that up--the faster it's cleared the better Belle and I are paired Some day--unless we kill each other first--we ain and she's one-third wildcat, one-third vixen, and one-third cobra How do you two stand?”
”You took the thought right out ofis not what you call 'urbane' on this world Nevertheless, Fao and I are paired We had to No one else has ever interested either of us; no one else ever will We should not fight, but we do, furiously But no ether again just as fast No one understands it, but you two are pretty much the same”
”Check Just one more condition, then, and we can pull those wo at each other, both still sealed tight ”The first ti to wait for you to take care of her--I'ive her the surprise of her life”
”It'd tickle me silly if it could be done,” Delcamp smiled and was perfectly frank, ”But theit?”