long after, the Bonaparte landed, and Peralta-he was First Hat-recognized me. We made a deal: he wouldn't expose me, and I wouldn't kil him. I'd help him take the ship and-come time to put a fleet together-he'd take my orders. So far, it's worked out.
"Malloy's Pig in the Parlor I bought into, same as with Vanois. And Jargy Hoad-he's the one helped me design this cabin-Jargy was riding Second Hat on Inconnu when we took the Peron in space and renamed it Deuces Wild."
"So it is your ship, and Hoad your man?"
"Correct. And Use Krueger on Graf Spee- she's a volun-tary aly, like Bernardez. Just plain likes the idea.
"Now, if only enough of them show up on time..."
"All have been informed?"
"Should have been. I sent word to enough drops, right after I got the schedule from Bernardez. There's quite a network, Rissa-for long-haul word between Escaped ships. And figur-ing those messages by effective time gets pretty tricky."
"I can see, it would be. But otherwise, al is settled? Six or more ships, you wil go-fewer, and you wil not?"
"That's right."
"There is one thing more, Bran. Will we go on Inconnu together-or you alone, again unmarried?" He stared. "Now look, Rissa-I told you-"
"But I have another thought. The-the zoom-wombs are stil operable, are they not? And the techniques available, to extract sperm and ova and combine them?"
"I suppose so. But, you mean you want-?"
"I wish to go either with you, or my own way, alone. If you need to ensure an heir, this is how it can be done."
"But you said-how could I leave a child I wouldn't see for years? So, how can you?"
"Gestation can be delayed-until either we return or it is decided here that we likely wil not." He was silent. She said, "Well, Bran?
You have no reason now for leaving me behind -except that you do not want me with you." Slowly his scowl cleared; he nodded. "Al right. I'l figure some job you can do on Inconnu, to make it look good."
"An excuse? No-I think I will excel at weaponry and navigation."
"Weapons, maybe-and turret operators are pretty well protected. But you don't have time to learn navigation."
"I think you are wrong. On Inconnu, as you have men-tioned, I observed. And at turnover I learned this." She recited Number One's coordinates with respect to Far Corner, then transposed them. "So, you see, I could guide us there again. I do not think the rest of it would be too difficult to learn."
He shook his head. "What I can't figure is why-when I know better-I keep underestimating you." She reached and squeezed his hand. "Perhaps Erika Hul-zein taught me too wel-always to keep something back, in case of need-so that no possible enemy could prepare for me fully."
"I didn't think I was your enemy, Rissa."
"And of course you are not. But it may be, Bran, that in a part of my mind every person is considered a potential enemy." She released his hand and clamped both of hers together. "Bran-I had not thought of that before." He stared at her. "You think maybe that's why-?"
"Perhaps, yes. It has become late-shall we try again and see?"
But later, panting and sweat-drenched, she was forced to accept the fact that her body was not yet ready to yield its defenses.
next morning, Tregare took an early cal from Vanois and left for Base Two. Rissa stayed behind. "In time I wil become used to Vanois, but not today, I think." After breakfasting, she went to the scout and asked Deverel whether he could give her some instruction in navigating.
"Our computer here doesn't have ful simulation," he said. "Just the records of Inconnu's own travels. I don't know-"
"If Tregare has not said I should have ful access, then let us start from the beginning, from Earth. Even UET has those records."
"You're right. And-pardon me, Ms. Kerguelen, but the skipper didn 't say."
"He will." She smiled. "Meanwhile your caution is quite proper. Now, shall we proceed?" She ran the first four trip records, calculating ahead as the data unrolled before her and checking at the end
"Malloy's Pig in the Parlor I bought into, same as with Vanois. And Jargy Hoad-he's the one helped me design this cabin-Jargy was riding Second Hat on Inconnu when we took the Peron in space and renamed it Deuces Wild."
"So it is your ship, and Hoad your man?"
"Correct. And Use Krueger on Graf Spee- she's a volun-tary aly, like Bernardez. Just plain likes the idea.
"Now, if only enough of them show up on time..."
"All have been informed?"
"Should have been. I sent word to enough drops, right after I got the schedule from Bernardez. There's quite a network, Rissa-for long-haul word between Escaped ships. And figur-ing those messages by effective time gets pretty tricky."
"I can see, it would be. But otherwise, al is settled? Six or more ships, you wil go-fewer, and you wil not?"
"That's right."
"There is one thing more, Bran. Will we go on Inconnu together-or you alone, again unmarried?" He stared. "Now look, Rissa-I told you-"
"But I have another thought. The-the zoom-wombs are stil operable, are they not? And the techniques available, to extract sperm and ova and combine them?"
"I suppose so. But, you mean you want-?"
"I wish to go either with you, or my own way, alone. If you need to ensure an heir, this is how it can be done."
"But you said-how could I leave a child I wouldn't see for years? So, how can you?"
"Gestation can be delayed-until either we return or it is decided here that we likely wil not." He was silent. She said, "Well, Bran?
You have no reason now for leaving me behind -except that you do not want me with you." Slowly his scowl cleared; he nodded. "Al right. I'l figure some job you can do on Inconnu, to make it look good."
"An excuse? No-I think I will excel at weaponry and navigation."
"Weapons, maybe-and turret operators are pretty well protected. But you don't have time to learn navigation."
"I think you are wrong. On Inconnu, as you have men-tioned, I observed. And at turnover I learned this." She recited Number One's coordinates with respect to Far Corner, then transposed them. "So, you see, I could guide us there again. I do not think the rest of it would be too difficult to learn."
He shook his head. "What I can't figure is why-when I know better-I keep underestimating you." She reached and squeezed his hand. "Perhaps Erika Hul-zein taught me too wel-always to keep something back, in case of need-so that no possible enemy could prepare for me fully."
"I didn't think I was your enemy, Rissa."
"And of course you are not. But it may be, Bran, that in a part of my mind every person is considered a potential enemy." She released his hand and clamped both of hers together. "Bran-I had not thought of that before." He stared at her. "You think maybe that's why-?"
"Perhaps, yes. It has become late-shall we try again and see?"
But later, panting and sweat-drenched, she was forced to accept the fact that her body was not yet ready to yield its defenses.
next morning, Tregare took an early cal from Vanois and left for Base Two. Rissa stayed behind. "In time I wil become used to Vanois, but not today, I think." After breakfasting, she went to the scout and asked Deverel whether he could give her some instruction in navigating.
"Our computer here doesn't have ful simulation," he said. "Just the records of Inconnu's own travels. I don't know-"
"If Tregare has not said I should have ful access, then let us start from the beginning, from Earth. Even UET has those records."
"You're right. And-pardon me, Ms. Kerguelen, but the skipper didn 't say."
"He will." She smiled. "Meanwhile your caution is quite proper. Now, shall we proceed?" She ran the first four trip records, calculating ahead as the data unrolled before her and checking at the end
Similar Books
A Cast of Vultures
Judith Flanders
Five Parts Dead
Tim Pegler
Wings of Lomay
Devri Walls
My Texas Sweetheart (book one)
Pauliena Acheson
Can't Shake You
Molly McLain
Cheri Red (sWet)
Charisma Knight
Through the Fire
Donna Hill
The Hen of the Baskervilles
Donna Andrews
Charmed by His Love
Janet Chapman
Angel Stations
Gary Gibson