The Man-Kzin Wars 01 by Larry Niven Page A

trivial .
    Saxtorph's voice crackled from the intercom: “ N ow hear this. Now hear this. We've just received a message from what claims to be a kzin warship. They're demanding we make rendezvous with them. Keep calm but think hard. We'll meet in the gym in an hour, 1530, and consider this together. ”
    Standing with back to bulkhead, the captain let silence stretch, beneath the pulsebeat and whispers of the ship, while he sea - need the faces of those seated before him. Dorcas, her Athene countenance frozen into expressionlessness; Kam Ryan's full lips quirked a bit upward, defiantly chee"; Carita Fenger a-scowl; Juan Yoshii and Laurinda Brozik unable to keep from glancing at each other, hand gripping hand; Arthur Tregennis, who seemed almost as concerned about the girl; Ulf Markham, well apart from the rest, masked in haughtiness-Ulf Reichstein Mark ham, if you please.... The air renewal cycle was at its daily point of ozone injection. That tang smelled like fear.
    Which must not be let out of its cage. Saxtorph cleared his throat. “ O kay, let's get straight to business," he said. “ Y ou must've noticed a quiver in the interior g-field and change in engine sound. You're right, we altered acceleration. Rover will meet the foreign vessel, with velocities matched, in about 35 hours. it could be sooner, but Dorcas told them we weren't sure our hull could take that much * stress. What we wanted, naturally, was as much time beforehand as possible. ”
    “ W hy don’t we cut and run?" Carita asked .
    Saxtorph shrugged. “ W hether or not we can outrun them, we for sure can't escape the stuff they can throw, now that they've locked onto us. If they really are kzinti navy, they'll never let us get out where we can go hyperspatial. They may be lying, but Dorcas and I don't propose to take the chance. ”
    “ I presu m e evasion tactics are unfeasible," said Tregennis in his most academic voice .
    “ C orrect. We could stop the engine, switch off the generator, and orbit free, with batteries supplying the life support systems, but they'd have no trouble computing our path. As soon as they came halfway close, they'd catch us with a radar sweep .
    “ F rom what data we have on them, I believe they were searching for some time before they acquired us, probably with amplified optics. That's assuming they were in orbit around Secunda when they first learned of our arrival. The assumption is consistent with what would be a reasonable search curve for them and with the fact that there are modulated radio bursts out of that planet-transmissions to and from their base. ”
    Nobody before had seen Yoshii snarl. “ A nd how did they learn about us? ” he demanded .
    Looks went to Markham. He gave them back. “ Y es, undoubtedly through me, ” he said.
    Strength rang in the words. “ Y ou all know I took it upon myself to beam a signal at Secunda-in my capacity as this expedition's officer of the government. The result has surprised me, too, but I acknowledge no need to apologize. If we, approaching a kzin base unbeknownst, had suddenly become manifest to their detectors, they would most likely have blown us out of existence. ”
    Ryan nodded. “ W ithout stopping to ask questions," he supplied. “ Y eah, that'd be kzin style. If they are. How're you so sure? ”
    I think we can take it for granted," Dorcas said. “ W ho else would have reason to call themselves kzinti? ”
    “ W ho else would want to?" Carita growled .
    “ S ave the cuss words for later," Saxtorph counseled . “ W e're in too much of a pickle for luxuries. I might add that although the vocal transmission was through a translator, the phrasing, the responses to us, everything was pure kzin. They are here – on the far side of human space from their own. You realize what this means, don't you, folks? The kzinti have gotten the hyperdrive. ”
    That conclusion had indeed become clear to everyone, but Laurinda asked, “ H ow could they?" as if in pain