[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Pain."
"That is what we call " Joshua hunted for the word, couldn't find it in Al'ar, and switched to Terran.
" a coward."
"That is a word I have seen but do not under-stand."
"We do not respect those who lack courage to fight " Again there was no Al'ar word, so he returned
to Terran. " fairly."
"I think my mind can hear that last word and know it. We have our customs, you have yours."
"So why are you helping me?"
There was a silence.
"I do not know,"the Al'ar said finally."Sometimes I think I am mad."
"You are the first Al'ar who has been anything other than a& a worm turd to me."
"As I said, there are those who think me mad. But you do not have my name. You may call me Taen.
Perhaps that explains my behavior, for it would be, in your language, the One Who Stands Aside and
Wonders."
Joshua's eyes opened, and the ship noticed and brought the lights up slightly. He lay without moving for a
while.
"Now why," he mused, "didn't that dream bother me?"
After a while his eyes closed, his breathing became regular, and the ship, after the programmed time,
dimmed the lights.
* * *
TheGrayle came in on a lazy braking orbit, the ship circling Trinite three times before closing on the main
island of Morne-des-Esses, giving Wolfe a chance to turn computer images into reality.
Trinite was mostly water and islands, with two desert landmasses near the equator that cut the tidal
action of the triple moons and made the equatorial islands habit-able and the shallow seas around them
navigable. North and south of the continents the waves rolled ceaselessly, hammering at the few rocky
skerries that still jutted from the boiling seas.
Morne-des-Esses curled like a protective snake around half a hundred tiny islets. The world's capital
and only real city, Diamant, sat on Morne-des-Esses's largest bay, its streets twisting up the steep hills
that ran almost to the water's edge.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"/have Trinity Control on-line. Need input ."
"Patch 'em through," a speaker went on. "Trinite' Control, what's your problem?"
"Negative problem," the voice said, and Wolfe won-dered why it was obligatory for all pilots and
navigation points, human or roboticized, to drawl as if there were all the time in the world. "We have two
landing options, as your ship was advised. One is Wule, conventional spaceport, all facilities, on
land. The other is Diamant Port, just offshore from the city. Your charts should in-dicate details.
Ships berth like watercraft at buoys, com links available at buoy head, water taxis available on
call or signal.
"Wule Port is ten credits a day, Diamant fifty. Have you reached a decision?"
"That's affirm, Trinite Control. We'll take Diamant."
"Understood. Turning you over to Diamant Subcontrol."
'Take it on in," Wolfe said. "Try to land like a rich bitch's yacht. Blow spray in somebody's face or
some-thing."
"Assumption: That is not an order," the ship said. "You are making a joke."
"Thank you for informing me."
The ship lowered into the water like a suspicious ma-tron into a bathtub, and Wolfe heard hissing
through the outside mikes as the atmosphere-seared hull sent steam boiling. On secondary drive the ship
cruised into the harbor and down a row of buoys, some with yachts, others with starcraft moored to
them. It found the as-signed buoy, and mag-grapples shot out.
"Diamant Subcontrol advised there are anchors available for an additional fee, which they recommend in
the event of a storm. Should I signal for them? I have no familiarity with such gear."
"Disregard. They're getting enough of our credits as is. Instructions: If I am not in the ship and a storm
does blow up, take whatever measures are necessary to keep yourself safe, including lifting off."
"Understood. We are now landed."
Artificial gravity went off, and Wolfe's inner ear complained slightly. The ship moved gently to
wave-rhythm.
"Open up and let's see what we've got," Wolfe said.
The ship opened the lock and slid the retractable loading platform below it. Joshua walked out onto it.
He was about two feet above the ocean.
The water was blue, calm, peaceful, and the sun glared white on the rooftops of Diamant. A breeze
ruf-fled the water like a mother's fingers, then passed on. It was a day, and a world, that said that nothing
much mattered beyond the moment.
"Hey, Cap'n!" The voice came from a gaily painted boat that to Joshua's surprise looked as if it were
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
built of wood. Its owner had close-cropped hair and freckles and looked about fourteen. She was
slim-built and wore shorts and a baggy exercise shirt with libanos water taxis on it.
"You need to go ashore?"
"In a bit."
The young woman expertly gunned her boat toward theGrayle's platform, reversed the drive, and let it
drift up until a fender touched the ship.
"What's a bit? If you're coming now, fine. Otherwise I'll come back on my next run."
Joshua didn't answer; he walked back into the ship, touched a blank wall, and took coins from the
drawer that slotted out. He went back out.
"What's your hourly?"
"Two credits." The girl grinned. "More if I think you're good for it."
Joshua sent the coins spinning through the air, reflec-tions bouncing off the water. The girl caught them
one-handed and made them disappear.
"I'm yours for& two hours. What do you want? The grand tour?"
"As soon as customs comes out to clear me."
The girl laughed raucously. "Captain, there isn't any customs on Trinit6. They've already checked your
credit balance before they let you land, especially here in the harbor. If you're solvent, you're welcome. I
hope you're not carrying anything real contagious. My shots aren't up to date."
"Healthy as two horses. You are& ?"
"You can call me Thetis."
Joshua grinned. "You pick that yourself, or did some-body with a crystal ball come up with it?"
"My grandfather gave it to me. Said he never liked what I'd been birth-named with." She shrugged. "I
don't even remember my other name now."
"My name's Joshua Wolfe. Hang on while I grab a couple of things."
TheGrayle's lock hissed shut behind Joshua, and the platform retracted as soon as he'd stepped into
Thetis's boat. He wore white trousers, deck shoes, a light green shirt, and a coarsely woven silk
windbreaker. He did not appear armed.
"Where to?"
"Like you said, the grand tour. I'd like to get an idea of what the island's like. Never been here before."
Thetis put the boat into drive and sent it hissing away, its wake purling white. The boat looked very
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]