Thorby felt relieved when they reached the spaceport and he saw the homely, familiar lines of old Sisu.
When Thorby reached his bunkie, Jeri was there, feet up and hands back of his head. He looked up and did not smile.
“Hi, Jeri!”
“Hello, Thorby.”
“Hit dirt?”
“No.”
“I did. Look what I bought!” Thorby showed him the magic cube. “You shake it and every picture is different”
Jeri looked at one picture and handed it back. “Very nice.”
“Jeri, what are you glum about? Something you ate?”
“No.”
“Spill it.”
Jeri dropped his feet to the deck, looked at Thorby. “I’m back in the computer room.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, I don’t lose status. It’s just while I train somebody else.”
Thorby felt a cold wind. “You mean I’ve been busted?”
“No.”
“Then what do you mean?”
“Mata has been swapped.”
Chapter 11
Mata swapped? Gone forever? Little Mattie with the grave eyes and merry giggle? Thorby felt a burst of sorrow and realized to his surprise that it mattered.
“I don’t believe it!”
“Don’t be a fool.”
“When? Where has she gone? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“To El Nido, obviously; it’s the only ship of the People in port. About an hour ago. I didn’t tell you because I had no idea it was coming . . . until I was summoned to Grandmother’s cabin to say good-by.” Jeri frowned. “It had to come someday . . . but I thought Grandmother would let her stay as long as she kept her skill as a tracker.”
“Then why, Jeri? Why?”
Jeri stood up, said woodenly, “Foster Ortho-Uncle, I have said enough.”
Thorby pushed him back into his chair. “You can’t get away with that, Jeri. I’m your ‘uncle’ only because they said I was. But I’m still the ex-fraki you taught to use a tracker and we both know it. Now talk man to man. Spill it!”
“You won’t like it.”
“I don’t like it now! Mattie gone . . . Look, Jeri, there is nobody here but us. Whatever it is, tell me. I promise you, on Sisu’s steel, that I won’t make an uncle-and-nephew matter of it. Whatever you say, the Family will never know.”
“Grandmother might be listening.”
“If she is, I’ve ordered you to talk and it’s my responsibility. But she won’t be; it’s time for her nap. So talk.”
“Okay.” Jeri looked at him sourly. “You asked for it. You mean to say you haven’t the dimmest idea why Grandmother hustled my Sis out of the ship?”
“Huh? None . . . or I wouldn’t ask.”
Jeri made an impatient noise. “Thorby, I knew you were thick-witted. I didn’t know you were deaf, dumb, and blind.”
“Never mind the compliments! Tell me the score.”
“You’re the reason Mata got swapped. You.” Jeri looked at Thorby with disgust.
“Me?”
“Who else? Who pairs off at spat ball? Who sits together at story films? What new relative is always seen with a girl from his own moiety? I’ll give you a hint — the name starts with ‘T.’ ”
Thorby turned white. “Jeri, I never had the slightest idea.”
“You’re the only one in the ship who didn’t.” Jeri shrugged. “I’m not blaming you. It was her fault. She was chasing you, you stupid clown! What I can’t figure out is why you didn’t know. I tried to give you hints.”
Thorby was as innocent of such things as a bird is of ballistics. “I don’t believe it.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you do or don’t . . . everybody else saw it. But you both could have gotten away with it, as long as you kept it open and harmless — and I was watching too closely for anything else — if Sis hadn’t lost her head.”
“Huh? How?”
“Sis did something that made Grandmother willing to part with a crack firecontrolman. She went to Grandmother and asked to be adopted across moiety line. In her simple, addled-pated way she figured that since you were adopted in the first place, it didn’t really matter that she was your niece — just shift things around and she could marry you.” Jeri grunted. “If you had been adopted on the other side, she could have wangled it. But she must have been clean off her head to think that Grandmother — Grandmother! — would agree to anything so scandalous.”