Her parents were—dead? She groped for an emotional reaction, but couldn’t find one.
“We must leave!” The Korozhet was starting to rap her legs with its spines, so great was its agitation. “Traitors must have told them that nothing could undermine the war effort more. Oh woe!”
Now they were through the door and into the corridor beyond. The Professor’s anxiety had finally transferred itself to Virginia. And obviously to Fluff as well, by the way the galago was clutching her braids. Virginia began hurrying down the hallway. The Professor rattled in her wake, babbling in a rush.
“But at least they did not kill you, my dear! Your father—bless his wise soul—entrusted me, unworthy Korozhet that I am, with a contingency plan he had made against all eventualities.” The Professor paused to replenish his wind bladder. “Such foresight! But he said to me in no uncertain terms: ‘I cannot be too careful, looking after my Virginia!’ You were his most precious responsibility!”
Virginia swallowed. It sounded so . . . so romantic. But the momentary rush of affection for her father vanished almost as soon as it came. As she opened the door leading to the back staircase, she found herself repressing a sarcastic laugh. That just wasn’t her father!
By the time she reached the first landing, sarcasm had been swept aside in its turn, replaced by affection for the Korozhet. Such a dear, he was! The Professor, by nature, always gave the best interpretation to everything.
The alien’s next words confirmed her suspicion.
“You are his heir, Miss Virginia? I have that correctly?”
“Yes,” she replied curtly. They had reached the bottom landing. She paused for an instant, pressing her ear against the door. She could hear nothing beyond. The silence left room for a sour thought. That’s my father—worrying about the inheritance.
“It is a strange concept to us group-spawners,” prattled the Professor. Frantically, Virginia waved her hand. Shhh!
But the alien seemed oblivious to the danger of making a noise. “I hope I can adequately fulfill your father’s trust in me,” said the Korozhet, talking as loudly as ever. “It is a heavy responsibility!”
Virginia sighed. The Professor was so absentminded. With a quick motion, she stooped and reached a hand into the mass of spines. It was the work of a split second to lower the volume on the voicebox. Thank heavens for standard controls.
The spines froze. Then, for an instant, bristled. Virginia realized that she had startled the alien. She had never actually touched the Professor before. She began to whisper an apology, but the Korozhet interrupted.
“Quite all right, my dear!” The spines seemed to soften. “I forget myself, you know. I am not accustomed to such peril!”
Virginia pressed her ear back against the door. Nothing. She decided it was safe to go through. Slowly, carefully, she turned the knob and cracked open the door. The action brought a stray and whimsical thought. On Old Earth, she knew, doors were opened by electronic means. But the colony on Harmony And Reason could afford no such complex mechanisms. It would hardly do to find oneself locked in because of the absence of an electronics industry.
She pushed her head through. The large underground garage beneath the mansion was deserted, except, of course, for the multitude of vehicles parked in it. Her father was a collector of such.
Virginia decided to take advantage of the opportunity. She sped across the flat expanse, her light feet making almost no noise at all. Behind, the alien scuttled in its effort to keep pace.
“Can you slow down a trifle?” complained the Professor. “My lower spines can barely cope with this mad dash! Fortunately I do not respire through my speaking-orifice, so I am able to converse with you. Otherwise, I would be quite out of breath.”
Virginia reached the vehicle that was her target, and began to open the door.
“Not that one!” protested the Korozhet. “No, no—it will not do at all, Miss Virginia. We must take the off-road landspeeder.”
Uncertainly, Virginia’s eyes went to the vehicle in question. She had never driven it before. In fact, her parents had never allowed her to drive anything except the golf cart. Which—