The three Nargodians gasped, as much at the scope of the thing as at the calmly cold certainty of ability carried by the
121
thought.
‘You are transmitting this precisely, Miss Flurnoy?’ Entlore,. asked.
‘Precisely, sir – including background, fringes, connotations, and implications; just as he is giving it to us.”
‘Let us assume that your Nargodian government decides to conquer all the other nations of your planet Margonia. Assume further that it succeeds. We will not object; in fact, ordinarily we will not even be informed of it. If then, however, your government decides that one world is not enough for it rule and prepares to conquer, or take aggressive action against, any other world, we will be informed and we will step in. First, warning will be given. Second, any and all vessels dispatched on such a mission will be annihilated. Third, if the offense is continued or repeated, trial will be held before the Galactic Council and any sentence imposed will be carried out.’
In spite of Garlock’s manner and message, both marshals were highly relieved. ‘You’re in plenty of time with us, sir,’ Entlore said. ‘We have just sent our first rocket to our nearer moon … that is, unless the group of – of espers gets their ship off the ground.”
‘How far along are they?’
‘The ship itself is built, but they are having trouble with their drive. The hull is spherical, and much smaller than this one. It has atomic engines, but no blasts of ion-plates … but neither has this one!’
‘Exactly; they may be pretty well along. I’d like to get in touch with them as soon as possible. May I borrow a “talker” like Miss Flurnoy for a few days? You have others, I suppose?’
‘Yes, but I’ll let you have her; it is of the essence that you have the best one available. Miss Flurnoy?’
‘Yes, sir?’ Besides reporting, she had been conversing busily with James and Belle.
‘Would you like to be assigned to Mr. Garlock for the duration oif his stay on Margonia?’
‘Oh, yes, sir!’ she replied, excitedly.
‘You are so” assigned. Take orders from him or from any designate as though I myself were issuing them.’
“Thank you, sir … but what limits? and do I transmit to
122
and/or record for you, sir?’
‘No limit. These four Galaxians are hereby granted nationwide top clearance. Transmit as usual whatever is permitted.’
‘Full reporting is not only permitted, but urged,’ Garlock said. “There is nothing secret about our mission.’
As the Pleiades landed: ‘If you will give us your focus spot, Mr. Entlore, we can all ‘port to your office and save calling staff cars.’
‘And cause a revolution?’ Entlore laughed. ‘Apparently you haven’t been checking outside.’
‘Afraid I haven’t. I’ve been thinking.’
‘Take a look. I got orders from the Cabinet to put guards wherever people absolutely must not go, and open everything else to the public. I hope there are enough guards to keep a lane open for us, but I wouldn’t bet on it.’ Garlock was very glad that the military man’s stiff formality had disappeared. ‘You Galaxians took this whole planet by storm while you were still above the stratosphere.’
From the Pleiades they went to the Administration Building, where an informal reception was held. Thence to the Capitol, where the reception was very formal indeed. Thence to the Grand Ballroom of the city’s largest hotel, where a tremendous – and long-winded – banquet was served.
At Garlock’s request, all sixteen members of the ‘crackpot’ group – the most active members of the Deep Space Club – had been invited to the banquet. And, even though Garlock was a very busy man, his talker tuned in to each one of the sixteen, tuned them all to Garlock, and in odd moments a great deal of business was done.
After being told most of the story – in tight-beamed thoughts that ComOff Flurnoy could not receive – the whole group was wildly enthusiastic. They would change the name of their club forthwith to THE GALAXIAN SOCIETY OF MARGONIA. They laid plans for a worldwide organization which would have tremendous prestige and tremendous income. They already had a field – Garlock knew about their ship – and they wanted the Pleiades to move over to it as soon as possible. Yes, Garlock thought he could do it the following day … if not, as soon as he could…
123
The Pleiades had landed at ten o’clock in the forenoon, local time; the banquet did not come to an end until long after midnight. Throughout all this time the four Galaxians carried on, without a slip, the act that all this was, to them, old stuff.
Nargoda’s Top Brass, in the limelight for once in a thoroughly pleasant and enjoyable way, allowed as much of their enjoyment to show as was consistent with military dignity.
ComOff Flurnoy, however, made neither physical nor mental secret of the fact that she was having the time of her life.
Garlock told her, as the banquet neared its end, ‘You don’t have to come back to the ship with us if you’d rather go home from here.’
‘Oh, but I want to go back to the ship with you I’ she protested. ‘I’m assigned to you for the duration! Surely you can find some little place for me aboard the Pleiades! 1 won’t take up hardly any room at all! Honestly, I’ll be glad to sleep on the floor, out in the kitchen or anywhere! Besides, I told my folks and all my friends I was living aboard and they’re all insane with jealousy!’
‘Okay, okay.’ Garlock managed finally to choke off the rush of exclamatory thought. She was really a sender. We’ve got lots of room, and you’re perfectly welcome. It’s just that you’ve put in a lot of overtime today and I thought you’d rather stay at home as usual and work your regular seven-hour day.’
‘Work? You call this work”?’
‘For me, it most certainly is,’ Garlock said.
They got back to the starship a little before daylight -through massed crowds all the way. Once in the Main Belle kicked off her slippers and slumped bonelessly onto a davenport.
‘My feet are simply killing me,’ she moaned, ‘and I haven’t got strength enough left even to think me up a Chericol.’ A tall glass, tinkling with ice-cubes, appeared in her hand. ‘Thanks, Clee – you’re sweet. But why didn’t you make me wear combat boots with an inch of cork sponge inside ’em?’
‘Because even my powers are finite. You’d’ve worn ’em – I don’t think.’
‘Why, of course she wouldn’t have!’ The ComOff exclaimed. ‘And that Grand Marshal Holson – asking you to wear
124
your uniforms all the time you’re here so people could recognize you. Of all the dim-witted … oh, phogoplootl’ This last, highly idiomatic, thought carried the force of about ten gunts of scorn. The ComOff’s still marveling gaze went from Belle to Garlock and back. ‘With a shape like yours and a build like his you couldn’t help but be recognized, even all wrapped up in tarps. Lordy, I wish I looked like you do!’
‘And I’ve wished, a good many times, that I didn’t… Maybe I wouldn’t be such a damn fool as to wear shoes like that through such a war as this has been.’ Belle glared at the offending slippers and they promptly vanished. ‘Come on, Elta; 111 show you your room. Goodnight, everyone.’
The green-haired officer clad in black and white, and the red-haired one in purple and gold, vanished instantaneously; and, a moment later, the Main was empty.
SEVEN
Since everyone, including the ebullient ComOff, slept late the following morning, they all had brunch instead of breakfast and lunch. All during the meal Garlock was preoccupied and stern.
‘Hold everything for a while, Jim,’ he said, when everyone had eaten. ‘Before we move, Belle and I have got to have a conference.’
‘Not a Fatso Ferber nine-o’clock type, I hope.’ James frowned in mock reproach and ComOff Flurnoy cocked an eyebrow in surprise. ‘Monkey-business on company time is only for Big Shots like him; not for small fry such as you.’
‘Well, it won’t be exclusively monkey-business, anyway. While we’re gone you might clear with the control tower and take us up into takeoff position. Come on, Belle.’ He took her by one elbow and led her away.
125
Inside his room, Garlock checked every Gunther block – a most unusual proceeding. ‘I was just checking to be sure we’re Prime-proof,’ he said. ‘I’m not ready for Deggi Delcamp yet. That guy, as you probably noticed, has got one godawful load of stuff.’
‘Not as much as you have, Clee. Nor as much push behind what he has got. And his shield wouldn’t make patches for yours.’
‘Huh? How sure are you of that?’
‘I’m positive. I’m the one who is going to get bumped, I’m afraid. That Fao Talaho is a hard-hitting, hard-boiled hellcat on wheels.’