“Uh, do that. Switch me in. And if he raises hood, tell me. You’re a smart cobber, Mike.”
“Thank you, Man.” Mike cut me in; I found that Mum was talking: “–ly I’ll tell him, Professor. I’m so sorry that Manuel is not home. There is no number you can gave me? He is anxious to return your call; he made quite a point that I was to be sure to get a number from you.”
“I’m terribly sorry, dear lady, but I’m leaving at once. But, let me see, it is now eight-fifteen; I’ll try to call back just at nine, if I may.”
“Certainly, Professor.” Mum’s voice had a coo in it that she reserves for males not her husbands of whom she approves–sometimes for us. A moment later Mike said, “Now!” and I spoke up:
“Hi, Prof! Hear you’ve been looking for me. This is Mannie.”
I heard a gasp. “I would have sworn I switched this phone off. Why, I have switched it off; it must be broken. Manuel–so good to hear your voice, dear boy. Did you just get home?”
“I’m not home.”
“But–but you must be. I haven’t–”
“No time for that, Prof. Can anyone overhear you?”
“I don’t think so. I’m using a hush booth.”
“Wish I could see. Prof, what’s my birthday?”
He hesitated. Then he said, “I see. I think I see. July fourteenth.”
“I’m convinced. Okay, let’s talk.”
“You’re really not calling from your home, Manuel? Where are you?”
“Let that pass a moment. You asked my wife about a girl. No names needed. Why do you want to find her, Prof?”
“I want to warn her. She must not try to go back to her home city. She would be arrested.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Dear boy! Everyone at that meeting is in grave danger. Yourself, too. I was so happy–even though confused–to hear you say that you are not at home. You should not go home at present. If you have some safe place to stay, it would be well to take a vacation. You are aware–you must be even though you left hastily–that there was violence last night.”
I was aware! Killing Warden’s bodyguards must be against Authority Regulations–at least if I were Warden, I’d take a dim view. “Thanks, Prof; I’ll be careful. And if I see this girl, I’ll tell her.”
“You don’t know where to find her? You were seen to leave with her and I had so hoped that you would know.”
“Prof, why this interest? Last night you didn’t seem to be on her side.”
“No, no, Manuel! She is my comrade. I don’t say ‘tovarishch’ for I mean it not just as politeness but in the older sense. Binding. She is my comrade. We differ only in tactics. Not in objectives, not in loyalties.”
“I see. Well, consider message delivered. She’ll get it.”
“Oh, wonderful! I ask no questions.. . but I do hope, oh so very strongly, that you can find a way for her to be safe, really safe, until this blows over.”
I thought that over. “Wait a moment, Prof. Don’t switch off.” As I answered phone, Wyoh had headed for bath, probably to avoid listening; she was that sort.
Tapped on door. “Wyoh?”
“Out in a second.”
“Need advice.”
She opened door. “Yes, Mannie?”
“How does Professor de la Paz rate in your organization? Is he trusted? Do you trust him?”
She looked thoughtful. “Everyone at the meeting was supposed to be vouched for. But I don’t know him.”
“Mmm. You have feeling about him?”
“I liked him, even though he argued against me. Do you know anything about him?”
“Oh, yes, known him twenty years. I trust him. But can’t extend trust for you. Trouble–and it’s your air bottle, not mine.”
She smiled warmly. “Mannie, since you trust him, I trust him just as firmly.”
I went back to phone. “Prof, are you on dodge?”
He chuckled. “Precisely, Manuel.”
“Know a hole called Grand Hotel Raffles? Room L two decks below lobby. Can you get here without tracks, have you had breakfast, what do you like for breakfast?”
He chuckled again. “Manuel, one pupil can make a teacher feel that his years were not wasted. I know where it is, I shall get there quietly, I have not broken fast, and I eat anything I can’t pat.”