[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

fatal. Doppie had no expertise here; I could explain the essentials to her, but it would be awkward and
chancy business. Dialysis is not a casual thing. My effective time here was now limited to two or three
days; thereafter I would be on a descending spiral of oblivion as I was poisoned by my own internal
wastes. Had Mercury planned on this?
No, the dialysis unit was untouched; it was unlikely that the intruders had even recognized its nature.
They had struck with surgical expertise, taking only the thing they had come for: Forta. The predicament
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
this put me in was coincidental.
Forta. Why had they wanted her? Because they were so angry that one of mixed blood should be housed
in a Saxon residence? But it would have made no sense to aggravate the Tyrant that way, especially
when completion of the deal would have brought departure anyway.
Forta was from this planet. Amnesty Interplanetary had rescued her from torture and probably death at
the hands of this repressive regime. Had they bided their time, waiting for her to return so they could
revenge themselves on her for her crime of surviving? Because one look at her face betrayed the nature
of this government more explicitly than any words could have? Again, this seemed unlikely; I doubted
they had even kept a record of her. Probably hundreds of babies had been tortured, and one more made
no difference. Once she was gone, they would have ignored her, or perhaps even been satisfied to have
her represent a lesson for others of mixed blood who might think of coming to this planet.
What, then? I had discovered that South Mercury did not want to deal. Could this be related?
There it was! They knew I would be hard to dissuade, so they had added this fillip of persuasion. If I
departed the planet promptly, mission incomplete, I could have my secretary back. She was hostage to
my decision.
Black rage overcame me. I may have faded out for a moment, for I found Doppie sponging off my face.
"Are you all right, sir?" she asked. "I think you fainted."
"Yes, thank you, Spirit," I agreed, reminding her that she had a role to play. The suite was surely
bugged. "You see to Smilo; I have a call to make."
She went to tend to the tiger, and I made my call. It was to the official government number.
"Have you killed her?" I rasped as the bland face appeared in the air before me.
Evidently my call had been expected. "By no means, Tyrant," the man said. "She is merely being
detained for clarification of her status. It seems that she went out without the proper identification, and
was picked up "
Forta had not gone out; I hardly needed to read the man to know that lie. She had been abducted from
the suite. They knew I knew that; that was not the point.
"Show me that she is safe," I said.
"Why, certainly, sir," he agreed. "This is merely a formality."
The formality of forcing me to depart the planet in a hurry. They either knew or suspected that Forta was
my lover. That was surely another sore point with them: fraternization between races. In a moment the
picture of Forta formed. She was in a prison cell, alone, seeming dazed but unhurt. "Forta," I said.
She glanced up. "Sir," she said. She never got a role confused; she was my secretary now.
"Where are you?" I asked.
"Temporary detention center," she said. "I it seems I should not have gone out "
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
"An understandable error," I said. Obviously she understood what must not be said.
"I'm sure it will be cleared up soon," she said. "But, sir if you would do me the kindness of bringing
me my purse?"
"I shall," I said.
Her image faded, to be replaced by that of the official. "Visiting is permitted?" I inquired curtly.
"Naturally, Tyrant. We are a civilized planet. It will only take a day or so for her papers to be corrected.
You will have time to arrange for your transportation out, and should be able to pick her up at the time
you depart."
Uh-huh. "But I will bring her her purse now. Please provide me with the address."
"Tyrant, we shall be happy to transport you there." Oh, they were the soul of overt courtesy, knowing
that they had me by the private hairs.
I nodded curtly. "In five minutes," I said.
Then I checked for Forta's purse, which rested beside her bed. I knew it had her special makeup in it,
and two masks, and two wigs. She was able to emulate either Spirit or myself on short notice. The
equipment was nonmetallic and would not alert the detection beams of the prison. I took the purse and
rejoined Doppie.
"Spirit, I hope Smilo can survive without our company for a while longer," I said. "We must visit my
secretary, and deliver her purse to her. I realize you are upset, but please say nothing until we return."
Doppie nodded, having no idea what I was up to, but ready to play her part. She was, as I have said, a
good woman.
I took her arm, and we exited the suite. An escort was awaiting us. He conducted us to a vehicle, and we
rode to the detention center. It was an imposing structure of stone; this was one resource Mercury had in
quantity.
We were permitted to enter the cell with Forta, and to talk with her privately. The government of South
Mercury was making a show of accommodation, but the point was clear: my secretary would remain a
prisoner until I left the planet. They had cobbled together a legal rationale for this that I could not
disprove with the resources at my disposal. They would let Spirit and me out, but not Forta; I could not
change that. This was the convention of this sort of thing; the reality was that my secretary was as much
captive as if chained naked to a rock in a deep tomb.
But I was not exactly helpless. I had formulated my plan on the way, and knew that Forta understood. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]