21
She was, suddenly, in a large room, well lit, with elaboratefurnishings--sitting leaned back in a soft chair before a highlypolished little table. On the opposite side of the table two people satlooking at her with expressions of mild surprise. One of them was LyadErmetyne. The other was a man she didn't know.
The man glanced aside at Lyad. "Very fast snap-back!" he said. He lookedagain at Trigger. He was a small man with salt-and-pepper hair, a deeplylined face, beautiful liquid-black eyes.
"Very!" Lyad said. "We must remember that. Hello, Trigger!"
"Hello," Trigger said. Her glance went once around the room and cameback to Lyad's amiably observant face. Repulsive's container was nowherearound. There seemed to be nobody else in the room. An ornamentalComWeb stood against one wall. Two of the walls were covered with heavyhangings, and a great gold-brocaded canopy bellied from the ceiling. Nodoors or portals in sight; they might be camouflaged, or behind thosehangings. Any number of people could be in call range--and a fewcertainly must be watching her right now, because that small man was norough-and-tumble type.
The small man was regarding her with something like restrainedamusement.
"A cool one," he murmured. "Very cool!"
Trigger looked at him a moment, then turned her eyes back to Lyad. Shedidn't feel cool. She felt tense and scared cold. This was probably verybad!
"What did you want to see me about?" she asked.
Lyad smiled. "A business matter. Do you know where you are?"
"Not on your ship, First Lady."
The light-amber eyes barely narrowed. But Lyad had become, at thatmoment, very alert.
"Why do you think so?" she asked pleasantly.
"This room," said Trigger. "You don't gush, I think. What was thebusiness matter?"
"In a moment," Lyad said. She smiled again. "Where else might you be?"
Trigger thought she could guess. But she didn't intend to. Not out loud.She shrugged. "It's no place I want to be." She settled back a little inher chair. Her right hand brushed the porgee pouch.
The porgee pouch.
It would have been like the Ermetyne to investigate the pouch carefully,take out the gun and put the pouch back. But they might not have.
Somebody was bound to be watching. She couldn't find out--not until theinstant after she decided to try the Denton.
"I can believe that," Lyad said. "Forgive me the discourtesy of sourgent an invitation, Trigger. A quite recent event made it seemnecessary. As to the business--as a start, this gentleman is DoctorVeetonia. He is an investigator of extraordinary talents along his line.At the moment, he is a trifle tired because of the very long hours heworked last night."
Doctor Veetonia turned his head to look at her. "I did, First Lady?Well, that does explain this odd weariness. Did I work well?"
"Splendidly," Lyad assured him. "You were never better, Doctor."
He nodded, smiled vaguely and looked back at Trigger. "This must go,too, I suppose?"
"I'm afraid it must," Lyad said.
"A great pity!" Doctor Veetonia said. "A great pity. It would have beena pleasant memory. This very cool one!" The vague smile shifted in thelined face again. "You are so beautiful, child," he told Trigger, "inyour anger and terror and despair. And above it still the gaugingpurpose, the strong, quick thinking. You will not give in easily. Oh,no! Not easily at all. First Lady," Doctor Veetonia said plaintively, "Ishould like to remember this one! It should be possible, I think."
Small, icy fingers were working up and down Trigger's spine. TheErmetyne gave her a light wink.
"I'm afraid it isn't, Doctor," she said. "There are such very importantmatters to be discussed. Besides, Trigger Argee and I will come to anamicable agreement very quickly."
"No." Doctor Veetonia's face had turned very sullen.
"No?" said Lyad.
"She will agree to nothing. Any fool can see that. I recommend, then, asimple chemical approach. Your creatures can handle it. Drain her. Throwher away. I will have nothing to do with the matter."
"Oh, but Doctor!" the Ermetyne protested. "That would be so crude. Andso very uncertain. Why, we might be here for hours still!"
He shook his head.
Lyad smiled. She stroked the lined cheek with light finger tips. "Haveyou forgotten the palace at Hamal Lake?" she asked. "The great library?The laboratories? Haven't I been very generous?"
Doctor Veetonia turned his face toward her. He smiled thoughtfully.
"Now that is true!" he admitted. "For the moment I did forget." Helooked back at Trigger. "The First Lady gives," he told her, "and theFirst Lady takes away. She has given me wealth and much leisure. Shetakes from me now and then a memory. Very skillfully, since she was mypupil. But still the mind must be dim by a little each time it isdone."
His face suddenly grew concerned. He looked at Lyad again. "Two moreyears only!" he said. "In two years I shall be free to retire, Lyad?"
Lyad nodded. "That was our bargain, Doctor. You know I keep bargains."
Doctor Veetonia said, "Yes. You do. It is strange in an Ermetyne. Verywell! I shall do it." He looked at Trigger's face. The black-liquid eyesblinked once or twice. "She is almost certain she is being watched," hesaid, "but she has been thinking of using the ComWeb. The child, Ibelieve, is prepared to attack us at any opportune moment." He smiled."Show her first why her position is hopeless. Then we shall see."
"Why, it's not in the least hopeless," Lyad said. "And please feel noconcern about the Doctor, Trigger. His methods are quite painless andinvolve none of the indignities of a chemical investigation. If you areat all reasonable, we'll just sit here and talk for twenty minutes orso. Then you will tell me what sum you wish to have deposited for you inwhat bank, and you will be free to go."
"What will we talk about?" Trigger said.
"Well, for one," said the Ermetyne, "there is that rather handsomelittle purse you've been carrying about lately. My technicians inform methere may be some risk of damaging its contents if they attempt to forceit open. We don't want that. So we'll talk a bit about the proper way ofopening it." She gave Trigger her little smile. "And Doctor Veetoniawill verify the accuracy of any statements made on the matter."
She considered. "Oh, and then I shall ask a few questions. Not many. Andyou will answer them. It really will be quite simple. But now let metell you why I so very much wanted to see you today. We had a guest herelast night. A gentleman whom you've met--Balmordan. He was mind-blockedon some quite important subjects, and so--though the doctor and I werevery patient and careful--he died in the end. But before he died, he hadtold me as much as I really needed to know from him.
"Now with that information," she went on, "and with the contents of yourpurse and with another little piece of information, which you possess, Ishall presently go away. On Orado, a few hours later, Tranest'sambassador will have a quiet talk with some members of the FederationCouncil. And that will be all, really." She smiled. "No dramaticpursuit! No hue and cry! A few treaties will be considerably revised.And the whole hubbub about the plasmoids will be over." She nodded."Because they can be made to work, you know. And very well!"
Doctor Veetonia hadn't looked away from Trigger while Lyad was speaking.He said now, "My congratulations, First Lady! But the girl has not beenconvinced in the least that she should cooperate. She may hope to berescued before the information you want can be forced from her."
The Ermetyne sighed. "Oh, really now, Trigger!" she very nearly pouted."Well, if I must explain about that to you, too, I shall."
She considered a moment.
"Did you see your facsimile?"
Trigger nodded. "Very briefly."
Lyad smiled. "How she and my other people passed in and out of thatdome, and how it happened that your room guards were found unconsciousand were very hurriedly taken to the medical department's contagiousward, makes an amusing little story. But it would be too long in thetelling just now. Your facsimile is one of Tranest's finest actresses.She's been studying
and practicing being you for months. She knows whereto go and what to do in that dome to avoid contact with people who knowyou too intimately. If it seems that discovery is imminent, she needsonly a minute by herself to turn into an entirely different personality.So hours might pass without anyone even suspecting you were gone.
"But on the other hand," Lyad admitted fairly, "your double might becaught immediately or within minutes. She would not be conscious then,and I doubt your fierce little Commissioner would go to the unethicallimits of dead-braining a live woman. If he did, of course, he wouldlearn nothing from her.
"Let's assume, nevertheless, that for one reason and another yourfriends suspect me immediately, and only me. At the time you were beingtaken from the dome, I was observed leaving the Grand Commerce Center.I'd shopped rather freely; a number of fairly large crates and so forthwere loaded into my speedboat. And we were observed returning to theAurora."
"Not bad," Trigger admitted. "Another facsimile, I suppose?"
"Of course." The Ermetyne glanced at a small jeweled wrist watch. "Nowthe Aurora, if my orders were being followed, and they were, divedapproximately five minutes ago--unless somebody who might be yourwrathful rescuers approached her before that time, in which case shedived then. In either case, the dive was seen by the Commissioner'swatchers; and the proper conclusions sooner or later will be drawn fromthat."
"Supposing they dive after her and run her down?" Trigger said.
"They might! The Aurora is not an easy ship to run down in subspace; butthey might. After some hours. It would be of no consequence at all,would it?" The amber eyes regarded Trigger with very little expressionfor a moment. "How many hours or minutes do you think you could hold outhere, Trigger Argee, if it became necessary to put on real pressure?"
"I don't know," Trigger admitted. She moistened her lips.
"I could give you a rather close estimate, I think," the Ermetyne said."But forgive me for bringing up that matter. It was an unnecessarydiscourtesy. Let's assume instead that the rather clever people withwhom you've been working are quite clever enough to see through allthese little maneuverings. Let's assume further that they are even ableto conclude immediately where you and I must be at the moment.
"We are, as it happens, on the Griffin, which is Belchik Pluly's outsizeyacht, and which is orbiting Manon at present. This room is on a sealedlevel of the yacht, where Belchik's private life normally goes onundisturbed. I persuaded him two days ago to clear out this section ofit for my own use. There is only one portal entry to the level, and thatentry is locked and heavily guarded at the moment. There are two portalexits. One of them opens into a special lock in which there is a smallspeedboat of mine, prepared to leave. It's a very fast boat. If therehave been faster ones built in the Hub, I haven't heard of them yet. Andit can dive directly from the lock."
She smiled at Trigger. "You have the picture now, haven't you? If yourfriends decide to board the Griffin, they'll be able to do it withouttoo much argument. After all, we don't want to be blown up accidentally.But they'll have quite a time working their way into this level. If aboarding party is reported, we'll just all quietly go away together withno fuss or hurry. I guarantee that no one is going to trace or overtakethat boat. You see?"
"Yes," Trigger said disconsolately, slumping back a little. Her righthand dropped to her lap. Well, she thought, last chance!
Doctor Veetonia frowned. "First--" he began.
Trigger slapped the porgee pouch. And the Denton's soundless blastslammed the talented investigator back and over in his chair.
"Gun," Trigger explained unnecessarily.
The Ermetyne's face had turned white with shock. She flicked a glancedown at the man, then looked back at Trigger.
"There're guns on me too, I imagine," Trigger said. "But this one goesoff very easily, First Lady! It would take hardly any jolt at all."
Lyad nodded slightly. "They're no fools! They won't risk shooting. Don'tworry." Her voice was careful but quite even. A tough cookie, as theCommissioner had remarked.
"We won't bother about them at the moment," Trigger said. "Let's standup together."
They stood up.
"We'll stay about five feet apart," Trigger went on. "I don't know ifyou're the gun-grabbing type."
The Ermetyne almost smiled. "I'm not!" she said.
"No point in taking chances," Trigger said. "Five feet." She gave DoctorVeetonia a quick glance. He did look very unpleasantly dead.
"We'll go over to that ComWeb in a moment," she told Lyad. "I imagineyou wouldn't have left it on open circuit?"
Lyad shook her head. "Calls go through the ship's communication office."
"Your own people on duty there?"
"No. Pluly's."
"Will they take your orders?"
"Certainly!"
"Can they listen in?" Trigger asked.
"Not if we seal the set here."
Trigger nodded. "You'll do the talking," she said. "I'll give youCommissioner Tate's personal number. Tell them to dial it. The Precoltransmitters pick up ComWeb circuits. Switch on the screen after thecall is in; he'll want to see me. When he comes on, just tell him what'shappened, where we are, what the layout is. He's to come over with asquad to get us. I won't say much, if anything. I'll just keep the gunon you. If there's any fumble, we both get it."
"There won't be any fumble, Trigger," Lyad said.
"All right. Let's set up the rest of it before we move. After theCommissioner signs off, he'll be up here in three minutes flat. Or less.How about this ship's officers--do they take your orders too?"
"With the obvious exception of yourself," Lyad said, "everyone on theGriffin takes my orders at the moment."
"Then just tell whoever's in charge of the yacht to let the squad inbefore there's any shooting. The Commissioner can get awfullyshort-tempered. Then get the guards away from that entry portal. That'sfor their own good."
The Ermetyne nodded. "Will do."
"All right. That covers it, I think."
They looked at each other for a moment.
"With the information you got from Balmordan," Trigger remarked, "youshould still be able to make a very good dicker with the Council, FirstLady. I understand they're very eager to get the plasmoid messstraightened out quietly."
Lyad lifted one shoulder in a brief shrug. "Perhaps," she said.
"Let's move!" said Trigger.
They walked toward the ComWeb rather edgily, not very fast, not veryslow, Trigger four or five steps behind. There had been no sound fromthe walls and no other sign of what must be very considerable excitementnearby. Trigger's spine kept tingling. A needlebeam and a good marksmancould pluck away the Denton and her hand along with it, without muchreal risk to Ermetyne. But probably even the smallest of risks was morethan the Tranest people would be willing to take when the First Lady'sperson was involved.
Lyad reached the ComWeb and stopped. Trigger stopped too, five feetaway. "Go ahead," she said quietly.
Lyad turned to face her. "Let me make one last--well, call it anappeal," she said. "Don't be an overethical fool, Trigger Argee! Thearrangement I've planned will do no harm to anybody. Come in with me,and you can write your own ticket for the rest of your life."
"No ticket," Trigger said. She waggled the Denton slightly. "Go ahead!You can talk to the Council later."
Lyad shrugged resignedly, turned again and reached toward the ComWeb.
Trigger might have relaxed just a trifle at that moment. Or perhapsthere was some other cue that Pilli could pick up. There came no soundfrom the ceiling canopy. What she caught was a sense of somethingmoving above her. Then the great golden bulk landed with a terrifyinglightness on the thick carpet between Lyad and herself.
The eyeless nightmare head wasn't three feet from her own.
The lights in the room went out.
Trigger flung herself backwards, rolled six feet to one side, stood up,backed away and stopped again.