Chapter VI
It was like being in her room with his eyes shut. The soft scraping ofdrawers opening and closing, the creak of a chair being sat in, thecushioned thump of shoes dropped to the carpeted floor, even the rustleof a nylon slip as she drew it over her head.
It seemed much too early for her to turn in for the night. Was he goingto be forced to sit there and listen to twelve of fourteen hours offeminine snoring? It would be damned unlikely in view of what was acinch to be running through her mind.
Minutes later he heard her leave the bedroom, followed at once by themuted roar of a running shower. After that had lasted a normal length oftime, the sound ceased and naked feet were audible on the bedroom rug.There was more opening and closing of drawers, the whisper of clothingbeing donned, and an irregular clicking sound like tapping glass againstglass which he finally interpreted as part of the ritual of alternatelycombing and brushing hair while in front of the glass-topped vanity.
If there was anything of a panicky nature in her movements it would takebetter ears than his to detect it. But for Alma Dakin to get away withher kind of job required the nerves of lion trainer no matter whatpressures she was subjected to.
Kirk stretched his legs, dug a cigar from the breast pocket of his coatand got it burning, then went back to the crossword puzzle with half hisattention, keeping alert for any significant sound from the otherapartment. His years as a minion of the law had adequately conditionedhim to the utter boredom that went with the ordinary stake-out.
Several times the subject left the bedroom, but he was able to pick upsounds familiar enough to trace as emanating from the living room orkitchen. But nothing she did was worthy of notice in the home-town paperor even on the margin of a police blotter.
* * * * *
At 9:24 Alma Dakin again entered the bedroom. A hunch, or a sixth sense,or whatever years of experience in a single field gives a man, told Kirkthat this time something would pop. He put aside the newspaper, placed asheet of blank paper on the cover of a historical romance lifted fromthe spinster's nightstand, and got out a pencil.
A motor whined unexpectedly from the opposite side of the apartment walland he could hear a heavy object roll with well-oiled smoothness a shortdistance across the carpet. He decided it was the bed being moved outfrom the wall by mechanical means rather than muscle, and it was clearto him now how she was able to get at that hidden radio, or whatever itwas.
For the second time that day Kirk heard that eerie humming--a sound, herealized, that ordinarily would have been completely inaudible beyondthe girl's bedroom walls. Suddenly the hum was chopped off and afamiliar voice spoke familiar words.
"Mythox. Contact established. Proceed."
"A message for Orin. Alma Dakin."
A series of almost undetectable clicking sounds; then:
"Alma?" Despite the fact that the voice was coming through an amplifier,there was no distortion. "Anything wrong?"
It was a man's voice, clear, vibrant, young, and with no trace of analien accent. Kirk's theory of an interplanetary menace lost some of itsstrength.
"I--I'm not sure, Orin," the girl said hesitantly. "There was apoliceman at my apartment today--the same one Naia went to: The buildingsuperintendent told me."
"That's odd. There's no way _you_ can be tied in with her. Or is there?"
"Not that I know of, Orin. Unless they've decided to check back on mejust for the sake of something to do. If that's what's happened andthey've learned I was working for Dr. Karney at the time of _his_ death,they may get an idea the three deaths are related. And once a policeofficer gets suspicious, he can hound you unmercifully. That's whatworries me, Orin. You know I'm not really an accomplished liar!"
"Shall we bring you here? At least long enough to build you a newidentity?"
A pause. Then the girl's voice again: "Something else puzzles me, too.There's no mention of Naia's confession in the newspapers."
"_What?_ You mean they haven't released Cordell? What will Tamu say?"
"If they have, nobody knows about it. I told you Naia should haveremained in their hands until the young man was set free. You don't knowmy people as I do, Orin--none of you do."
"But the evidence? Nobody, not even the most stupid of Earthmen, couldhave ignored that evidence! Tamu won't like this."
"I can't help it, Orin. I keep telling you, Orin: you must use a new setof standards for this world. If its people thought as yours do, none ofthese unpleasant things would have to happen."
* * * * *
Another pause before the man's voice came over Kirk's earphones. "Wedidn't dare leave Naia in their hands. That's why we brought her backhere. Look at the chance we took by permitting them to hold her evenbriefly. If only she hadn't blundered in the first place...."
His voice trailed off, then came back suddenly brisk. "Well, too latefor regrets. We won't risk letting them question you. Field Seven in,say, three hours. Time enough?"
"More than enough!" Her relief was unmistakable. "It'll be wonderfulvisiting Mythox again, Orin. I hope Methu will allow me to stay for along time."
"I hope so too, darling. But our work comes first; none of us dares letdown for even a moment.... See you soon. And don't neglect to eliminatethe contrabeam."
"It will be gone seconds after we break contact. Field Seven at--let'ssee--12:30."
"I'll be there. Farewell, Alma."
The dim humming came back again, followed briefly by no sound at all.Then there was the noise of drawers being opened and closed with a kindof brisk and cheerful haste. Alma Dakin was preparing to take it on thelam!
Martin Kirk knew he had only a limited time to plan his own course ofaction. One way was to walk into the adjoining apartment, place AlmaDakin under arrest and force the whole story from her. A moment'sreflection, however, caused him to abandon the idea. Any such move wouldend his chances of getting his hands on Naia North. More than anythingelse he wanted her, and he closed his mind to the broader aspects ofwhat had taken--and was still taking--place.
No, his job was to follow Alma Dakin to her rendezvous with this manOrin and in some way force the two of them into turning Naia North overto him. This time she'd stick around long enough to stand trial--even ifhe had to handcuff her to the bars of her cell!
From beyond the wall he caught the sounds of suitcases being snappedshut, followed by the fading echo of footsteps. He jerked the earphonesfrom his head and went quickly to the hall door in time to catch aglimpse of Alma Dakin on her way to the building stairs, a bulgingsuitcase in each hand.
Kirk raced for the kitchen of 3D, flung open the door and went down therear steps with astonishing agility. He was opening the door of his carby the time the girl came out of the front entrance. He watched herplace the bags in the trunk of a small sand-colored coupe, then slip inbehind its wheel and start the motor.
The coupe passed his parked car, turned the corner and disappeared.Before it had reached the next intersection, Kirk was rolling smoothlyhalf a block to her rear.
Two hours later both cars were moving along a winding country road milesfrom civilization. Kirk was driving without lights, bad enough underfavorable circumstances but sheer folly considering the sky wascompletely overcast, so that he was denied even the faint radiance ofthe stars. Fortunately there was no other traffic in this desolatesection at eleven o'clock at night, so that his only danger was infailing to remain on the twisting road.
* * * * *
Finally, near the crest of a particularly steep hill, two flaring redlights warned him his quarry was applying the brakes of her car. He cuthis engine long enough to hear the coupe's motor die, then he swung hiswheel to the right and coasted to a halt on the soft shoulder of theroad.
Under cover of bushes and trees, naked of foliage at this time of theyear, Kirk worked his way silently ahead until he could make out the dimfigure of the girl as she dragged the pair of bags from the boot.With
out a backward glance, she turned away from the road and an instantlater was lost to sight among the trees.
There was nothing of the frontiersman in Lieutenant Martin Kirk, butfortunately the same was true of Alma Dakin. Where anyone accustomed tomoving across natural terrain could have lost the officer with ease, inher case he need only pause briefly from time to time and use his ears.
At last the seemingly interminable forest ended and the girl sankwearily down on an upended suitcase. Kirk, perspiring freely under thefolds of his topcoat, halted in the shelter of a tree bole, and waited.
Beyond where the girl sat was a large natural clearing covered with afringe of winter grass. The silence was close to being absolute; onlythe faint keening of a chill wind and the restless creak of barrenbranches kept it from becoming unbearable.
Gradually his eyes became more and more accustomed to the absence oflight worthy of the name, and he began to identify objects as somethingmore than formless shadows. Alma Dakin appeared to be much closer tohim than he had realized. He eyed her slim back malevolently, and whenshe lighted a cigarette, the wind bringing the odor of tobacco to hisnostrils, he could cheerfully have strangled her for adding to historture.
Time crawled by. An hour by reckoning was ten minutes by the illuminateddial of his wristwatch. His leg muscles began to twitch under the strainof holding the same position. Twice he managed to hold at bay explosivesneezes; he worried at being able to do so again.
The last five minutes before 12:30 was like being broken on the rack. Hecaught himself straining his ears for the sound of a motor, of a fainthumming--of anything to indicate Orin was arriving. Nothing--and at12:30 still nothing.
Martin Kirk had had all he could take. He was through standing out on awindy hill like some goddam--
Something seemed to flicker in the night air above the clearing--and hewas staring slackjawed at a circular structure the size of a small housestanding in the center of the clearing as though it had been there foryears.
Before the Lieutenant could get his jaw off his necktie, Alma Dakin haduttered a cry of relief and was racing toward the nearest edge of thegleaming vessel. A panel in its side slid noiselessly back and the tallfigure of a man was outlined in the opening.
"Alma!" he shouted and sprang to the ground to meet her.
They came together almost violently midway between the clearing's edgeand the ship. She clung to him as he bent his head to meet her lips.
Kirk glanced past them at the open portal. Dim light from within cast asoft glow against the night. Nothing moved in the narrow segment of theinterior visible from where he was standing.
And Kirk had a moment of what was as close to fear as he was able toknow. A little time of bewilderment when his guard slipped just atrifle. What in the hell _was_ all this? Into his solid world had comestrange and unreasonable things. Crazy ships, and people who didn't playaccording to the rules he had learned over thankless drudging years asan honest cop. A few tiny beads of sweat formed on his upper lip.
_Into his solid world had come strange and unreasonablethings._]
Then his stubborn, inherent fatalism came to his aid. He grinned withouthumor. The hell with it. Whatever came up--a screwball flying saucer ora berserk psycho waving a gun. You played it the same; according to yourown rules. This thing, whatever it was, bridged the gap to a killer. Andwhen you found such a bridge, you crossed it.
* * * * *
Martin Kirk, his gun clutched tightly, moved like a casual shadow, easedhis way along the hull of ship and slipped inside.
He had never seen anything like this. The lighting for one thing. Itcame from nowhere and somehow the stuff had a mood. It seemed alive--anintelligent force watching him, mocking him, sneering at him. And sopotent was the mood of the whole setup, so sharp his need of releasethat he muttered, "The hell with you," and softly followed a circularcorridor which curved off the hull.
They were coming toward the ship, Orin and Alma--coming while he stillhunted a hole. He kept on going. If he met anybody they were going to godown. But he didn't. He found a steel stairway and a pocket at its baseto hold his body. It wasn't a dark pocket. Light was everywhere. But thestairway hid him and the pair passed by and went on down the corridor.
He realized his right hand was aching and relaxed his grip on the gunbutt he clutched. He straightened up and the tense little mirthless grinplayed on his lips.
Okay. Now where was she and how did it work? Could he find her and haulher off silly tilt-a-whirl? He thought not. Either his eyes were bad orthis thing had appeared from nowhere. Something inside snapped: Quitthinking that way! Whatever it looked like--_think right_. Follow therules. Look for the dame. His grin deepened.
Sure.
He started walking. Around the eerie corridor in the direction oppositethat taken by Orin and Alma Dakin. He walked a long time and there wereno doors or anything else so the only thing to do was keep walking. Hethought: When I come to that stairway I'll be back where I started butwhere's that? What good is a hall you keep going around and around in?
The ship lurched and threw him to the floor. It was going somewhere.
But it didn't go anywhere. Of that he was sure. Maybe he'd been fooledbut it seemed the ship settled back after that single lurch and laythere like a choice segment out of someone's pet nightmare. Kirk got tohis feet and rubbed the place his leg had violently met the floor.
He walked on and there was the steel stairway again and it was all verydamned silly because he knew he'd circled the ship at least three times.
But lucky because the footsteps sounded again and as he dived toward thepocket, the wall of the ship opened to form a doorway. They forgotsomething, he thought. What kind of supermen are these? They can build aship that has a stairway every third trip around and still they go awayand forget things.
The grin was tighter than ever. Whistle in the dark, boy, but admitit--you're scared. Sure, but what's that got to do with it?
Orin and Alma left the ship. Martin Kirk pushed his head around thestaircase. He crouched for sometime, staring through the open segment ofthe hull at the outside world. And his poor stupid orthodox mind asked apitifully logical question:
How could it get light, with the sun at high noon, in fifteen minutes?
After a long, motionless time, the silence became such a roaring thingin Kirk's ears he could stand it no longer. He got up and walked to thedoorway.
Something had gone somewhere; either the ship or the world he'd known,because out there was a different world and he knew damn well he'd neverseen it before.