"Don't we have three on the HHT?" Kasturi asked.
"Not in command posts, unfortunately," Kamiton said with a sigh.
"Can you give me some idea of how larg a dissident group you're talking about?" Ray asked.
"Roughly three thousand, spread throughout Eosi-dominated space;' Kamiton said.
Nitin regarded Kamiton with some apprehension, but the Catteni shrugged the implied reprimand away.
"Only three thousand?" Ray said, having hoped for a much larger subversive element.
Zainal laughed. "It is the nature of our group that's far more important than the number. Most of them are in strategic positions. Quality counts more than quantity."
"I suspect it could;' Ray admitted.
"Oops," and even Gino recoiled when the Bubble above the com sat area turned a livid shade of red. "They're obviously hoping the fabric of the Bubble is weaker around the array."
"Is it holding?" Ray demanded with a hint of anxiety in his voice.
"It'll hold," Gino said, "but it's taking a beating."
At some point during that long vigil, Ainger arrived, much annoyed, with a folded note from John Beverly.
"I resent being used as a messenger simply because I happened to be on hand;' he grumbled as he handed over the paper.
"John's taking all the G's out the back door," Ray said, frowning a bit.
"Isn't he exceeding his prerogatives?" Ainger said with an expression of deep censure. "Unless, of course, you intended him to attack the Eosian?"
"With G-ships carrying a minimum of weapons?" Zainal asked, surprised. "No, he's going to provide further distractions, as was planned."
"He's away," Gino said, grinning.
"He broadcast?" Ainger was livid.
"In Morse," Gino said, laughing. "I just caught it. Thought it was only static at first, but he's got it on repeat. I'd best tell him his message was received."
He manipulated some toggles on the com board and then, listening intently to the chaotic Catteni messages, finally nodded. "Yeah, he got it."
THE BARRAGE OF THE BUBBLE WENT ON all the long Catteni night and into morning, but the fabric of the sphere did not collapse. The sun blotted out the colors the bombardment made but Bert Put, working the dawn shift as com officer, said he could hear the orders for continued barrage.
"This should infuriate the Mentat Ix," Zainal said, a smile of intense satisfaction on his face.
"Too bad there's no way to use that anger to our benefit;' Ray said.
"Ah, but there is," and Zainal held up one finger, his smile deepening.
"How?" Nitin said. "There's no way to get that dust…" and Kami-ton gave an uncharacteristic shudder.
"Having failed, the Mentat will have to explain its defeat to its peer group," Kamiton said, rubbing his hands together. "And such a convocation can be of benefit to us."
"How? We have the dust but not how to disperse it to kill 'em all off, even if they are in one place together?" asked Ray.
There was a long and thoughtful pause, which Jim Rastancil finally broke.
"Where are they likely to assemble?" he asked.
"Ah, now that is something we should find out," Zainal said, "and as soon as possible." He jerked his head at the other dissenters. "Nitin, what's your best guess?"
"My guess?" And Nitin seemed surprised to be asked such a question.
"Where they seem safest, of course," Kamiton said, flicking his fingers.
"Where?" Jim asked, looking at Zainal for a translation.
"Catten itself," Zainal replied.
"Most likely," Kasturi agreed, nodding.
"No," Nitin corrected him, frowning. "The space station where everyone can be searched and monitored. Security will be very, very thorough," and Nitin looked more pessimistic than ever. "You won't be able to get in;'
"They will, however, need missiles to replace what they have wasted against the Bubble," Zainal said with a satisfied grin. "Emassi Venlik and a cargo of very useful ores would be made welcome."
"You don't have more than a few immature bushes of the olkiloriti down south," Kris felt obliged to point out.
"Baby could sneak in and out without being noticed, couldn't she?" Ray asked. "To get more from East Africa?"
"You'd better take someone along who knows where to find enough bushes," Kris added.
"It only took one sniff to disable me," Kamiton said with a grin.
"You must have more than a sniff to get all the Eosi"' Nitin grumbled.
"It will take some time for all the Eosi to assemble, you know," Kas-turi said. "If this requires a full inquiry."
"Oh, it will," Nitin said, once again sunk in his usual gloom.
"I'm counting on the full inquiry and the time it will take to assemble a sufficient number of Mentats," Zainal said, addressing Nitin. Then he turned to the others. "As for gathering the substance, I think Parmitoro Kassiaro, or even Chief Materu, might assist;'
"Don't the women do the actual work?" Kris asked for she couldn't construct a mental picture of Chief Materu pulverizing leaves in a mortar with a pestle.
Zainal shrugged. "We use it as a weapon. That may alter his mind."
"The Maasai have declared war on the Catteni, you know;' Ray Scott said with a wry grin. "! don't believe you'll have any trouble getting the stuff."
"That is," Jim added in a cautious note, "if there's still enough available.
The mission report had trouble finding what they did bring back."
"Then we must send for what can be found immediately," Zainal said.
"I will go myself to ask the chief's help."
And, Kris thought to herself, to make sure that Bazil and Peran are fully recovered. In his own Catteni way, he did care for them.
Chapter Nine.
RETREAT BUZZED WITH A BARELY CONtained excitement when Kris brought Zane up to the crlche before reporting to her shift on the com watch in the hangar. Some of the buzz sounded ominous but then there had been a lot of criticism about taking on more problem groups: like sick and disabled ex-slaves. The Victims could not have been left on Barevi: everyone admitted that. Now! Especially since all but thirty of the original group had responded to the trauma therapy. The remainder, Dorothy sadly reported, had been too damaged to reach.
But the psychologist felt that the ratio of recoveries was very good indeed. Even Dr. Hessian had had to admit that her program had been the proper one… in this instance. He was happily at work helping the disturbed children in a blend, Dorothy had said with a perfectly straight face, of both traditional therapies.
Kris always allowed ample time to walk Zane up to the crlche so she had some to spare and stopped in the main mess hall to sample the general temper.
"Are they still trying to burst our Bubble?" asked Fred Gambino, who was serving coffee. "Only one cup allowed, you know."
"That's better than none. I've really missed my caffeine hits," she said.
"And no, the Bubble's holding."
Fred leaned across the counter. "I got a place picked out where I'll never be found."
"You do?" Kris managed to imbue her tone with surprise and amusement. "I doubt you'll need it."
"You sure?"
"Sure as I can be about anything apart from death and taxes, and we don't pay taxes here, now do we?"
"Hmm. Well, it may come to that… taxes, I mean."
"Weren't you among those who met the Farmers, Fred?"
He gave her a long look. "Yeah…"
"Haven't they done what they promised? Kept us safe here on Botany?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, hold that thought because that Bubble's there to stay."
"Yeah, but where are the Farmers if we need them? They don't have any satellites buzzing about us like the Catt-'cuse me-Eosi do."