You're making a lab job out of it instead of a field test,'
MKG chided him gently. You know that's part of the countdown routine, Boz.'
Data and compensations-' Boz started to say, but MKG waved a hand. You know it can be done without all the trappings, Boz. Let's stick to the essentials, especially since Tyler will be just over the horizon.'
Boz and the scientists looked unhappy. I think they would have liked to strip down the entire missile.
MKG's remark about Tyler was with me still. Can't the
Seventh Fleet interfere with you once Little Bear's in flight?'
Boz and MKG exchanged amused glances. ' No, Little Bear 199 has no radio or radar acquisition. Once Boz presses that " fire " button, nothing can stop me.'
Peace nodded at the log. The sooner we get this up to
Vingt-Cinq Coups, the sooner Andre can start.'
MKG said, I feel I want that next to me, even when I sleep.'
Tonight will be a lovely night, after the cyclone,' said Adele. ' Clear, with stars and a moon.' MKG caught the strange note in her voice, but Peace said quickly, Searchers' moon. I'd prefer it pitch-black.'
Half an hour later, gasping and stumbling, we brought the log to Vingt-Cinq Coups. Andre barely gave himself time to recover his breath before he took the axe and, barefooted, his toes gripped the rough timber, he started a long, slow, rhythmical chopping stroke.
Peace ordered Adele to check the Navy waveband; immediately she asked for a pencil. She decoded the signal and handed it to him.
Listen to this, MKG, John,' he said. ' Love-Apple Crossing is Grid Position E-13. Fifty miles to the immediate east is Grid 1-12, and to the west is 1-14. Northwards 1-11 and southwards E-10.'
They would first search a band only 50 miles south of us! It seemed impossible that we could escape detection, I told myself, perhaps in mitigation of my surrendering to Peace's threats.
' Hear that, Boz!' exclaimed MKG. When they don't find anything there, they'll turn north-here.'
It's one hell of a risk,' said Boz.
We're being squeezed between the risks and the deadline,' replied MKG. He turned to Peace. By heavens, Commander, I wish I knew the reason why the President hasn't called off the Seventh Fleet's search. Maybe it's even a giant cover on his part because the secret was outing anyway. I don't know. I' ve thought and thought it over. But with only two days to go, this thing has really gotten into me and it'll take a hell of a lot more than Tyler and Thornton to make me turn back now.'
I saw the elation in Peace's face as he turned to meet my eyes.
' What we need is some real liquor for a celebration to night,' the big Texan said, laughing.
Celebrate when I'm on the way in Little Bear,' replied
MKG. And don't toast me only-toast the Commander here.'
The secret hammered in my mind until I wanted to shout it out to the whole of Limuria. Adele must have felt the same 200 as I did for she went over to Andre's log and came back with one of the shavings.
She held it out to me. ' Smell! There's no smell like bois mangue in the world.'
It was pungently aromatic-perhaps it owed something to a common ancestor with camphor in the. East Indies-with a hint of cinnamon which lingered.
Until it was too dark to see, Andre swung his axe, refusing assistance. Peace declined to switch on the radio. Mac grunted over the cutter's engine, but I noted that the Remington was close in the stern locker near his hand. The wind dropped and the sea merely grumbled now against the reef. We lit a fire of bois mangue chips and grilled fish which Trevor-Davis had speared in the lagoon. The tiny fire etched the sinister black grating above us with scarlet; the moon rose; under its softness the sea resumed its long, languid Limurian lope, a sigh instead of a snarl. Limuria returned to her gentleness. We sat with our backs to the coral wall, smoking, looking across the lagoon. MKG was in the middle-scruffy, unshaven and nondescript, but we were drawn to his personality like moths to a flame. He seemed to have put his questionings behind him and his eyes were bright. We all had too much to say for words.
MKG turned to Adele and pointed with the glowing tip of his cigarette to a bright constellation in the south. Pity Love-Apple Crossing is so far south. I would have liked to show you Little Bear in his own place in the firmament.'
' Why can't we see him?' asked Adele in a small voice.
Perhaps the thought was eating her, too-what if Little Bear did not go according to expectation?
There was a lightness in the Vice-President's voice, by -contrast. ' You can't spot Little Bear in the southern hemisphere,' he told her. Nor Polaris, which is in Little Bear's tail.
Orion's Belt was a jewel above our heads; on the right the Southern Cross hung over the limitless ocean. The silence was immense. In my heart I knew that if ever MKG came back, he would bring with him something of the incalculable horizons which lay before our eyes to add to a personality so full and strong that I, for one, had never encountered anything like it before. Could the end justify the means in this fantastic space-journey? I hastily stopped my thoughts; I was beginning to think like Peace, without considering the vast consequences of the act. 201
I said, breaking the spell, 'How long will your flight to
Santa Fe take, MKG?'
A few hours,' he replied. ' I'll orbit a couple of times to get the automatic docking computer lined up on its target, which is the space station. We know Santa Fe's orbital position exactly at any time. It's a relatively easy thing since we developed the locking beam which Acton and Davis used so successfully.'
Boz came and squatted on his haunches in front of MKG. ` Can't we float up Little Bear as soon as the cutter is ready, MKG? That check-'
MKG flicked away the glowing end of his cigarette. Sorry, Boz. The longer she's out of sight the safer. It'll louse up the whole project if she's spotted at the very last moment. And it's getting that way, time-wise.'
Tyler's fliers will be over Love-Apple Crossing tomorrow,' said Peace flatly.
Guessing's fine-' objected Boz.
' I'm not guessing, Boz,' answered Peace. ' The helos and carrier planes will have sanitized Grid E-12 east of us by tomorrow. Then-Love-Apple Crossing, Grid E-13. That's the way it goes; one grid finished, the next grid begun.'
MKG said, It's as relentless as… as..
A countdown,' said Peace.
I gotta have more time,' insisted Boz. I can't risk a failure.'
Peace said quickly, Can you work in the dark on Little
Bear, Boz?'
` No.'
` See-there's one hell of a moon,' went on Peace. What if I go down at sunset, cut Little Bear free?'
Boz swung excitedly on Peace. ` You're sure an ideas man,
Commander.'
It will leave Little Bear completely vulnerable for the two hours it takes to pull rods and fully activate the SNAP motor,' said Peace. Maybe not completely, for it'll be dark and there'll be enough moon for Boz and his team to work by.
There's Andre's acetylene lamp until they can draw their own power from the missile's power plant.'
Jeez I' exclaimed the Texan. ` That'll give us a whole night to test her, Boz!'
When Peace spoke, I detected the real reason for his concession. You'll want to help the boys for a while, won't you, MKG? Don't get short on sleep, though-you and Boz and the others can rest up here tomorrow afternoon.'
In other words, Peace would keep the radio well out of the way until it was too late to retract.
Boz and the scientists were enthusiastic. See here, Commander,' said Boz. As soon as the power starts coming through from the reactor, we'll submerge her up to the capsule. We'll have power then to operate the ballast pumps.'
The Americans and Trevor-Davis crowded round MKG, squatting like Boz on their heels.
Boz turned to Trevor-Davis. Can do, fellah? That SNAP is your pigeon.'