‘In that case, Director-’
‘No further guessing, Agent Fisher. In that case, we must have true hyperspatial travel, so that we may move any distance we like in as short a period as we like.’
‘Pardon me, Director, but is that possible? Even in theory?’
‘That is not for you or me to say. We need scientists to concentrate on the matter, and we don't have them. For a century or more, Earth has suffered a brain drain to the Settlements. So now we must reverse that. We must raid the Settlements, after a fashion, and persuade the best physicists and engineers to come to Earth. We can offer them a great deal, but it will have to be done carefully. We can't be too open, you understand, or the Settlements will certainly forestall us. Now-’
He paused, and studied Fisher thoughtfully.
Fisher stirred uneasily and said, ‘Yes, Director?’
‘The physicist I have my eye on is one T.A. Wendel, who, I'm told, is the best hyperspatialist in the Solar System-’
‘It was the hyperspatialists on Rotor who discovered hyper-assistance.’ Fisher could not resist allowing a certain dryness to enter his voice.
Tanayama ignored that. He said, ‘Discoveries can be made by happy accident, and an inferior mind can stumble ahead while a superior one is taking the time to lay a firm foundation. That has frequently happened in history. Besides, Rotor only has what proved, in the end, to be merely hyper-assistance, a speed-of-light drive. I want a superluminal drive, one that is far beyond the speed of light. And I want Wendel.’
‘And do you wish me to get him for you?’
‘Her. She's a woman. Tessa Anita Wendel of Adelia.’
‘Oh?’
‘That is why we want you for the job. Apparently’ - and here Tanayama seemed to radiate a quiet amusement, although nothing in his facial expression seemed to indicate that - ‘you are irresistible to women.’
Fisher's expression grew wooden. ‘I ask pardon for contradicting you, Director, but I do not find it so. I have never found it so.’
‘The reports are persuasive, just the same. Wendel is a middle-aged woman, in her forties, twice-divorced. She should not be hard to persuade.’
‘To be honest, sir, I find the assignment distasteful and, under those circumstances, it is possible another agent would be better suited for the task.’
‘But I want you just the same. If you fear that you would not be your flirtatious and maddeningly attractive self if you approached her with face averted and nose wrinkled, I will sweeten matters for you, Agent Fisher. You failed on Rotor, but your service since has, in part, made up for it. You can now completely make up for it. If, however, you do not bring back this woman, that will be a far greater failure than Rotor was, and you will never have the chance to make up for that. Still, I don't want you governed by apprehension alone. I will throw in a bit of anticipation. Bring back Wendel and when a superluminal vessel is built and heads out toward the Neighbor Star, you will be on it if you wish.’
‘I will do my best,’ said Fisher, ‘and I would have done my best even if there were no occasion for either apprehension or anticipation.’
‘An excellent answer,’ said Tanayama, allowing himself the thinnest of smiles, ‘and undoubtedly well rehearsed.’
And Fisher left, fully realizing that he had been sent out on his most crucial fishing expedition yet.
15. Plague
Eugenia Insigna smiled at Genarr over dessert. ‘You seem to lead a pleasant life here.’
Genarr smiled, too. ‘Pleasant enough, but claustrophobic. We live on a huge world, but I'm bounded by the Dome. The people here tend to be ingrown. When I do meet someone interesting, they leave in a couple of months, at most. Generally, the people here in the Dome bore me most of the time, though probably not as much as I bore them. That's why the arrival of you and your daughter would have been a holovision item, even if you were anyone else. Of course, since it's you-’
‘Flatterer,’ said Insigna sadly.
Genarr cleared his throat. ‘Marlene warned me, for my own good, you understand, that you have not quite gotten over-’
But Insigna overrode him suddenly. ‘I can't say I've noticed any holovision attention.’
Genarr gave up. He said, ‘Just a manner of speaking. We're planning a little party tomorrow evening, and you'll then be formally introduced and everyone will get a chance to know you.’
‘And discuss my appearance, and choice of costume, and chew over whatever is known about me.’
‘I'm sure of it. But Marlene will be invited, too, and that means, I suppose, that you will know a great deal more about all of us than we will about you. Your information will be more reliable, too.’
Insigna looked uneasy, ‘Did Marlene act up?’
‘You mean, did she read my body language? Yes, ma'am.’
‘I told her not to.’
‘I don't think she can help it.’
‘You're right. She can't. But I told her not to tell you about it. I take it she did tell you.’
‘Oh yes. I ordered her to do so. Actually, I commanded her to do so in my role as Commander.’
‘Well, I'm sorry. It can be so annoying.’
‘But it wasn't. Not to me. Eugenia, please understand this. I like your daughter. I like her very much. I have the idea that she has had a miserable life being someone who knows too much and whom no-one likes. That she has turned out full of what you referred to as the unlovable virtues is little short of a miracle.’
‘I warn you. She'll tire you out. And she's only fifteen.’
Genarr said, ‘There's some law, I think, that prevents mothers from ever remembering when they themselves were fifteen. She casually mentioned a boy, and you may know that the pangs of unrequited love hurt as deeply at fifteen as at twenty-five, maybe even more so. Though your teenage years may well have been sunny ones, considering your appearance. Remember, too, that Marlene is in a particularly bad position. She knows she's plain and she knows she's intelligent. She feels that intelligence should much more than make up for lack of beauty and she also knows that it doesn't, so she rages helplessly and knows that that does no good either.’
‘Well, Siever,’ said Insigna, trying to sound light, ‘you're quite the psychologist.’
‘No, not at all. It's just this one thing I understand. I've been through it myself.’
‘Oh-’ Insigna seemed at a loss.
‘It's all right, Eugenia. I have no intention of being sorry for myself, and I wasn't trying to lure you into sympathy for a poor, broken soul - because I'm not. I'm forty-nine, not fifteen, and I've made my peace with myself. Had I been handsome and stupid when I was fifteen, or twenty-one, as, at that time in life, I wished I had been, I would undoubtedly now no longer be handsome - but I'd still be stupid. So, in the long run, I've won out, and so, I'm positive, will Marlene - if there is a long run.’
‘And what do you mean by that, Siever?’
‘Marlene tells me that she talked to our good friend Pitt, and that she deliberately antagonized him in order to make him willing to send you to Erythro because that meant getting rid of her, too.’
‘I don't approve of that,’ said Eugenia. ‘I don't mean about manipulating Pitt, because I don't think Pitt is that easy to manipulate. I mean trying to do it. Marlene is getting to the point where she thinks she can pull puppet strings, and this may get her into serious trouble.’