‘As for you, Colonel Maddock, in addition to the demands we list there, I suggest that you have your husband send along some of the famous Petaybean cough syrup that cured you the first time. Signing over the patent to the party we suggest, of course. I warn you that any resistance or reluctance on your part will result in unfortunate consequences for the young people accompanying you, as well as for yourself. It will also prolong your stay with us and we are not equipped with any provisions for delivering babies. I trust when you record your messages, you ladies will endeavour to sound sincere and very, very convincing. Begin.
11
Sean Shongili was awakened by Adak, who had just received word via Johnny Greene that stragglers from the shuttle containing the first group of hunters had shown up in Harrison's Fjord, suffering from exposure and demanding to make contact with their attorneys.
He was still sorting that out when Una Monaghan located him in Clodagh's cabin, dragged him down the road to Yana's and pointed at the comlink. Yana's voice transmission was staticky, but the words appearing on the screen were unmistakable.
‘We've been kidnapped, Sean. Me, Marmion, Bunny and Diego and this is what the ransom is,' she began as his knees, unaccountably unable to support him, folded and his butt fortunately hit the seat of the chair. 'They don't intend to let us go until the ransom's all paid.’
‘But we don't have any credit!' Sean began in protest.
‘We're apparently in possession of a valuable planet,' and then Yana began coughing.
‘Yana? Are you all right?’
‘She is not all right,' another voice said. 'She coughs much and bloodily and…’
The transmission was abruptly cut off. Sean stared at the comunit, tapped it, thinking the connection had merely been interrupted. But, after a few more moments of useless tinkering, he had to admit that this wasn't the case.
‘And the ransom is Petaybee?' And just how did the kidnappers expect him to hand over a planet? A planet that certainly wasn't his to give!
‘Sean?' Una had popped her head around the door.
‘Una! Get Johnny and find out how we can reestablish contact with the parties who've kidnapped Yana, our baby, Bunny and Diego, and Madame Algemeine…’
‘Kidnapped?' Una's voice broke. 'Johnny! Yes, I'll get Johnny. He'll know.’
Johnny didn't, but he opened a channel to the Space Station and Dr Whittaker Fiske. Whit, recovering nobly and quickly from the shock of the news, said that he'd find out or die trying.
Sean was unable to attend to any of even the most pressing duties. Una and the other off-worlders who were being assigned to useful services for the benefit of the emerging Petaybean government carried on as best they could. Though the true nature of the problem was not mentioned to anyone but Johnny Greene, very shortly everyone in Kilcoole knew that Yana, Bunny, Diego and Marmion had been kidnapped.
Nanook crept in to occupy a corner, saying nothing but keeping his amber eyes softly on Sean. Coaxtl, minus Cita, shortly arrived and stationed herself on the opposite side. Orange cats appeared briefly in the doorway and disappeared as Sean sat and stared at the comlink, willing it to work and provide good news. Good news only!
In his head thoughts went up and down on a mental carouseclass="underline" Yana and his unborn child were kidnapped; Bunny, Diego and Marmion too. By whom? For what reason? He had no right to give a planet as security! Not to anyone. Only the planet could say what it would or wouldn't do. Maybe that was the answer. The best thing to do with the problem was turn it over to the planet. But he couldn't leave the office, not until that bedamned, unworking comlink awoke with some news. Would he see Yana alive again? Would they ever see their baby? Kidnappees did not often return unharmed, alive or compos mentis. Who knew in what condition they'd be returned, if they were returned? Anything could happen to them - maiming that was not just physical but mental and emotional as well. He'd heard rumours of hideous mind-wiping devices that could totally destroy your personality by causing permanent amnesia that severed all bonds.
How had Marmion let an abduction occur? She'd promised they'd all be safe for that so-called'short time' it would take to satisfy the CIS Committee about the nature of Petaybee. They'd been gone long past the original estimates. So the kidnappers could set it all up? And start swamping the planet with drug merchants, hunters, religious orders, orphans, homeless relatives and all sorts of human flotsam and jetsam. And no facilities to handle such an influx.
The comlink buzzed and Sean pounced on it like a hungry mink on a roosting chicken.
‘Sorry to tell you this, Sean,' Whittaker Fiske said, 'but the kidnapper has been identified as Onidi Louchard, a well-known and clever pirate with a well-equipped outfit and a base that no law enforcement agency's ever been able to discover. Louchard is ruthless and has formidable resources.’
‘Do they have a medic?' Sean demanded savagely, the sound of Yana's coughing echoing in his ears. Damn! She'd only just got over the after-effects of the
Bremport gassing. How could she be subjected to another episode?
‘Huh?' Whit was taken aback by the unexpected question.
‘Yana's got a cough again, bad enough so they use it to threaten me with.’
‘They lose her as hostage and they've no leverage
‘Damn it, Whit, what d'you mean by that?
‘That if she's sick, they'll bloody well see she gets better! Of course. What'd you think I meant?' Sean murmured something but Whit went on. 'The commander of Gal-Three's organized a massive search of and contact with every vessel that left the docks since before Yana, Marmion and the kids went missing. They're leaving nothing to chance.' Whit gave a groan. 'But it's going to take time. That's one of the busiest stations in the whole Intergal net. I've also had a word with Anaciliact and he's none too happy with that PTS group. He's going to get an injunction against them to prevent any further unauthorized trips to the surface. I'm going one better. I'm getting permission for you to have a representative in the SpaceBase control tower so you can trace any drops they might make before that injunction is served. We gotta find them first.' Whit made a noise of total disgust and annoyance at the obstacles. 'We don't need any of this right now!’
‘Precisely why we have it,' Sean said bitterly. 'Can you spare Johnny to watch the screen?’
Whittaker shook his head regretfully. 'No, much as I'd like to but he's far more useful elsewhere than sitting on his duff looking at a screen for hours on end.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Get Una to see what she can come up with.’
That was not only heartening advice but a good notion: Una possessed a knack of finding people with unusual, and very useful, talents.
Til ask her.
‘I'll keep in touch, Sean, and see what else I can learn that's going on at Gal-Three.’
‘Find out where Luzon is,' Sean said dourly.
‘I did. He's doing intensive therapy in some fancy spa to get active again.’
‘Again? He's never stopped being active - against Petaybee.’