Leslie Perri

“ I looked at Charley. He looked at me. Then he handed me his bottle. Trust Charley. "Have a slug, pal," he said cheerfully. "Stop working."
"I will, pal," I said. "Thanks."
It felt good going down and for the first time I realized I had a hangover from the night before. And the night before that. And then I saw that Deborah's green eyes were wide open and fixed on me.
I took another slug, over and above Charley's little pained exclamation. I didn't like the look in those green eyes.
"Hey, Steve," Debby called in that indecent voice of hers. "I want to talk to you." ”

“ Martian women were missing from the crowd, as usual, and as usual you had a strangely wistful feeling about these withdrawn people—who were always friendly but never intimate. Who would not trust you any more than you would mischievous children with the treasures of their ancient and beautiful civilization.
We rode past the crowds in our vehicle, with an R.A. sergeant directing us to the Starfish.
It can be said for the Rocket Auxiliary that they worked like beavers loading the U.F.S. Rocket Fleet. The array of ships was impressive. ”

“ In the early days we were frequently involved in Martian difficulties. It was partly through genuine concern for their welfare; we liked the Martians without question. But it was also, curiously, motivated by an almost adolescent eagerness to demonstrate efficiency and speed and worth to a people who remained friendly and grateful but aloof and paternally amused by our energies.
This story started as suddenly and simply as most disasters usually strike on Mars, or anywhere. A news flash was relayed in from an interior hill community, Faleeng, to our Marsport office. ”

“ We were also sure that if Vechi and Raeburn were in the pay of an Earth syndicate to get hold of diranium ore they could have slugged the pilots of the Starfish, put in their own crew and trailed along with the rescue fleet. We didn't represent much of a threat; they could dump us anyplace. The Starfish was no beauty but she could make the trip back to Earth. ”

“ The spaceport lay outside Marsport, however. When we ventured beyond the protection of the city shelter we wore the pixie-like oxygen hoods and adjusted the thermal dials on our workalls. I never got over being surprised that our technicians on Earth could have been so clever at keeping us comfortable. You got used to nearly everything, as a matter of fact, except the psychological sense that freedom existed within the city shelter—and not in the great outdoors. ”

“ The reality of a dream that persists, or a fantasy which retains its unbelievable qualities but becomes actuality. And in this atmosphere we set up our machines and agencies and extensions of Earth—bursting with the conceits and importance of having conquered space. ”

“ Technical people to save as much as they can and newsmen to dramatize what hasn't been saved."
Score one, and not for us! I grinned at him. "Got any ideas for the press on what caused the power failure?"
Vechi smiled a gentle, patronizing smile. "Apparently, the Martians use diranium as a source of atomic power. But since no one knows the characteristics of diranium it would be difficult to imagine the type of power installation they employ. ”

“ Then I'll try to contact the lead ship for help. If the pilots aren't old friends."
"The hero type," I muttered. But I was grateful he had the gun. "Okay, Charley. I'll keep Vechi occupied and Deborah can take off to the ladies' lounge for safety, and to tell Madame Pundra what we plan to do."
"You got it, Bright Boy," Charley grinned. "Debby leaves first and then I stroll out real casual. It doesn't matter if Vechi and Raeburn catch wise once I've contacted the lead ship. They won't dare pull anything because the Electra could catch this tub with half its generators conked out." ”

“ But how do we act effectively without a weapon of some sort?"
"Now, it's real hilarious," Charley said with a broad smile, "but say I had a vision, or planned a stick-up on the First National Bank of Ul. I have a popgun in my gear."
Well. Old Charley. You never could tell.
"Where is it?"
"It has taken the bottle down two inches but I've managed to get it out of the gear-bag and into my workalls."
"A real efficient type, Charley, old pal." I looked about me wondering if we weren't just imagining everything. And if the Ul disaster weren't enough reason for this trip. "How about Deborah?" ”

“ We didn't know anything about diranium then and the Martians kept it that way. We had nothing like it and it drew the con boys like a magnet. But fruitlessly. Ambassador Ferne, a real level guy with the Martians, made sure nothing like diranium ever left in anyone's carpet bag. Our relations with the Martians were smooth, as a result. There was really nothing else we wanted from them.
Except maybe to see what their women looked like, and, oh yes, their children. No ancient system of purdah was ever stricter. ”

“ Vechi went back to his book.
Then, with some elaborate stretching, Charley stood up and I watched him leave, too. Vechi watched him go, as well. He glanced at me, pleasantly.
"The bum," I said conversationally, "he took me for ten fish in stud king!"
"That so?" Vechi smiled agreeably. He folded his book. And then he very calmly reached into the pocket of his work-all and took out a gun. He held it very steadily and it was aimed at me.
"You can't win at everything," he said. "Some days aren't lucky." He had a nice sense of the ironic.
Raeburn, beside him, snored peacefully. ”

“ Vechi smiled. "You can tell them you caught Vechi and Raeburn in a diranium conspiracy, that Vechi pulled a double-cross and got away. It will explain the pilots Raeburn slugged back in Marsport, too. It will do for popular consumption; they expect something like this of me anyway."
"You still don't mind being called a rat?" I said.
Vechi drew Laapet closer to him. "No," he said.
"But why did you drag Raeburn in on this?"
"He's my peace offering to the ambassador, and to Pundra. There's a complete file on Raeburn in my office in Marsport. ”

“ I said.
"Only in so far as we are not acceptable to the people who live in truth. And those who would live with us must break into truth. As she has been forced to do—to protect our secret. It has not been easy for her."
"Steve, Steve, can't you see that it must have been terrible for her?" I looked at Deborah.
"Yes, I suppose it must have been. But—how could you have met?"
"It happened three years ago," Vechi told us. "There was an accident in the desert. Laapet's driver had been killed in an explosion in her machine. I came along quite by chance and I helped her. ”

“ The audio cup in my oxygen helmet buzzed a little when he began to talk, so I adjusted it and picked up the tail end of what he was saying: "... terrible, this Ul thing, isn't it?" I nodded.
Deborah kept fiddling with her audio adjuster, as though she couldn't hear, so she wouldn't have to acknowledge Vechi's greeting. She wasn't good with people she didn't like and she didn't like Vechi.
Charley, who had a bright word for any slob, offered an apology for our offhandedness. "They have a hate on," he lied blithely. ”

“ When the Martian authorities got the news from Ul they appealed to Ferne for assistance. The U.F.S. Rocket Auxiliary was the fastest transportation available on Mars, faster than anything the Martians had. The Ambassador ordered the rocket fleet to assist in the immediate evacuation of stricken Ulans to Marsport medical stations.
In addition a team of Martian and Earth Federation technicians boarded the lead ship, Electra. Equipment, food and medical supplies were crowded into the remaining ships. And a large fleet of Martian land machines went into action. ”

“ It was then that we told Charley about our stowaway. It was to his credit that his expression remained unchanged. And indicative of something that his only excitement was at the possibility of finally seeing a Martian woman.
It may have seemed very little to go on, our conviction that Vechi was masterminding a coup. But it's the little things that make you suspicious. The R.A. is made up of casual characters. They like to talk, gripe about no smoking in the control room, come back to sniff out a drink or a game of stud king, maybe an off-color story. ”

“ Entirely different engineering skills are required."
"Then what earthly good are our boys going to be?" I asked.
Vechi stretched his legs. Raeburn listened and said nothing. "We have no way of knowing that Ul station did not sustain a physical catastrophe—in which case a knowledge of construction, how to salvage tunnels, buildings, bridges, heating systems and the like will probably prove useful. We know something of their building techniques from Marsport." ”

“ They had not only instituted elaborate precautions for keeping their women invisible, it was, also, distinctly a breach of good manners to mention them. We had been given a rough idea of the methods the Martians employed in rearing children, but while it excited a lot of psychologist chaps with its novelty, we were still frustrated and speculative about their female relations. Who must have been a pretty attractive and exotic lot, to judge by their men. ”