United States or Nauru ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I'd like to know," Quillan said. "The Ermetyne's a lady of many interests. Now see the plump elderly man just behind her?" "The ugly one with the big head who sort of keeps blinking?" "That one. He's Belchik Pluly and " "Pluly?" Trigger interrupted. "The Pluly Lines?" "Yes. Why?" "Oh nothing really. I heard a friend of mine Pluly's got a yacht out in the Manon System. And a daughter."
The Ermetyne's amber eyes switched to Trigger. "Shall I?" she asked. Trigger nodded. And a specific human being. The Devagas already had established that this human being must be Trigger Argee. "What?" Mantelish's thick white eyebrows shot up. "113-A we can understand it is afraid of being in some way brought back under control. But why Trigger?"
"Gun," Trigger explained unnecessarily. The Ermetyne's face had turned white with shock. She flicked a glance down at the man, then looked back at Trigger. "There're guns on me too, I imagine," Trigger said. "But this one goes off very easily, First Lady! It would take hardly any jolt at all." Lyad nodded slightly. "They're no fools! They won't risk shooting. Don't worry."
Before dinner was half over, the long-range transmitters abruptly came to life. For the next thirty minutes or so, messages rattled in incessantly, as assorted Headquarters here and there reacted to the Ermetyne's report. The Commissioner sat in the little office and sorted over the incoming information. Trigger stayed at the transmitters, feeding it to him as it arrived.
When the ComWeb reported the fourth caller, it sounded awed. "The name given is the Lady Lyad Ermetyne!" it said. Quillan beamed. "Lyad? Bless her heart! A pleasure. Put her through." A screen shaped itself on the wall mirror to the right. Lyad Ermetyne's face appeared in it. "Heslet Quillan!" She smiled. "So you aren't permanently lost to your friends, after all!" It was a light, liquid voice.
She studied Brule's features soberly. "Major Heslet Quillan," she announced suddenly in cold, even tones, "is a completely impossible character!" It was no more than the truth. She didn't mind so much that Quillan wouldn't tell her what he thought of Lyad Ermetyne's standing on the suspect list now there hadn't really been much opportunity for open conversation so far.
Lyad might be wakeful, she thought. She crossed the passage and unlocked the door to the Ermetyne's cabin. The lights in the cabin were on, but Lyad also lay there placidly asleep, her face relaxed and young looking. Trigger put her fist to her mouth and bit down hard on her knuckles for a moment. She frowned intensely at nothing.
That gimmick's pretty much of a spilled secret now, but on a swap for you and Lyad it was worth it. We came aboard five minutes after we'd nabbed your fac." "The Ermetyne figured you'd go chasing after the Aurora," Trigger said. "Well," the Commissioner said tolerantly, "the Ermetyne's pretty young. The Aurora was a bit obvious."
Then suddenly the communicator was looking into the Aurora's control room. A brown-bearded, rather lumpy-faced man in uniform sat before the other screen. There were other uniformed men behind him. Trigger heard the Ermetyne's breath suck in and turned to watch Lyad's face. "Why haven't you carried out your instructions, Captain?" The voice was still even.
Word Of The Day