With some reluctance, the crowd was dispersing when Captain Kiznet cupped her hands to shout, "I have new lists of survivors and I will tack them up where you can see." Immediately people pointed to the duty roster board beside which there was a bulletin board for such notices. "Nineteen major cities in Europe and Asia, and some hometown news from forty-seven towns in the US of A," she added and was awarded another rousing cheer.
Kris slipped from the back of the load bed to guide the captain into the mess hall and help her put up the sheets with the tacks avail-able. Then she maneuvered the captain out of the crowd that homed in on the new information. Would it ever be reduced to just one or two anxious seekers? Kris wondered. Zamal had given her a sign to bring the captain to the conference room, just off the main dining hall. Grabbing the captain's arm, Kris pushed her way through those thronging to check names into the relative quiet of the private room. She grinned when she saw Dorothy and Chuck hugging each other. There would be plenty of time to introduce him to their daughter, Amy. Right now, he looked as if he'd never let Dorothy go.
Zamal braced himself across the door of the conference room to be sure only the people he especially needed crowded in to see the new arrivals. He sent Peran, Bazil, and Ditsy to get coffee rations and whatever sandwiches might be available at this hour in the kitchen. When Kris was able to take his place after Zainal gave her a hurried list of those he wanted inside, he cleaned off the big blackboard and started slowly printing out headings for discussion. That done, he printed the list of his Catteni translation team. She was pleased to note she headed the list, which included Floss, Clime, Peran, Bazil, the Doyle brothers, Ferris and Ditsy, Chuck, Sally Stoffers, Gino and Mack Dargle, as well as Pete Snyder. He also chalked down the names of the nine new arrivals and she was delighted he had also grasped the spelling of the crew names.
"All right, folks, may I have some quiet?"
But just then, Chuck, holding Dorothy's hand, slipped into the room with the boys and laden trays right behind them.
"Get yourself your cup of coffee and some food first," Zainal in-vited, and Kris slipped over to the boys and snitched coffee and a sandwich, which she took to him. He lounged against the nearest table and ate almost ravenously. Then Beth Isbell approached to hand him a clipboard, which he perused while chewing his sandwich. She waited quietly at his side and then Peran brought her a cup of coffee from the tray. She was going to refuse but took it with quiet thanks. Beth was usually punctilious about having only her share though she had once confided to Kris that she was a caffeine addict and the worst problem with being "dropped" was the deprivation of coffee.
Zainal scrawled initials on the first page on the clipboard and ex-tracted what must have been a copy, which he folded and slid into his shirt pocket, before handing it back to Beth. She started to leave but paused to chat with a group.
"Mike just brought in the planet's treasures, and they have them in safekeeping at the hospital," Zainal murmured to Kris, touching the paper he'd put in his pocket. "We're rich," he added with a mischievous wink. "Enjoy it while we can."
"Rich enough?" she asked in a whispered response. He shrugged. "If we bargain closely enough."
"I'll shave the hair of anyone who cheats us."
"Glad I'm on your side, Kris love." The loving light in his yellow eyes stirred her deeply. She hoped the others would stay in the ship again that night.
Now he stopped lounging and held up his hands. Silence quickly fell on those in the room, abetted by a "shushing" noise.
"I have some better than good news, folks. We do have ransomable items, we do have the services and cooperation of Eric Sachs, DDS, to give all the Catteni gold crowns that wish them, and we do have extra flight personnel to man the other cargo vessels. What is your saying, 'we're loaded for bear'?" That got an appreciative chuckle. "We're mounting this expedition as fast as we can. Chuck Mitford, as ever resourceful, took a side trip to Barevi on his way back and checked warehouses there to see if they really do have the compo-nents we need. He seems to feel that they do. I must abide by the Council's decision in this but we'll know tonight whether or not we have the colony's permission to make off with its valuables to buy back what parts we most need to upgrade and repair our commu-nications systems so we can remain in contact with other worlds. Meanwhile, I need the three KDMs space-worthy, so will those crew members please start the preflight checks NOW" He waited while various people made their way purposefully out of the conference room. "I'll need food. And any and all rock squats we can acquire be-tween now and tomorrow morning at oh-nine hundred, when I hope we'll have the required permission to take off. As you can see, we have new faces, recent recruits to the Botany Space Force. Be sure to welcome them-later.
"Dick Aarens, I'll need you to converse with Lieutenants Mullinax, Cummings, and Douglas and those of you here who have had expe-rience with our satellites and communication units. I may be antici-pating the Council's decision-"
"I doubt that," someone remarked, and another cheer resounded. Kris saw Zainal take a deep breath and smile in relief.
"I do thank you for your generous support," he said with a slight and dignified bow around the room. "I got us all into this spot, and I intend to get us out of it!"
"How the hell do you figure that, Zainal?" Leon Dane demanded as he entered the conference room on the end of that remark. "Yeah, wasn't your fault the Eosi and Catteni invaded Earth," Peter Snyder said almost angrily.
"I should have known that the Barevian traders would throw a spanner in the works."
"You're not a mind-reader," Peter snapped back. "And you got most of what you wanted, didn't you? Botany and Terra free? And the other enforced colonies? And the end of the Eosi domination of your own people. Why should you continue to carry the burden?"
"I consider myself responsible!" Zainal said firmly.
"You got no reason to, Zainal," Leon Dane said, his voice carry-ing over other disclaimers.
"But I do!" Zainal replied. "And I can repair that oversight. I in-tend to."
"You've done more than anyone thought you would or could," Kris said defensively.
"Not as much as I think I should have or could have." He made a slicing movement of his hands to make that the end of the argument. Kris made no further protest, knowing it would be futile, but there were others who were quite willing to deny him guilt. She knew him better, for she knew now that he was set in his path and nothing would distract or delay him from achieving what he considered his duty and responsibility. Catteni were relentless, if nothing else. She admired that in him, but she'd be glad when he felt he could relax. His sons looked adoringly at him but she knew he wasn't posing for their approval.
"Lieutenant Douglas, did you bring that glossary of technical terms with you? And could we make copies of it?"
"You have a copier?" the dark-haired officer asked in surprise. "Any number of them who write a fair Catteni hand," Zainal said. "In handwriting?" Douglas was dismayed.
"What's wrong with old-fashioned methods?" Zainal imitated someone writing with a pen.
"Nothing except that mistakes in copying are more than probable and some of those terms have to be precise."
"We have very good typists, Lieutenant," Kris said. "Not a problem. Beth?" She beckoned to the woman, glad she hadn't left yet. "How many typewriters do we have? And paper?"
"Depends on how much has to be transcribed and by what time."
"Takeoff tomorrow?" Kris asked, almost wistfully.
"If we can divert some power to the machines, I'll have typists work all night in shifts. Where's the copy?"
"I'll have to get my notes from the ship," Douglas said, a trifle rat-tled though he gave a shake as an animal might to settle ruffled fur. Kris thought wistfully of the family cat, which by now was either feral or eaten. "You move with awesome speed, Emassi Kris."