In the quiet, the machine said softly:
Nine
“Wake up, Mr Michaelmas,” Domino soon said. “They’re holding a plane for you.”
Michaelmas sat up, his eyes wide. “What’s the situation?”
“Getulio Frontiere is flying Norwood back to Star Control via Cite d’Afrique in a UNAC plane. You’ve spoken to him, and he’s happy to take you along. They’ll leave as soon as you can get there. I have checked you out of the hotel; a bellboy will be here in five minutes, and a car will meet you at the door. The time now is twelve forty-eight.”
“All right. All right.” Michaelmas nodded his head vigorously and pushed himself to his feet. He pulled at his shirt and settled his trousers. He rubbed his face and moved across the room to where his shoes were lying. “Everything’s set up?”
“Frontiere told you he was delighted. It’s a great pleasure to be able to add your programme to the one being prepared by Douglas Campion.”
Michaelmas sat down and began unlacing his shoes. “Campion?” he said, his head lifting.
“It seems that early this afternoon Campion approached Frontiere for a Norwood special interview. Frontiere equivocated, but agreed after visiting here. Presumably it’ll be done on the basis Frontiere tried to suggest to you,”
“Ah, the young man is rising rapidly.”
“By default of his elders.”
“The traditional route. It’s good for us; hot breath on your heels is what keeps you on your toes.” Michaelmas put on the shoes and bent to methodically tease the laces just tight enough, eyelet by eyelet.
“Maybe. But there’s now a longish chain of coincidences. It’s become significant to me that Limberg’s medical corporation has recently made itself a major stockholder in the Euro Voire-Mondial communications company. It’s part of a perfectly typical portfolio; a little shrewder than most, but unexceptionable. The holdings in EVM represent steady investment over several months, and Medlimb Pty doesn’t visibly concern itself at all with EVM’s day-to-day affairs, any more than Limberg drinks extra coffee just because he owns a Colombian finca. But Gervaise is on staff employment with EVM. They’re your recent contractor. And now EVM has signed for this interview of Campion’s.”
Michaelmas tied each lace and tested the knots. “Well, he’s completed his job with his American affiliation.”
“There’s nothing wrong with anything he’s done. But you should know Clementine Gervaise has been assigned as his director. She and an EVM crewman are also on board the plane. The Norwood interview will be conducted en route. Additional shots, and interviews if needed, will be obtained at Star Control this afternoon, and the programme will air at nine p.m. tonight, US Eastern Time.”
“Ah.” Michaelmas stood up. “Well, I can see how Getulio would like that.” The programme would bracket the United States exactly, from evening snack-time in the East to the second or third drink or stick of the day in the West. An audience with something on its tongue is less resistant to insinuation. “How big is this plane?”
“Well, you won’t quite be sitting in each other’s laps, if that’s what you mean.”
“Let me just make sure I’ve got everything out of the bathroom and into the bag before the bellman arrives.”
“There’s another thing about Gervaise.”
“What?”
“She was in a car crash here the year before last. Her husband was killed and she was critically injured. She was out of public view for eleven months. She resumed her career only half a year ago. During the interval, she was at the Limberg Sanatorium. Extensive orthopaedic and cosmetic surgery is said to have been performed. If so, then like most restorative surgery in such cases, the optimum approach is to produce a close return to function and an acceptable appearance. It’s not always possible to make the patient appear the same as before the trauma. There are also consequences to the personality — sometimes socially desirable, sometimes not. In Gervaise’s case there was a need for extensive simultaneous psychotherapy, she says freely. Broadcasting trade journals have remarked that she has many of the mannerisms of the familiar Clementine Gervaise, and her old friends declare that she is essentially the same person behind her somewhat changed face. But her energy and decisiveness have greatly increased. Her career has shown a definite uptrend since her return. She is given much of the credit for EVM’s recent acceleration towards major status. There’s talk she’ll soon be offered a top management position. And several people in broadcasting have made arrangements to be rushed to Berne should they ever have a serious accident.”
Michaelmas stood shaking his head. “Do you suppose I should do the same?”
“O King! Live forever!” Domino said drily. “Here comes the bellman.”
When the elevator reached the lobby, Michaelmas closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them and smiled his way out into the world.
He sat in the car with his head down. Domino said to him : “Peking has just done something encouraging.”
“What might that be?”
“It was proposed to the Central Committee by Member Chiang that they form an ad hoc consortium of Asian and African nations, along the lines of the old Third World concept. The object would be to vote the UN into directing UNAC to restructure the flight crew. Thousandman Shih would be shifted from command to the close-approach module to membership in an overall command committee consisting of himself plus Norwood and Papashvilly. This would be presented to UNAC as the most diplomatic way out of its dilemma.”
“Oh my God.”
“The proposal was voted down. Chairman .Sing pointed out what happened the last time the Third World gambit was attempted. He also questioned Member Chiang on what he thought Thousandman Shih should do in the event Colonel Norwood proved not up to his duties in flight. Should Shih join with Major Papashvilly in removing the American from the command committee? How should the news back to earth be worded? Should Shih sign the message above or under Papashvilly? Did not Member Chiang, on reconsideration, feel things were best left for the present to mend themselves as they might?”
Michaelmas grinned. Sing was young for his post, but he was a hard case. When Mao died and left that famous administrative mess, it had created a good school for shrewdness, even if it had been slow in producing results. A day would come when Sing was older; that ought to be allowed for. But later. Later. For the time being, China represented a bright spot on his map. If Sing felt obliged by tradition to rub a little against his borders with India and the USSR, and counterpoise Taiwan’s and Hong Kong’s industry to Japan’s, well, it was equally true that all continents maintained a certain level of volcanic activity as they slid their leading edges along the earth’s mantle. Nevertheless, cities were built and flourished upon those coasts.
He was feeling halfway pleased by all that when Domino said: “Mr Michaelmas, something bad has happened.”
He raised his head abruptly and looked out beyond the windows of the ear. They were proceeding uneventfully toward the airport.