But there is still time, dear reader, there is still time. The sacred Invasion Timetable can yet be restored and executed. However, as Shafter is reminding me, I have not told you all. When I got back to Voltar I was, of course, busy for a very long time writing the story you have read. Honestly, I have never worked so hard in all my life. I blackmailed Hound-he drinks-into telling people I was studying to take examination for a position, without saying which relative had won and, as Lady Corsa and her brother had gone back to Modon, I was not bothered. Oh, how I sweated. And then the fabulous day came when I thought that I had finished, only to be told by Shafter I had my wires loose. "All right," I said impatiently, "all right. But Shafter, I don't have any more material here. It's all written up!" He sighed. He said, "Young Monte, have you ever realized how boring it has been for me puttering around here while you inked your fingers up? Every car you have is tuned. And you know what?" I said, "What?" "I think you're writing fairy tales." "Oh, Shafter, have you turned against me, too?" "I wouldn't do that, young Monte. But I could keep you from making an awful mistake." He went to the door of the old air-tourer he had picked up for a song (I should be more accurate: it wasn't one of my odes, for nobody will take them; it was with my unspent allowance built up.while I was writing) and he opened the creaky door and pushed a panel button. He said, "Look." I looked. He had turned on a map. It was the Western Ocean. "I don't see anything," I said, mystified. "That's what I'm showing you," Shafter said. "You could be making an awful mistake. Look carefully. NOTHING!" Believe me, it was an awful shock when I understood and verified what he was saying. Not only was there no Relax Island, THERE WAS NO ISLAND AT ALL! "Good Heavens!" I cried. "The cover-up even extends to corrupting a Voltar planetary chart!" "I knew you'd see it my way," said Shafter. "I'll ask Hound to pack us a lunch and we're on our way!" We flew over there at once. Two thousand miles. The old air-tourer wasn't fast-it could only make three hundred-but it had lots of instruments and screens. The overcast was very high and gray, the ocean was very ominous and green. At four in the afternoon we were on the exact coordinates. "Be careful not to run into the mountaintop," I said. "I've forgotten how high it is." "Well, you won't find out from the pilot book. There's no such island listed. But I've got a system. I've drawn a grid and we will just fly back and forth, going lower and lower, and scout this whole area of ocean." "Don't run into the mountainside!" I said. "I won't," replied Shafter. "For I'm quite certain there's nothing there. Besides, I'm flying with all screens live. Sit back and have another sweetbun. This is going to take time." We combed and combed, lower and lower, splitting through the tendrils of mist and patches of sun. Now and then we glimpsed the ocean below. The waves began to look more and more prominent. We were finally so low, I even saw a batfish being chased by a whole school of toothers. It made me nervous, particularly since Shafter had chosen that moment to lift an interior cowl and shove in another fuel bar: I hoped we had enough of them. The sun abruptly blinded me. It was shining under the mist, horizontally. SUNSET! And then a weird thought hit me. "Say, Shafter, have you had a flash from Planetary Defense?" "No," he said, skimming the waves. "Well, for Heavens' sakes, make sure your traffic channel is operating. We don't want a warhead being slammed into us. This island is very out-of-bounds. Check your channel!" He shrugged and put a call in. "Just testing," he said into the microphone. "Oh, is that what you're doing?" came a Planetary Defense Base voice. "We thought you were probably looking for a place to fish." Shafter turned and winked at me. "That's right," he said into the microphone. "But we're being careful not to run into the mountain." "What mountain?" said Planetary Defense. "Teon," said Shafter. "The mountain on Relax Island." There was a silence, then, "Air-tourer 4536729-MY7. We have just issued cautionary citation on you for cruising without charts or pilot books. Please report at your convenience to Traffic Safety and get your screens and publications checked." "Oh, here now," said Shafter, "we don't need that." "Then probably you'd rather have a real citation for flying under the influence' of tup." "No, no," said Shafter hastily, "I'll take the cautionary one, thank you. It's not my fault your publications are hard to read. I could have sworn I saw a Mount Teon listed out here." "You're seeing things. We're issuing the real citation. There's no such island and no such mountain. We'll monitor your progress home. Check in to court tomorrow morning. And bring ten credits for the fine. End." Shafter turned to me. "Please don't have any other suggestions, young Monte. Give me the ten credits now so I can go to court and pay it before you get up. There's no land here, we're going home." I was boggled. This was more than just a cover-up. What had been the fate of Queen Teenie and Madison, the catamites, the Palace City staff and five thousand people? Oh, Shafter had been right. I had my wires loose and waving in the air!
The island was just a volcanic bubble. Had Heller, that archvillain, sent a warship in to blow it out of the water and cover up his cover-up for keeps?
VI
I spent a very restless night. I paced. Only by dawn did I get to sleep. Hound let the sunlight in like a clap of thunder by slamming back the blinds. "You're getting worse and worse," he said. "Now you've got poor Shafter standing in court like a common felon. Your father should have taken my advice and sent you for military duty. Charging to the thunder of guns would have made a man out of you." "Hound," I said, "do I have a relative in the geological office?" He raised his eyes to the ceiling. "No, you don't have a relative in the geological office. And if you don't straighten out soon, you won't have any relatives at all. They'll disown you! Plying poor Shafter with strong drink! You should be ashamed of yourself." "He didn't tell you that." "He didn't have to! The citation was in the morning mail slot! And here you are at two o'clock in the afternoon, sleeping it off!" "You drink." "Not in public, you little blackmailer! Get into that washroom and I'll steam it out of you!" Actually, it did me good. It soothed the jangled nerves, even though they got all jangled again by my trying to phone while Hound shaved me. He kept brushing the mouthpiece away. But I got hold of the editor of The Planet, a weekly pictorial which, I remembered, had a flavor of Voltar historical events: they liked to cover mountain slides and volcanic eruptions and such. "About a hundred years ago or less," I said, "did you record an earthquake or anything." "That's great," said the editor. "Who is this? Your viewer is off." "I'm being shaved and my hair isn't combed." "This must be my most vital call of the day," said the editor. "Listen, whoever you are, there are approximately six earthquakes a week throughout 110 planets. And I am overwhelmed by your time and location specificity." "Western Ocean," I said, "Voltar. Try ninety or ninety-five or eighty-five years ago." "Listen, whoever you are, my advice is to go get chummy with a reporter who has access to newssheet files. And when you call me next time, comb your hair and turn on your viewer. Cranks," he muttered and clicked off. It came to me in a flash. I knew where reporters hung out. "Hound," I said excitedly, "lay out a lounge suit that's sort of wrinkled and a sloppy hat." "You don't have any wrinkled suits!" he snapped. "Don't go accusing the footmen of not doing their jobs. Not after what you did to poor Shafter! You're trouble!" "Listen," I pleaded. "Wrinkle one up, then. I'm going to the Ink Club in Joy City!" He raised his eyeballs so high they clicked! When he recovered, he said, "Now you are going to go carousing with newssheet trash! You mark my words, young Monte, you'll become a hopeless drunk! If it weren't for my obligation to your father, I would go home to Flisten and abandon you to your fate!" He wouldn't let me wrinkle my suit. He wouldn't let me wear a sloppy hat. He jawed and jawed. Oh, what I have been through, dear reader, getting you this book! Shafter wasn't much better. Incautiously, he had given the traffic court a bit of lip and they'd doubled his fine. I gave him the additional ten credits but he kept glooming about his perfect driving record gone. He got me to Joy City and landed near the Ink Club. It has a huge electronic sign that simulates a river of ink that changes colors and splashes. You'd think inside they'd have fires and disasters posted up, but not so: the place is all soft gray and soothing music, somewhat like an undertaker's. It was late afternoon. Editions were all out. It was reporter slack time. The place was jammed. I felt extremely conspicuous with my beautifully pressed, conservative mauve shimmercloth lounge suit and perfectly brushed hat. It made me stand out like a statue in a park full of weeds. A young boy usher saw me staring around at the tables. He must have thought I had wandered into the wrong place. He said, "Is there someone you especially wish to see, sir?" "A reporter," I said. He looked at me and his eyes went round. And then he broke out laughing. "Hey, you birds," he shouted, "this toff here wants to see a reporter. Do any of you splashers qualify?" Somebody threw a canister at him. A tough-looking fellow at a crowded table yelled at me, "Don't mind the help. Come over and sit down, if you're buying." Well, of course I was buying. I was an investigative reporter myself, wasn't I? I squeezed in at a place they made for me at a table of twenty and very shortly two waiters ran up with trays loaded with drinks. "Well, what can I do for you?" said the tough-looking fellow, when he'd downed his. "It's two days before payday and you're a Godsend." I was paying the waiter from a roll. "Bring the table another round!" my new friend yelled, "I think the guy just robbed a bank!" "Hey, that's a good story," said another one. "Can I have it exclusive? I'll dub you Natty the Nifty Teller