Taking into account what Hewitt had said of the motion of the Hope of Man through the solar system, Lesbee made various readings on his slide rule, and calculated that the ship had been projected from fifty to one hundred and fifty years into the future.
That was something to know.
It defeated any plan Hewitt might have to assert his rights to command the ship.
Lesbee's next act was to tune in on the bridge's radio receivers, which automatically picked up all incoming messages from the surrounding space. Since Gourdy's take-over, no one but Gourdy and himself had had any real opportunity to receive such messages.
The message that came through now was the first Lesbee had heard.
The message began with a simple three-bell signal and was followed by the words:
'Earth calling. Incoming ships use control channel 71.2 meters for initial communication.'
Lesbee broke the connection, shut off the engine-room viewer – and ran for the door. He had to take the chance that Gourdy was preoccupied with Hewitt and that accordingly he would not be seen.
Although it was a dangerous thing to do, he used one of the elevators to go up to the bridge.
Arrived there, he opened the radio-receiver panel, reached in, and tore loose the wires that connected the radio with the enormous aerial network that picked up incoming messages from space.
Hastily, Lesbee replaced the panel and raced down to the alternative control room. Still depending on Gourdy being occupied, he used the scanner system of that complete control board to locate the room where Tellier was held prisoner.
Through the scanner, he saw Tellier lying down in one of the bunks. Lesbee called out softly, and Tellier sat up, then came over to the communicator. Lesbee said, 'Listen, we're going to have to get off the ship fast at some specific future time.'
He explained rapidly what he had done and said that if necessary he would come down and rescue Tellier at the proper time. He finished, 'Don't ask any questions. Just tell me – you'll be prepared to come?'
Tellier was properly responsive. 'Same old Lesbee,' he said admiringly. But there was a strained look on his face as he added, 'John, this is going to be a close thing. But yes, I'll take the chance of going on your say-so.'
Lesbee broke the connection and once more ran at top speed along the corridors. Arrived at the engine room, he sank down in a chair for a few minutes to catch his breath. Then he resumed the phony task of fixing the engines.
31
When Hewitt left the storeroom, he headed up to the captain's cabin by way of the ramps.
He came upon the four women cheerfully getting breakfast ready. They turned as he drove in. Four frightened women stared at him.
Hewitt said in his gentle voice, 'Don't be alarmed. I've come to talk to Captain Gourdy.'
They grew calm as he explained who he was. Also, it was evident that Ruth had already told the others what she had seen in the detector viewplate.
She asked, 'Is it true that Earth is destroyed as our husband says?'
Since Hewitt had not discussed that topic with Lesbee, he realized he was listening to Gourdy propaganda. It gave a bitter irony to his present situation on the Hope of Man. He had virtually ruined his reputation by predicting grave danger to Earth from a change in the sun. Yet here on the ship it would be to his advantage if that prediction proved untrue.
For reasons of the struggle for control of the ship in which he was now an unwilling participant, he needed these people to believe that Earth and its military might existed. Only thus could he establish his ownership rights.
It suddenly seemed too dangerous a subject to discuss at all.
He said evasively, significantly, '-our husband?'
'Captain Gourdy!' explained the oldest of the four women, who had already introduced herself as Ruth. She continued with pride in her voice, 'We are the captain's wives. That is' -she went on carefully – 'Ilsa and I were the original wives of the late Captain Browne. Then we became the second and third wives of Mr. Lesbee when he was captain.' She pointed at the slim blond woman, whose blue eyes reminded Hewitt a little of Joan. 'This is Ann, Mr. Lesbee's first wife. I understand she's to be sent back to him.' The blonde shrugged, but said nothing. Ruth next indicated the sullen young brunette beauty at the table. 'Marianne is Captain Gourdy's first wife. Naturally, Ilsa and I will now be taken over by him.'
Hewitt was discreetly silent. But as he glanced from one to the other of the women and saw their agreement with what Ruth had said, he felt an inner excitement of his own.
These women, he realized, amazed, were the male fantasy come alive. Throughout history, men periodically maneuvered the State so skillfully that women were motivated to accept multiple-wife roles, at least in connection with the top leaders. A percentage of men dreamed of having a harem of compliant females all in the same household, at peace with each other, free of that jealous madness which men normally found so painfully ever present in women outside of their own fantasies. The desire for many women was probably some deep psychological need, which those who were possessed by it did not even want to have explained.
Hewitt had never had such needs as an adult. So he could look at these women as would a scientist confronted by a phenomenon of nature.
And – just like that – he had an intuition.
'I shall be the captain,' he said. 'Therefore, you'll be my wives. So, when I call on you later for any kind of help, you give it immediately.' He added, 'Don't worry, it won't be anything dangerous.'
He finished, 'And, of course, don't mention to anyone, not even Captain Gourdy, what I've said until I give you permission.'
The women were all suddenly white-faced again. Ruth said finally, breathlessly, 'You don't understand. A woman does not choose among men or do anything at all that would indicate that she favors one man over another – until she is taken to wife by a man. Then she automatically favors her husband.'
Hewitt glanced from one woman to the other. He was both fascinated and shocked. He was well aware of the long history of man and his dealings with women. But it was one thing to know of a condition that had existed in the past and quite another to see that these women actually regarded themselves as pawns. They didn't even realize how much degradation was implied by the words they were speaking.
Because of his knowledge of the past, it seemed to him that he understood this situation as no one aboard could possibly understand it.
Understanding it, he said firmly, 'I'm sorry, ladies, for once you will have to make a choice among men. I can tell you right now, when I become captain, which of you I shall retain as my wife will depend entirely on how you show your choice at the moment when I ask you to do something on my behalf.'
His words had a shock effect. A strange expression came into the face of Ruth. Ilsa suddenly looked shy. Ann Lesbee became very pale. Marianne stared at him with bright eyes.
Hewitt had the impression that all four were suddenly feeling timid, and there was a quality in them that he identified as old-fashionedness: a combination of extreme femininity, acceptance of male dominance, and a peculiar practicality.
Exactly how such a condition had come about – what dynamics were involved – could well be someone's project for a later social study.
At the moment, Hewitt said, 'When Captain Gourdy returns, tell him that I was here and that I'm going now to the dormitory where the men are. I'll remain there and wait for him.'
When Gourdy had this information conveyed to him half an hour later, he went to the detector room and switched on the scanners. He tuned in on bedlam. The dormitory was filled with excited men who clearly believed that they would shortly be arriving at Earth. What shocked Gourdy was that his own men, whom he had placed as guards, were as aroused as anyone. They mingled with the prisoners, having apparently made up their minds that there were no further problems.