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.
As he watched the wild scene, he realized belatedly that he had not taken into sufficient account the impact of Hewitt's appearance on the people of the ship. All that would now have to be rectified. Tensely, he considered what he might do. Then he called Harcourt in and showed him the scene.
He ordered, 'You get down there as fast as you can. Take the elevator. Wait till no one is looking and slip into the room. Then talk to each of our own men privately. Tell them this is a very dangerous situation for us all. We have to remain in control till we get to Earth. If we lose command of the situation, those prisoners may take their anger out on us. Have our men leave the dormitory one at a time and come up to the small assembly room. I'll talk to them there. Tell 'em no hard feelings. Everything is O.K.'
He felt better when Harcourt hurried out of the room on that mission.
He next tuned in on Lesbee. For several moments, he watched that intent young man at his labors. He had a regretful feeling. There were many things about Lesbee that he liked, but he had a growing intuition that the former captain was a permanent opponent, and that like Hewitt he would have to be disposed of. Of course, that was for a later time. Right now -
He called Lesbee on a communicator.
'Mr. Lesbee, I'm assigning you officer cabin Number Three and I want you to go up to it right now because I'm sending your wife over there. Who among the officers do you think should be released in this situation?'
He took it for granted that Lesbee would know what situation.
Lesbee, who had his own plans, said promptly, 'I wouldn't let any of Browne's officers go, sir.' Under his breath he added: 'Not while I'm doing all this meaningless work on the engines.' Aloud, he continued: 'And since for obvious reasons, you wouldn't want too many of mine loose during this period of confusion, why not let me have Mr. Tellier to help with these engines?' He thought: 'That's really going straight to the heart of the matter.' He finished his answer to Gourdy by saying respectfully, 'Just to make sure that I'm not misunderstanding, what precisely is the special situation?'
Gourdy explained about the excitement in the dormitory.
Then he said frankly, 'Obviously, we can't let that develop into a take-over by Hewitt. What do you think?'
Lesbee said, 'I agree. Do you mind if I offer some advice?'
'Go ahead.'
'What Hewitt has done is arouse hope. So we'll have to go take a look at Earth. These wild people won't believe anything but their own eyes. Now, since it is to your interest to continue to pursue the original purpose of the voyage,' – that was nicely worded, it seemed to Lesbee – 'I suggest the following: appear to accept Hewitt without argument. Agree to go to Earth. That will take the pressure off you right now. Later, we can discuss what to do next.'
The apparent frankness of the discussion greatly relieved Gourdy. Once more he regretted that there seemed to be no way that justified his leaving Lesbee alive. But it was out of the question. The situation aboard the ship had become too complex. Mercy was not practicable.
Because he was a man in a hurry, Gourdy said quickly, 'I'll have Mr. Tellier assigned an upper-level cabin and I shall return his wife to him also. And I'll do what you suggest as soon as I can brief my own men.'
He broke the connection and stood up briskly. His confidence was back as he went out to where the women were finishing breakfast. He at once informed Ann Lesbee that she would return to her husband.
To his surprise, she burst into tears and showed visible unwillingness to leave. The other three women also wept. Ruth and Ilsa accompanied Ann into the second bedroom to help her get her things.
Marianne berated her husband. 'It's not fair!' she sobbed, but there was anger in her voice. 'We women have so little. You shouldn't send her away.'
Since Gourdy was merely making a move as in a game, he considered the reactions he had observed with puzzled interest. 'Look,' he said, 'I'm returning her to her handsome husband. What more can a woman want?'
'You're just talking silly!' said Marianne tearfully.
Gourdy couldn't wait to find out what was silly. But as he hurried out to deal with the severe emergency of Hewitt's arrival, it seemed to him that the last thing he had time for was the problem presented by a group of crying women.
32
'Now why,' thought Lesbee, 'does Gourdy want me to go up to my cabin right away, merely because my wife is being sent there?'
He decided not to go. It would be too easy to imprison him up there without anyone knowing.
As he reasoned it then, Lesbee pictured Captain Gourdy as trying to neutralize him till the situation in the dormitory was brought under control. When that was done, Gourdy would have to decide whom he would kill. He would need somebody to help him run the ship. As Lesbee saw it, it would be safer for Gourdy to use Miller and other Browne followers than himself. Because, apart from Miller's greater competence and training, the former first officer had it in his favor that he had never aspired to the captaincy. That, it seemed to Lesbee, would now be decisive in the mind of Gourdy. So it was he and his supporters who were doomed.
If the murders were done quietly following the excitement below, and if the arrangements with Miller were clear cut, then in a single decisive act the brilliant little former garden worker would have reduced his opponents once more to one: the stranger, Averill Hewitt.
...With so much attention focused on the intruder, probably Hewitt was temporarily safe... It seemed to Lesbee that a clue to the intensity of Gourdy's desperation would be the speed with which he released Tellier -
Even as he had the thought, Tellier walked into the engine room.
Silently, the two friends shook hands. Lesbee made sure the spy signal was not flashing, then he asked in a deliberate tone: 'Ready?'
Tellier's face took on a shocked expression. He said, 'You mean – right now!'
'Now.'
'But we're a hundredth of a light-year away – you said. And we must still be traveling at practically the speed of light.'