Выбрать главу

He cursed. "Yewliss, again! I could sue him for interference of free will!"

"You won't. Your index shows you dislike legal procedures."

He poured two double shots of brandy and gave her one. "Well, here's to the Old Fox and you. May you bear him many cubs."

"Your index also shows you often leap to conclusions."

The dark liquor sloshed over the tiny glass. "If you go back to Yewliss," he said, "I'll have nothing." "Turn on the visor," she said.

They watched the wild celebrations of the crowds that had quickly gathered all over the world. Bill flicked the screen off.

"Poor devils, they remind me of us. They work on one problem, and halfway through the solution of the first, a second one forms."

"Life is like that," she said. Her hand touched his for the first time since he kissed her, and she didn't take it back.

"True," he said, "but I don't feel like philosophising. Barbara, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. That's funny, too, because I'm usually quick at deciding."

"Then you're not just going to walk out on me?"

She shook her head. "No. This is no longer a military mission. It's entirely personal. Actually, it was personal from the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"You won't hate me? Promise?"

"Why should I? I mean, why should I hate you?"

"Bill, one of the reasons I came to you the main one, in fact-is that I felt guilty about you. I've had that feeling for a long time. I told myself it was ridiculous that what happened to you wasn't my fault."

"Barbara, get to the point!"

"Very well. I came here because ... I was responsible for your being inoculated with the Asp. You see, I was one of those who created it. I couldn't help that it was used as a political weapon. When we wade it, it was for experiments with laboratory animals. None of us had the slightest idea that someone would steal the virus and inject you with it."

He shut his eyes for a second. Opening them, he said, "I know. But it was a shock. I've cursed the asp inventors so many times, even when I knew they weren't guilty. And now to have you ..."

"You can see why I came?"

He nodded, and then, as if inspired, his face grew twisted, unrecognizable and frightening. He rose, took her hand and lead her to the broad staircase that curved like a ram's horn to the second floor.

She said, "What do you think you're doing?"

"We might as well find out if we really like each other."

She jerked her hand from his.

"Is that what you mean by really liking? Do you still think I'm just one of those women provided by the Government for your pleasure?"

He sensed he had lost her. "Forgive me, Barbara. No, it's just that we have to act in some fashion."

"But that's not my idea of using your brain to solve a problem. Or using your heart, either."

They sat down again. Hesitantly, he picked up her hand. When she did not refuse it, he put his arm around her and kissed her.

"But will you ever decide? You're sure you're not trying to let me down easy?"

"After I just confessed my guilt? Quit asking foolish questions, will you?"

She closed her eyes and leaned back. He, like an automaton obeying preset stimuli, leaned over and kissed her. This time, though he had expected she would, she did not protest. She shifted a little and did not turn her head away.

At last she whispered, "Oh, if you must, Bill. If you think that's the only way. But, I think it's …

Despite what she said, she held hint as tightly as he held her. Her nails dug into his arms as if she were loneliness and fear trying to clutch love and courage. He pondered: what, besides his flesh, did he have to give to her? He pondered only briefly.

11

It was a bright day when Ogtate awoke. General Yewliss arrived. At the moment that Ogtate first saw bin, he was not intent upon them. His fierce black eyes were fixed upon his wristwatch.

Ogtate sat up to dress. Neither man spoke.

By the time Bill was clothed, Barbara came in.

Yewliss did not explode. He spoke gently, "All right, Barbara. I was worried about what might happen, so I took an anti-asp myself and flew here. I am not too surprised by what I find. I understand you might feel sorry for Ogtate. I do myself, a little."

"Don't just stand there, Yewliss, breathing like a foundered bull," Barbara said. "Events have put a different perspective on this." Her voice regained its normal fluid assurance. "I take it, Yew, all is forgiven and forgotten?" She held out her hand to Yewliss.

Then she turned. "Bill, I may be a fool, but I don't regret what happened before. And since I've decided we'll be a long time together ..."

Bill wasn't looking at her. He was staring over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. She twisted her head. It was a few seconds before she realized the significance of the hands on the face.

Yewliss knew when he came, but he had said nothing. Now he rumbled, "Babs, your ten hours were up fifty minutes ago."

She turned away, shrugging. "Should I be frightened?" She went to the table on which rested her tube-rack and bag.

As if inspired by press of daring resolve, she stopped, tube in hand, and stared, red mouth gaping in hopeful wonder. "Could it be? Why not? They never tried that particular combination before. It won't be the first time an accident has shown what experiment never would." She whirled and leaped at Ogtate and seized his shirt.

"Bill, it's wonderful! And it was an accident! But I did it! I did it!"

The men were bewildered.

"Bill, don't you see? I poured that anti-pyretigen into you. It not only discharged its enemies, it did more. It must have released the asps, too! When the interlocking antis and gees burned, they reversed the positive charge of the asp cells. And the weakened asps drifted off and were excreted while you slept. They couldn't reattach themselves after they'd regained their normal charge, probably because the electrophoretic display accelerated the normal time for your soma's disposal of the asps. Eight years' work in ten hours! Oh, I don't know exactly. We can find out in the labs, later. Now, you're free, Bill. Free! Nobody will ever run away from you!"

Yewliss and Ogtate looked at her and then at each other. Their eyes said that she was very beautiful.

Yewliss roared with resigned laughter. They waited until he'd quit laughing. Then Barbara said, "All's not well yet. The war isn't won. We discovered the Belos; the Priami may do so independently."

Ogtate shot her a grateful look for keeping confidence of his concession to the Priami.

"You're right," the General said. "We're at a standstill. The only way we'll find out if they own it, too, will be to send a ship through. If they have it, the ship goes up in a blaze of energy."

"Then what?" asked Ogtate, staring at the woman as if he were seeing a new creature.

"Then static. The end of interplanetary travel. Babs, you'll get new orders that'll keep you on Earth. I promise that."

"I'd hoped so," she replied. "Bill, what about you? This development puts us on a new plane. Before, I knew where we stood. Now, I'm confused."

Ogtate frowned. Then tidily, as a good husband should, he replied: "I'll have to arrange for moving certain things from this island."