Colonization_ Aftershocks Part 59

He was right about that, too. Monique hadn't said a word about Penny Summers, although she'd also been arrested. Truth was, Monique had little use for Penny, and suspected the feeling was mutual. Trying not to sound defensive, she said, "He did more for me than she did."

"And what would you like him to do for you?" Pierre asked insolently. Monique looked around for something to throw at him. Before her eye-and her hand-settled on anything, her brother went on, "Remember, I'm not the one who's got clout with the Lizards any more. You You are. Like I've said before, you're the teacher's pet. And that Ttomalss is sure as h.e.l.l a Lizard with pull. He'd have a lot better chance of getting the Race to spring Auerbach than I would." are. Like I've said before, you're the teacher's pet. And that Ttomalss is sure as h.e.l.l a Lizard with pull. He'd have a lot better chance of getting the Race to spring Auerbach than I would."

"Do you really think I could?" Monique heard the astonishment in her own voice. She needed a moment to figure out why she was so astonished. But then she did: she'd never had much power to do things or change things. She'd been done to and changed instead. The idea that she could be an active verb rather than a pa.s.sive one startled her.

Pierre shrugged. "Suppose he says no. That's the worst that can happen, and how are you worse off if it does? At the very least, you'll know you tried."

"You're right." Monique knew she sounded surprised again.

"When's Ttomalss going to call again?" her brother asked.

"Tomorrow, isn't it?" Monique answered.

"Yeah, I think that's right." Pierre paused and lit a cigarette. "All right, tomorrow you tell him no Auerbach means no ancient Romans. Sound like you mean it and you've got a chance."

"Peut-etre." Monique started to laugh. "You're going to be the one who sounds like I mean it. I don't know the language."

"We'll see how it goes," Pierre said. "If he tells you no flat out, then he does, that's all." He blew a smoke ring. Whether the American got out of prison didn't matter a centime's worth to him one way or the other.

Ttomalss did telephone the next day. "I greet you," he said through Pierre. "We were discussing, as I recall, the ways in which the Romans used gradations in status between full subject and full citizen to integrate foreign groups into their empire. Do I understand correctly that a group's degree of citizens.h.i.+p would depend on the degree to which it had a.s.similated itself to Roman customs and practices? That strikes me as a very rational approach to administration."

He did indeed understand correctly. He wasn't stupid, or anything close to it; he reminded Monique of that with every conversation they held. But he was alien, very alien. He reminded her of that with every conversation they held, too.

"Well," Pierre said, not translating any more. "Do you try, or don't you?"

"I do," Monique replied. "Tell him there is a personal matter we need to discuss before we go on with the Roman history."

"It shall be done," her brother said, one of the sc.r.a.ps of the Lizards' language she understood. He went on with a long sentence of hisses and pops and coughs that were Greek to her-or would have been, save that she knew Greek.

After Pierre finished, Ttomalss let out an amazingly humanlike sigh. "I might have known this would happen," he said. "In fact, this has already happened, when you arranged to have your brother released from prison to translate for you. What do you want from me this time?"

"I want you to release an American named Rance Auerbach, who, I believe, has been unjustly imprisoned as a ginger dealer," Monique answered. She said not a word about Penny Summers. If Pierre wanted to tease her more about that, he could. Her conscience didn't trouble her too much. Auerbach was the one who'd helped her. Penny wasn't, and hadn't.

"It always comes down to ginger dealers," Ttomalss observed. "This herb causes us more trouble than any drug does for people." (As an aside, Pierre added, "He really said, 'Big Uglies.' ") The Lizard went on, "Let me consult our records about this Auerbach. Then I will tell you what I think."

Silence fell on the other end of the line. Into it, Pierre asked, "What was the name of the Lizard who got you this place in Tours?"

"Felless," Monique said. "Senior Researcher Felless. Auerbach knew she tasted ginger, and he blackmailed her into helping me."

"Senior Researcher? Same t.i.tle as Ttomalss," her brother observed. "I wonder if they know each other. I wonder if he likes her, which is even more to the point. Felless..." He scratched his cheek. "I think she was one of Business Administrator Keffesh's pals. Keffesh is in jail, too, you know."

"They do know each other. Felless recommended me to Ttomalss. Do you think we can use all that to push him?" Monique asked.

Her brother shrugged a very Gallic shrug. "Don't know yet. Like I said, a lot of it's going to depend on what he thinks of her."

Drumming her fingers on the desktop in front of the telephone, Monique waited to see what Ttomalss would say. After a couple of minutes, the Lizard began to speak again: "I am sorry, but that does not appear possible. His crimes include some in the subregion known as South Africa in which members of the Race fired on one another in pursuit of ginger."

That didn't sound good. But Monique had expected him to refuse at first. After all, doing nothing was easier and more convenient than doing something he didn't much care to do. She said, "If males of the Race were shooting at one another, there's no evidence Auerbach was shooting at anybody, is there?" She hoped there wasn't.

To her relief, Ttomalss said, "No. But he has admitted being there, admitted being part of the plot. He has implicated males of the Race."

"If he's given evidence that helped the Race, doesn't he deserve leniency?" Monique asked.

"He has leniency, as far as imprisonment goes." Ttomalss paused, then fired back a question of his own: "Why are you so interested in this Tosevite male, Monique Dutourd? Do you want to mate with him?"

Pierre translated that rather more bluntly. Monique gave him a dirty look. He laughed at her. But Ttomalss definitely was not a fool, for the thought had been in the back of her mind. While she wondered what to say, Pierre offered his advice: "If you mean yes, say yes. If you mean no, say yes anyway. They think we're all s.e.x-crazy all the time, anyway. It'll help push him."

"All right. Thanks. Translate this..." Monique thought, then said, "Yes. We've never had the chance yet, and I can hardly wait. We've just been friends up till now."

After putting that into the Lizards' language, her brother nodded vigorously. "Good. Real good. Friends.h.i.+p counts for a lot with them."

"I've seen that from the questions he asks about the Romans," Monique said.

Ttomalss sighed again. "In spite of your desire, however urgent it may be, I doubt I have the influence to do as you wish... Why are you two Tosevites laughing?"

Monique and Pierre looked at each other and started laughing again. "How do we explain he sounds like the worst bad film ever made?" Monique asked.

"We don't," Pierre said, which was also probably good advice.

"Back to the main argument, then," Monique said. "Tell him Auerbach did me a large favor, and I want to pay him back."

"What sort of favor was this?" Ttomalss asked. "I suspect it was no favor at all. I suspect you are inventing it to fool me."

"I am not," Monique said indignantly, though Pierre probably wouldn't be able to translate the indignation. "If it weren't for Rance Auerbach, I wouldn't have my position here at the University of Tours."

"Now I know you are lying," Ttomalss said. "I happen to know for a fact that Senior Researcher Felless of the Race obtained that position for you. She was the one who suggested I talk to you about the history of the Romans."

Monique nodded to herself. Now the question was, were Felless and Ttomalss friends or just professional colleagues? She said, "Senior Researcher Felless got me the position because Auerbach urged her to."

"Urged her to, you say?" Ttomalss echoed. "Do you mean he threatened to publicize her ginger habit again?" (" 'Again'?" Pierre said. "So she's got caught before, has she? Isn't that interesting?") "Auerbach hasn't said anything about it to the Race's authorities since, not that I know of," Monique told Ttomalss. "Not yet, anyhow."

"Not yet?" Once more, Ttomalss repeated her words. Once more, he sighed. "You will next tell me that, if he stays imprisoned, he will accuse Felless of using ginger. The question you should ask yourself is, do I care?"

"No, superior sir," Monique said. "That's the question you should ask yourself, don't you think?"

Sure enough, there was the rub of it. If Ttomalss didn't care at all what happened to Felless, he'd be less likely to help get Rance Auerbach out of prison. Instead of directly replying right away, he said, "You want to help the Tosevite gain his freedom because he did you this favor. Do you remember that Senior Researcher Felless also did you the favor of obtaining this position for you? Is it just that you should threaten her after she gave you that a.s.sistance?"

"She wouldn't have, if it hadn't been for Auerbach," Monique said.

"Do remember something else as well," Ttomalss added. "If you got your position thanks to the Race, you can also lose it thanks to the Race."

"I know. Believe me, I know," she said. "But I was working as a shopgirl before Rance Auerbach did me that favor. I can find work as a shopgirl again."

"I daresay I could find another Roman historian, too," Ttomalss warned.

"What do you think?" Monique asked Pierre.

"If he meant to tell you no, he'd have done it already," her brother replied.

"I think you're right. I hope you're right," Monique said. "Tell him this: I'm sure he's right. If he wants to do that, he can. But if he wants to keep working with this this Roman historian, he needs to give me some help here. He's not paying me much money to work with him, and remind him of that, too." Roman historian, he needs to give me some help here. He's not paying me much money to work with him, and remind him of that, too."

After Pierre translated, Ttomalss let out another sigh. "I can make no promises, but I will see what influence I can bring to bear," he said at last. ("You won't get any more than that out of him," Pierre said.) "Can we now continue with our discussion of grades of Roman citizens.h.i.+p?"

"Yes, superior sir," Monique answered, as meekly as if she were only a scholar of cla.s.sical civilization, and not a blackmailer at all.

Glen Johnson had company as he rode his scooter through the scattered drifting rubble of the asteroid belt, though he was alone in the cabin. He couldn't see his company with the naked eye, either. But his radar a.s.sured him he wasn't alone in this stretch of s.p.a.ce. One of the Lizards' probes followed him on his rounds.

This wasn't the first time a probe had shadowed him as he went hither and yon, either. He wondered if the machine had received instructions from back on Earth to keep an electronic eye on him, or if the computer controlling it had decided to follow him on its own. Mankind remained behind the Race when it came to computer-guided machinery. Just how far ahead the Lizards were wasn't quite clear.

"Okay, pal," Johnson said to the probe, not that it could hear him. "You want the grand tour, I'll give you the grand tour."

He remained convinced that, no matter how smart the probe was, he was smarter. It was faster and stronger and more accurate. But he was more deceitful. If the probe wanted to learn more about what all the Americans were up to out here in the vicinity of Ceres, he would cheerfully lead it down the primrose path.

His radar guided him toward one of the rocks on which a work crew had mounted a motor: a weapon, in other words, aimed at the Lizards back on Earth. He used his little maneuvering jets to go all around the asteroid, examining it in microscopic detail. The Lizards' probe also went around the rock, though it stayed several miles farther out than he did.

After finis.h.i.+ng his inspection, he radioed the Lewis and Clark: Lewis and Clark: "Asteroid code Charlie-Blue-317. All installations appear to be operating according to design." "Asteroid code Charlie-Blue-317. All installations appear to be operating according to design."

That done, he took the scooter away from the asteroid and on toward another one of similar size about twenty miles ahead. He gave the second floating chunk of rock the same meticulous inspection he'd given the first one. As before, the Race's probe followed him. As before, it also went all around the asteroid. There was only one difference: this asteroid didn't boast a motor.

Even so, Johnson sent a radio message to the Lewis and Clark: Lewis and Clark: "Asteroid code Charlie-Green-426. All installations appear to be operating according to design." "Asteroid code Charlie-Green-426. All installations appear to be operating according to design."

Having said that, he went on to the next rock on his list. This time, the Lizards' probe didn't follow him quite so quickly. Instead, it kept prowling round and round the asteroid he'd code-named Charlie-Green-426. He knew exactly what it was doing. It was trying to figure out why he'd gone there and what installations he was talking about. He wondered how long the Lizards would take to figure out that he was yanking their tailstumps. The longer, the better.

By the time he was done inspecting the next asteroid-which also remained untouched by human hands-the probe had caught up with him. He sent off the usual kind of message: "Asteroid code Charlie-Green-557. All installations appear to be operating according to design."

Then he had a new thought. Instead of heading off toward another drifting hunk of rock, he pointed the scooter at the Lizards' probe and used the radar to steer toward it: it was so efficiently blackened, he couldn't see it till he got very close. The scooter mounted machine guns. He didn't know what sort of weaponry the probe mounted, and didn't want to find out here.

Instead, he flew around the probe at about the same range as he'd flown around the past several asteroids. The probe maneuvered, too, making it more like a dance than anything else. When Johnson had finally finished, he fired up the radio again and said, "Asteroid code Edgar-Black-069. All installations appear to be operating according to design."

What will the Lizards make of that? he wondered. If he were a Lizard monitoring the Big Uglies out in s.p.a.ce, he wouldn't care for the implication that his probe was one of their installations. He hoped his hypothetical Lizard wouldn't like it, either. he wondered. If he were a Lizard monitoring the Big Uglies out in s.p.a.ce, he wouldn't care for the implication that his probe was one of their installations. He hoped his hypothetical Lizard wouldn't like it, either.

After that bit of confusion, he went on to visit several more asteroids, some with motors mounted on them, others without, on a long, looping trajectory that took him back to the American s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p from which he'd departed. He guided the scooter into the airlock, which closed behind him. When the inner door opened and he emerged from the scooter, the airlock operator said, "The commandant wants to see you right away."

Fighting back a strong impulse to groan, Johnson said, "Oh, G.o.d, what now?"

"Beats me," the operator said. "But that's what he told me, and when he says something, he usually means it."

"Isn't that the sad and sorry truth?" Johnson answered. "Okay, Rudy, thanks." He swung off to beard Brigadier General Healey in his den.

When he got to the commandant's office, deep in the heart of the Lewis and Clark, Lewis and Clark, Healey fixed him with a fishy stare and said, "Asteroid code Edgar-Black-069? We have no asteroid with that code designation." Healey fixed him with a fishy stare and said, "Asteroid code Edgar-Black-069? We have no asteroid with that code designation."

"Oh." Johnson fought against another groan. The commandant was at least as literal-minded as any Lizard ever hatched. He explained his pas de deux pas de deux with the Race's probe. "I made up the code name. Let the Race go nuts trying to figure out my signals. The probe is black. That's what made me think of it." with the Race's probe. "I made up the code name. Let the Race go nuts trying to figure out my signals. The probe is black. That's what made me think of it."

Healey drummed his fingers on the desktop. "I see. Very well. Dismissed."

"Sir?" Johnson said in surprise.

"Dismissed, I said." Healey's expression turned suspicious, which wasn't a very sharp turn. "Why? Did you think I would keep grilling you once I found out what I needed to know?"

Johnson shrugged. "Never can tell, sir. It's happened before, Lord knows." He didn't have to worry about keeping the commandant sweet. Brigadier General Healey was going to despise him till one of them died.

He hoped Healey would erupt now. For a couple of seconds, he thought the commandant would. But no such luck. After a long exhalation, Healey growled, "I haven't got time to play games with you today, Lieutenant Colonel. Get the h.e.l.l out of my office."

"Yes, sir," Johnson said, and glided away. He wondered if the commandant would throw something at him to speed him on his way, but Healey didn't.

Out in the corridor, Johnson looked at his watch. He'd made better time out among the asteroids than he'd expected; he wasn't due back in the control room for another hour and a half. That left him to ponder whether he felt more like sleep or company. He yawned experimentally, then shook his head. He could do without sleep a while longer. Which left..." The refectory," he murmured, as if giving orders to his chauffeur.

But he was his own chauffeur. He brachiated down the corridor till he came to the entrance to the large chamber. It was the middle of the afternoon, s.h.i.+p's time: not a meal period. The place was crowded anyway; because it was the biggest chamber in the Lewis and Clark, Lewis and Clark, and because people did a.s.semble there for meals, they'd got into the habit of gathering there to chat and socialize whether it was mealtime or not. and because people did a.s.semble there for meals, they'd got into the habit of gathering there to chat and socialize whether it was mealtime or not.

Lucy Vegetti spotted him floating in the entranceway and waved. He waved back and swung his way toward her. As he drew near, he spotted Mickey Flynn hanging on to a nearby handhold. "You two plotting together?" he asked.

"Of course," Flynn said solemnly. "What else would we be doing? This is, after all, a s.h.i.+p full of conspiracies about to hatch."

"And if you don't believe him," Lucy added, "just ask the Lizards."

"Oh, I believe him," Johnson said. "After all, could a man with a face like that possibly tell a lie?"

"Why, the mere idea is ridiculous," Flynn said.

"Besides," Johnson went on, "I just spent a few hours in the scooter adding to the Lizards' paranoid fantasies." And to Brigadier General Healey's, And to Brigadier General Healey's, he thought, but he didn't say that out loud. he thought, but he didn't say that out loud.

Lucy Vegetti wagged a finger at him in mock indignation. "You've been visiting rocks with no motors on them again." She paused. "Did you notice anything interesting on any of them?"

"Spoken like a geologist," Glen said, at which she stuck out her tongue at him. He continued, "I didn't see anything that struck me as strange, no. Sorry. But I did do a little buck-and-wing with the Lizard probe that was trundling along after me." He described how he'd treated it as if it were an American installation, not a s.p.a.cecraft belonging to the Race.

"I like that." Lucy nodded, then turned to Flynn. "What do you think, Mickey?"

"How could I presume to disagree?" the backup pilot asked. "If I did, you would presume me presumptuous."

"Anybody who knows you is more likely to presume you preposterous," Johnson said.

"I am affronted," Flynn declared, letting go of the handhold so he could fold his arms across his chest and show how affronted he was. As far as Johnson was concerned, that only made him look more preposterous. And, since air currents started to move him away from the handhold, he had to reach out and grab it again.

"To the Lizards, we're all preposterous," Lucy said.

"That's part of the game," Johnson said. "The less seriously they take us-us as people generally and as people generally and us us as the people out here-the better off we are." as the people out here-the better off we are."

"If they didn't take us seriously, would that probe have followed you everywhere you went, like Mary's little lamb?" Mickey Flynn enjoyed playing devil's advocate.

"Maybe not," Johnson admitted. "But if I run around doing crazy things, after a while the Lizards will just be sure I'm nuts, and then they won't take me seriously any more. That'll be good, like I said."

"It would have been better if they thought we were just out here mining," Lucy said. "Now that they know we're turning little asteroids into weapons, they're going to keep a closer eye on us."

"They'll keep a closer eye on us while we're doing that," while we're doing that," Flynn said. Flynn said.