Century Rain Part 96

fixed it'll be too late. But we still have the shuttle from the Twentieth. I had it fuelled and repaired as a matter of insurance. It's a trivial matter to attach two missiles to it-they can grip the hull themselves, like parasites."

"Can the shuttle make it in time?" Floyd asked.

"Just, although the margin for error is on the tight side. Someone will have to fly it."

"Don't you have a snake robot that can do it?" Auger asked.

"Not one that I can spare from the repair work."

Auger made to stand. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Tunguska motioned for her to stay where she was. "When I said someone has to fly it, I meant myself."

"There's no reason why I can't fly it instead," Auger said. "Whatever knowledge you have, Ca.s.sandra

can give to me."

"That's not a good idea," Tunguska said.

"Why not? The machines will show me what I have to do."

"That's not the point. I have no doubt that they could give you the necessary competence, but it's much

better if I take the shuttle, with Floyd as a pa.s.senger."

"I don't follow," Auger said.

He sighed, as if he'd been hoping that he would not have to explain. "The problem is that whoever rides

that shuttle may never make it home." He made a steeple of his fingers, slowing his voice so that every word had the measured emphasis of some terrible p.r.o.nouncement. "Intercepting Niagara is still feasible, even now. But by the time the shuttle releases its missiles, it will barely have time to return to this point, let alone leave the ALS completely. The wound is closing. It will be a very, very close-run thing, even if the wound does not quicken its rate of closure. Which I cannot guarantee." He took a deep breath and looked at Auger. "Which is why you cannot be on that shuttle. You will remain here, ready to depart the ALS as soon as the bleed-drive can be restarted."

"And you?"

"I will ensure that the missiles find their mark. When that is done, I will return Floyd to the surface of E2.".

"And then?" she said.

"I will evaluate the situation. If circ.u.mstances permit, I will attempt to return to this s.h.i.+p. If they don't...

well, I can't leave the shuttle lying around in the ALS, where Floyd's people might find it. I'll arrange for its disposal. It shouldn't be difficult."

Auger wanted to make sure that she understood exactly what he meant. "Kill yourself, in other words."

"If you must put it so bluntly."

She shook her head. "That's not how it's going to happen. You already said I could fly the s.h.i.+p as well as you."

"What I said-" Tunguska began.

"I'm taking Floyd home," she said. "I dragged him into this, so I can d.a.m.ned well drag him out of it."

Floyd reached out and took her arm. "No. Listen to Tunguska. He's talking a lot of sense."

"You'd condemn him, to save me?"

"No one's talking about condemning anyone. He doesn't have to commit suicide. He can always keep

looking for another way out."

"Then I can do the same," Auger said. She snapped around to the Slasher. "Get us on that s.h.i.+p."

"'Us?'"

"Floyd and me."

"And Ca.s.sie?" he asked slowly.

"We've discussed the matter," Auger said. "Ca.s.sandra wants to come along for the ride."

Tunguska's face formed an expression of defeat, and he shook his head. "You shouldn't make me do

this."

"But I am."

"I still need another twenty minutes to finish the missiles and interface them with the shuttle's avionics.

I've figured that time into my calculations, so use it wisely. There's still a chance to change your mind."

"I don't need more time-my mind's made up," Auger said.

Tunguska gave a weary smile, accepting that there was nothing to be gained from further debate. "I

always knew you'd want it this way," he said. "I just had to be certain."

"May I ask one small favour, before we say goodbye?" Floyd asked.

"If I can help, I will."

"I need something from you. Two things, really."

Tunguska spread his hands wide in a gesture of reasonableness. "What can I do?"

"You can make almost anything on this s.h.i.+p, can't you?"

"Within limits."

"I'm not asking for the world. I just need you to conjure up some strawberries for me."

One corner of Tunguska's mouth pulled up in a half-smile, as if he'd either misheard or was the victim

of a joke he didn't get. "Strawberries?"

"Can you do that?"

"Yes." Tunguska mulled the point. "Or at least something that looks and tastes like strawberries, even if

it wouldn't be exactly the real article."

"I'm not fussy. Can you do that in twenty minutes?"

"I can do that in five, if you want to eat them immediately."

"They're not for me," Floyd said. "I don't even like strawberries. They're for a friend. So I'll need them

in a bag."

"In a bag."

"That's right."

Tunguska nodded, his expression grave. "And the other thing?"

"I need some of that magic medicine of yours."

"UR?".

"Someone I know is dying. It's the same lady who wants the strawberries."

FORTY-ONE.

Tunguska led them through winding white corridors where weightless conditions applied, until they reached a clean, vacuum-filled kernel somewhere near the stern of his s.h.i.+p. It was here that he had entombed the shuttle from the Twentieth Century Limited since he had rescued them from falling back on to the frozen Earth. The shuttle looked newer than when Auger had last seen it from the outside, its surfaces buffed and bright, dents and b.u.mps repaired, scratches healed, scorch marks gone. Had it not been for the flying-horse logo of its owning company, she doubted that she would have recognised it as the same vessel.

"I'm amazed that you didn't throw it out as a piece of junk," Auger said.

"I'd have been more likely to recycle it for raw matter," Tunguska said. "But, like I said, it's insurance."

"Never hurts," Floyd said.

The two missiles were in place now: sleek, smooth, sharklike forms hugging the hull and attached to it

with extruded pads.

"They'll do the job? You're sure of that?" Auger asked.

"I'm a little wary of dogmatic a.s.sertions after the last little debacle. But yes, I have a measure of

confidence in them."

"And the shuttle?"

"She'll hold."

"Then let's go."

Tunguska escorted them aboard. The s.h.i.+p was already humming, powered up for immediate flight. It