"Mayday, Mayday," said the tape. "Anyone who is within the sound of my voice, Mayday! We require a.s.sistance. Our ship is down and damaged.
Mayday!" The message began to repeat, and Hrriss shut it off.
"Every pilot of whatever species must respond to such a message.
As Zodd said, we could not ignore a Mayday. It would be uncivilized." Rogitel stood up. "Please tell the Council directly: where did you find the buoy?"
"We found it orbiting Hrrilnorr IV."
"The Buoy Authority lists no such installation in orbit around Hrrilnorr IV.
There are no extrafleous beacons...o...b..ting in that system. There are only two a.s.signed to it, each one All perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic above and below."
"There was a third one," Todd said in weary reb.u.t.tal. "The buoy was broadcasting the message for help that"s recorded on our log. It still sounds genuine. We couldn"t and didn"t ignore it." Dismissively Rogitel switched off the audio.
"Anyone could have recorded that message in your ship"s memory.
The voice is broadcasting in Middle Hrruban, the language of Doona.
The static could have been made by crumpling packing material near the microphone. You put it in yourself.
Without correlation, the message must be accounted as false."
"I respectfully suggest that an a.n.a.lysis of the voice patterns of Hrriss and Zodd be made," Hrrestan said. "a.n.a.lysis will prove if one of them recorded the Mayday message." Councillor Dupuis made a note, nodding acknowledgment of Hrrestan"s suggestion.
"We didn"t make that spurious recording," Todd said, turning his head to meet the eyes of the seven Council members, "and we most certainly did not collect or secrete those artifacts in the equipment cabinets." "Simple lies to a.s.suage your guilt, Rogitel retorted.
Todd"s eyes flashed hotly. "I do not lie." He half sprang from his seat, but Hrriss pulled him down.
"Councillors, may I speak?" Hu Shih rose somewhat stiffly to his feet. "We have before us two reliable young men, considered rather more than unusually truthful by their elders and their peers.
Let a full inquiry establish what is fact or fiction."
"So ordered," the Treaty Controller said, banging his gavel.
The s.p.a.cedep subdirector shrugged dismissively.
"That can take months. We have before us right now recorded proof that differs greatly from their verbal accounts. Surely this is sufficient to deprive them of positions of high responsibility and trust. The flight recorder has been placed in evidence. It shows landings preceding and following their landing on Hrrilnorr. Their posted flight plan showed that they skimmed the s.p.a.ce between the Human and Hrruban arms of the galaxy, so it is possible to have visited all these worlds in the time they were gone. In every case, they broke interdiction. In only one did they attempt to justify the falsehood with a tale of rescue. Look at the evidence"Rogitel swept an arm to indicate the table where most of the contraband lay-"taken only this morning from the ship they alone seem to use."
"The commander forgets one detail," Hrriss said.
"The flight plan we filed with portmaster Martinson is the shortest possible journey we could make between Hrretha and Rrala.
There was not time for us to have landed on all these worlds and collected these things in the weeks we were gone. Especially since our log-in and lof-off times were verifi~d." As if they had placed themselves in further jeopardy, Rogitel called up the bolo again and pointed out the timeldate designations. "The flight recorder says that the time was available to you.
We have run it through compcheck. Though the timing is tight, you would have had the time."
"Only if we knew exactly where all these artifacts were, Hrriss protested, "with no allowance for any time to search. How could we know where they were? It would have taken months to research archaeological and geological data from the Treaty Island banks. Or are you suggesting that some of the researchers on Treaty Island are guilty of collusion and deception, too?" Hrriss asked softly.
"The matter will be investigated," was all the commander would say. He addressed the Council.
"Clearly the defendants are guilty of deviating from their registered flight path. s.p.a.cedep, as the body in charge of security and defense for the Amalgamated Worlds, demands that this matter be examined as well."
"Tell me, Commander," Todd demanded, leanin across the table toward Rogitel, "just why would Hrriss and I wish to steal rarities like that? Mucli less something as dangerous as that Glow Stone Where could we possibly fence our loot withoul being detected?
Especially as we are not scheduled to take any off-planet trips in the next year?"
"We are innocent," Hrriss added, his tone more growl than speech.
Rogitel did not quite flinch, but his body inclined ever so slightly away from the Hrruban. "Machines cannot lie," Rogitel said flatly. "Only people can, and it would appear in this case, very poorly. And you"-he pointed his finger at Todd-"you admit entering the Hrrilnorr system. You have just said that you recognize the danger of a Glow Stone and that you know it is found only on Hrrilnorr IV There are many other unscrupulous persons in this galaxy who could use the Glow Stone"s peculiar properties to excellent advantage. And those" now his finger swung to point at Hrriss- "are particularly well known to Hrrubans.
"We adjourn for due consideration, said the senior Treaty Councillor, rising to his feet" to end this session. His colleagues were equally solemn.
"This is a matter of unprecedented gravity." Every face was solemn and, in some cases, sad.
This was the first time in twenty-five years that there had been any infraction of the provisions of the Treaty. The ramifications were profound, and could result in punishments ranging from exile for the two defendants, up through war and/or disbandment of the colony. The negotiations among them for renewal of the Treaty had been under way for several years. All knew that the twenty-fifth anniversary would be a crucial time-a time when the Treaty could be easily swept aside. A violation of this magnitude might obliterate two and a half decades of hope and dedication.
Two of the Council, Madam Dupuis and Mrrorra, were representatives of DoonaiRrala, and were both second-wave settlers from the First Villages.
They were upset and puzzled, because they knew Todd and Hrriss well. Neither could find credence in the facts that suggested these two, whose friendship had created the Decision at Doona, could willfully destroy the colony. Their interspecies friendship had been held up as a symbol for Human/Hrruban cooperation all over the galaxy.
"Therefore," the Treaty Controller said heavily, "until the inquiry has been conducted and a decision reached, the two defendants are under house arrest. They are to be kept separated at their places of residence, and interim communication denied.
This matter is adjourned pending investigation." The gavel banged once more. It might have been the report of a gun. Todd and Hrriss both reacted as if it had been, startled, shocked, deeply hurt by even the mere thought of such a separation.
But they were honorable young men, and although they held each other"s eyes for a long, long moment, they did not speak. Then, distressed and saddened, they turned away from each other.
No solitary confinement could have been harder to bear.
Especially when they needed each other"s support to prove their innocence.
Ken Reeve was out of his seat a split second after the Council had filed out of the chamber. He rushed around the table to his son.
Hrrestan was as quick to go to Hrriss.
"Rogitel seems to have pretty d.a.m.ning evidence against you, Todd," Ken said, wearily shaking his head. "But I know you"ve told the truth, so we"ll beat this.
"What motive would we have for stealing such dumb stuff?" Todd asked his father, his hands spread in a helpless gesture of disbelief.
He felt numbed by despair.
"Did either of you enter any or all of these interdicted systems?" Hrrestan asked.
"Why would we? We always come straight back to Doona, where we belong," Hrriss answered his father in the familial form of Hrruban.
"You know how we hate those d.a.m.ned missions, Dad," Todd added.
"And one thing more, that d.a.m.ned beacon with its phony message had a destructive band. We were tractoring it up to the Albie when we saw that. Contact stuff from the look of it. Blow us and it up.
"Why didn"t you mention that earlier?" Ken demanded.
"h.e.l.l, Dad, I only just remembered it," Todd said, scrubbing at his tired face with hands that 11 nearly trembled.
Ken looked at Hrrestan. "A detail that might be useful. A convenient shot would explode the beacon.
"So it could," Hrrestan said, his tone thoughtful.
"We will begin our own covert investigati6ns. Little could we have imagined that a minor infraction of the Treaty would be subsumed by a larger and horrendous charge of piracy and smuggling. I will initiate inquiries for your defense on Hrruba."
"I"ve still some contacts on Earth through Sumitral," Ken said, noticeably brightening as actions became obvious. "His daughter is here on Treaty Island doing some research. I"ll talk to her after I see you on your way home. I don"t have all that many friends or allies on Earth, but I know we can count on that family."
"Let"s just hope none of our former Corridor or Aisle neighbors get wind of this," Todd said, trying for some levity. It wrung a sad grin from Ken.
"You were never born for Earth, Todd, but you"ve always been a natural here on Doona," Ken said, "but I promise you, I"ll holler down the doors if it"d help.
"Someone must know where that beacon came from and who put it there." When they left the chamber, Todd and Hrriss were hustled through the bare corridors to the transport grid, which was located in another part of the building. Both were sent separately back via grid to the main continent with an escort of armed guards. The last glimpse Todd had of his best friend was Hrriss, standing too quietly between a guard lieutenant and Hrrestan. His fur seemed to have lost all its l.u.s.ter and his tail dragged in the dusi behind him. Their eyes met, and Hrriss nodded once to him. Todd often felt that he could almosi read the Hrruban"s mind but there was no such feeling between them now.
The image seemed to disintegrate into mist, and then Todd was in the midst of the Hrruban village, facing the Friendship Bridge. Once he crossed it, he wouldn"t be allowed back over until his innocence was proved. The thought made his feet feel heavy.
The guard accompanied him to his family ranch house, where Pat Reeve was waiting. In the living room, Kelly stood up when they came in. Todd was a little surprised to see her, until he realized that it had been many hours since he"d been taken away.
She had probably come over this morning to continue the talk the three of them had been having the night before, and found he was gone.
The marine sergeant gave both women a sharp salute and then withdrew, taking his squad with him. Pat hovered for a minute, looking from Kelly to Todd, then went out toward the kitchen.
"You must be hungry. I know we are. I"ll fix us all a snack.
"An armed escort? What happened?" Kelly asked, worried by the beaten expression on Todd"s face.
"It"s worse than I could have dreamed," Todd said. "This isn"t a simple case of an interdiction infraction. Oh, no, nothing simple or easily explained like answering a Mayday call. Hrriss and I seem to have been to many planets in many interdicted systems, doing a fine job of smuggling rarities and cla.s.sified items, all of which we have been secretly stashing around the Albie." He grinned sourly at the gasps that elicited. "We"re bigtime looters and purveyors of illegal artifacts, and up on charges of smuggling and contraband, using our prestigious position on DoonaiRrala to perpetrate crimes against Hrruba and Terra, and half the planets in between. That log entry we felt would clear us has had some very interesting additions." He rubbed his eyes with one hand. "I don"t know how they got there. One thing is certain: neither Hrriss nor I put them there. Then Rogitel kept insisting that we falsified the Mayday signal to get into the Hrrilnorr system, to steal a Byzanian Glow Stone."
"A Glow Stone? A real one?" Kelly asked, her voice breaking with incredulity. "They"ve got one of those in the remote-handling research lab on Hrruba. They"re considered ultra-dangerous. And," she added with a facial grimace, "they are only found on Hrrilnorr IV."
"Well, one was found in the communications cabinet," Todd said. "And whatever else it does, it deleted the short-term memory of the marine standing nearby. So Hrriss and I are not only smugglers and looters, we"re stupidly dangerous pirates." His mother opened her mouth to protest and closed it" her eyes sparking with suppressed anger and resentment. "At that we got off lightly.
The Councillors placed Hiriss and me under hous arrest while they"re investigating. We"re not su posed to communicate at all." At that point, Todd" broad shoulders sagged, and he looked as dejecte as a small boy, all the droll defensiveness an outrage gone. "We haven"t been separated since started wearing rope tails. Pat Reeve could restrain herself no longer. "Thi whole thing is ridiculous. Why, neither you no Hrriss have stolen so much as a. . . brrna." Sh( spat that out after a good long hesitation as sh( tried to remember any other incident of pett crime. "How can they possibly accuse you anc Hiriss of piracy or smuggling? Anyone else coulc have done it. Anyone on the launch pad could havt access to your ship. Todd had sunk to a chair, elbows on his knees head in his hands, diminished more by the separation than the absurd charges. Sighing, he proppec his chin on his hands and told his mother and Kell about the additional landings and launches noted ir the log, and the even stranger omissions concernin the orbiting alarm beacon. Kelly stood by him, nol quite touching him, alert to any cues. When she moved toward him he caught her hand, squeezed ii once, and then dropped it as if he shouldn"t hold it-or her.
She was perplexed by that gesture, sensing it to be a "keep off" signal. She backed off. This was so unlike the resilient Todd she"d always known, but if he felt himself ostracized, perhaps he didn"t wish her contaminated by his disgrace. That, too, was unlike the Todd she"d always known. But then, Todd had never been under such vile suspicions before and shouldn"t be now, Kelly thought in seething outrage.
"This whole affair is ridiculous," she said, drop.
ping her hands helplessly. "It"s absurd to think of you two as smugglers! The Council must all be strangers, to let Rogitel get away with an accusation like that."
"The Treaty Controller this term is one of Third Speaker"s nominees," Todd said in a dull voice. "I recognized him as soon as I came into the chamber.
You both know him; he"d let us get into a war if it would remove the Human threat to Hrruba." Irritably Kelly shook her head. "Surely we have some friends on the Council. I hoped Madam Dupuis would be on your side. She used to live around here.
"She"s got to go by the evidence, the same as the other Councillors," Todd pointed out. "Any way you present it, it"s d.a.m.ning.
She had no option.
That log tape was tampered with! Very cleverly, by someone who knew exactly how to match bolo images perfectly." He sounded more like himself and then suddenly slumped again, scrubbing at his rumpled hair.
"I don"t know how we can prove that.
Why didn"t I open the recording unit when the log tape jammed!
I"d"ve found that wretched Glow Stone then and we"d"ve known we were being set up. That was a costly kick." A flash of Todd"s usual spirit accompanied that remark. "And whaddya bet," he went on in a bitter tone, "the Hrrilnorr warning beacon will show we spent far more time in that system than we say we did."
"What about the beacons at the other planets you"re supposed to have visited?" Pat asked, grasping at the possibility. "Surely, if you"re supposed to have been at so many other worlds, all of those beacons can"t have been got at?" Todd regarded his mother almost pityingly and shook his head. "This was all too well planned, Mother, for them to neglect that sort of verification.
Remember, it"s s.p.a.cedep involved and they have the resources to do just this sort of doc.u.mentation."
"Look, Todd," Kelly began in a firm tone, being as positive as she knew how, "you two have an enviable reputation on Earth. Much better than Rogitel"s. There"s going to be a lot of talk when he comes up with this sort of a crazy charge. And I don"t care how much evidence there is against you.
He doesn"t have as good a reputation as you and Hrriss, and Doona, have. I"ll see what I can find out. I"ll talk to everyone I know about this ridiculous accusation. Furthermore," and her smile was malicious, "Hrringa can start the action. He"ll do it for me.
And"-her voice rose in triumph now-"I"ll enlist Jilamey Landreau!" Todd gave her a frankly contemptuous look.
"Don"t be so skeptical, pal," she said. "He"s been following me around all afternoon n hopes of finding you. He only gave up an hour ago. He"s got a superlative hangover, but he"s still raving about you saving his life. I"ll send the rumor about your entrapment home with him. Yes, entrapment!" For Todd had looked up with some glimmer of hope in his dull eyes. "What else would you call it? You and Hrriss were framed. To ruin the Treaty negotiations. We"ll beat this, er, rap," Kelly exclaimed, her eyes flashing.
"This what?" asked Pat.
Kelly grinned. "Well, I"m studying ancient colloquialisms." She leaned over, grabbing Todd by the shoulders, and kissed his cheek.
"It"s okay for one of your other good friends to visit you again, isn"t it?" Immediately, she regretted her choice of phrases because a shadow crossed Todd"s face: the friend he most wanted to see was forbidden him.
"It"s okay for you to visit, Kelly, anytime you want," Todd answered, putting as much welcome into his voice as he could. He touched his cheek where she had kissed it. "Soon, please?"
"I"d better go now. I"ll be back again tomorrow, and we"ll have a council meeting of our own." She stared to go, but turned back a few steps from the door. "Think you should know, Todd, how many people have said how much they enjoyed Snake Hunt and the feast last night. I"m not the first to tell you that you did a good job." She gave him a wry smile and wrinkled her nose. "I won"t be the last and you"ll feel better when you know how many people are solidly on your side. Anyway, the Hunt was the greatest. Todd managed to smile back. "Thanks, Kelly.
That Hunt seems to have happened years ago, not just hours," he said, then rallied, sitting up and straightening his shoulders. "But it was a good one Thanks again for all your help.
"I intend to repay that in kind," she said, grinnin wickedly.
"You wait and see!" She waggled he finger at him, and that brought a slight grin 0 remembrance for all the times he had used that gesture and spoken that phrase to her. "I gotta g( now, Todd, Pat. We"re expecting dozens of Horn Week visitors and Mother"ll shoot me if I don"t pu in an appearance soon. Todd closed his eyes against the thought of th( dozens of Home Week visitors his family generali entertained after the Hunt. Everything good aboui his life seemed to have been ripped away in a single morning: his best friend, his reputation, and hi% honor. He heard the front door close softly and Kelly clattering down the steps. Then he felt hi mother"s gentle hand on his shoulder and he patted it.
"She"s a staunch friend," his mother said, then she added in a teasing tone, "and still as much the tomboy as ever."
"Not quite," Todd said, forcing himself out of despair. He looked up at his mother with a lopsided grin. "Not at the Hunt party she wasn"t."
"Oh?" Pat rolled her eyes facetiously. "You noticed?"
"Of course I noticed," Todd said, hearing an edge of irritation in his tone.
Pat put up her hands to ward off an imaginary attack. "I"m not, I swear I"m not," she said. "But she is a staunch friend and she"ll do all she can to help.
She"s smart. Anne says Kelly graduated second in her cla.s.s, even with all the discrimination against "colonial types."