"When he remembers to come home to eat," lIsa tossed at him as she went away to see to the needs of her children. Todd stared after her "Marriage has done her good," he muttered to Hrriss, and dug into the stew. "I never thought I"d eat any of this again." Then he had to swallow without truly savoring the fine flavor, for Sampson DeVeer approached their table.
"You cut that mighty fine," DeVeer said, and then drew up the young man in the plain uniform hovering beside him. "You might like to meet my companion, Reeve. Dalkey Petersham."
"Really?" And Todd realized in one second that the man he had feared as a rival to Kelly"s affection was no real compet.i.tion. So he pumped the young man"s hand energetically. "We owe you a lot, Dalkey, for putting out your neck for people you didn"t know. Come, sit down."
"Well, I did know Kelly and I sure discovered a lot of real creative accounting. Which .
"Which what?" Todd prompted, gesturing for Dalkey to fill a plate from the food on the freshly filled tray.
"Which actually lost me my job."
"You haven"t really lost a job, Dalkey," Todd said, "you"ve just been transferred. An accountant who could uncover that s.p.a.cedep slush fund is just the sort of fellow we need to set up a system here on Doona that can"t be diddled." After Dalkey had expressed his deep appreciation of the offer and accepted with considerable alacrity, Todd turned to DeVeer.
"Which reminds me. Just before Dad and I got kidnapped, Hrriss and I got Linc Newry to admit he"d been falsifying export doc.u.ments and disarming Doona"s security satellites to let rustlers in and out.
What"s happened to him?"
"He gave himself up," DeVeer said with a note of satisfaction in his voice, "after I had a most interesting chat with a Dr. Walter Tylanio. Once he was in custody, Newry gave me more information which led me to the real rustler.
"You got Mark Aden?" Todd"s eyes flashed, remembering the score he had to settle with that b.a.s.t.a.r.d for his vindictive use of ssersa.
"He is under arrest on Zapata Three, awaiting transport back to Earth for trial. It would seem that he kept a computer file of the layout of each ranch on Doona and the best secluded spots to secrete the livestock pens. He"s the one who planted the artifacts on your ship while you were occupied by your mission on Hrretha. He did so with s.p.a.cedep credentials to pa.s.s by Hrrethan security guards.
Newry was the one who switched log tapes."
"I always thought Rogitel had done it when his men were busy hauling artifacts out of the Albie"s panels," Todd said.
"No, I have Newry"s confession." DeVeer nodded at the grim looks that Todd and Hiriss exchanged.
"It couldn"t have been Rogitel. He did the shopping for the artifacts with the illicit traders on Hrretha.
Remember, Newry had asked you to give him your flight plans nearly two weeks before your actual departure. So he sent them to Klonski, who"s rather proud of the way he handled that a.s.signment. Took him thirty-six hours of intensive work. He shipped it back to Newry in an authorized s.p.a.cedep courier run and put it in the Albatross before you launched.
Klonski had left gaps for your legitimate stops, triggered by signals from the beacons...o...b..ting Doona and Hrretha. Aden is the one who made the insertions into the interdicted systems in a ship with identification codes altered to match yours." Todd let out a long sigh.
"So we"re cleared of everything? Then why was the Treaty so nearly cancelled?"
"Third Speaker had also rigged that resolution so that your presence was absolutely essential to the Renewal of the Treaty."
"And Hiruna waited until he knew he had Third right where he needed him," Todd said thoughtfully. "It was close!" DeVeer nodded. "However, you both might like to accompany that is, if you can leave off eating that delicious food for a short time?" he asked them. "You rather deserve to be in on this.
I"ve one more criminal to bring to book." Todd and Hiriss hastily dashed their fingers into bowls set on all the tables to cleanse hands.
DeVeer led them to the head table where they waited respectfully until Sumitral and Naruti concluded their conversation with Second Speaker Hrrto.
When Ken and Hrrestan were beckoned by DeVeer to join them, the group advanced on Landreau and Rogitel who were seated as inconspicuously as possible for men in brilliant white uniforms. They were the only two ignoring both the food and the merrymaking going on around them.
"Well, what do you want?" Landreau asked sourly, glaring at the Reeves. "You have everything you claim you value. This abominable colony has a permanent charter, and your so-called honor is restored."
"Admiral Allen Landreau?" DeVeer said formally. "As an inspector of Poldep and in the presence of a representative of Amalgamated Worlds Congress and a senior officer of s.p.a.cedep, I arrest you on the following charges: conspiracy, fraud, misuse of public funds, attempted kidnap ping, suborning of witnesses, aiding and abetting grand larceny and felony theft, aiding and abetting violation of Treaty Law, and conduct unbecoming a senior officer of the s.p.a.ce Department."
"Have you quite finished with this fairy tale?" Landreau snapped. "I am about to return to Earth and pressing duties there-unlike other officials who seem to have infinite time to play."
"This is scarcely a laughing matter, Landreau," Sumitral said.
"Don"t attempt to instruct me," the head of s.p.a.cedep growled, his face turning red. "You"re my equal, not my superior. You don"t outrank me in any way. In fact, s.p.a.cedep is a larger department than AIreldep and takes precedence over yours. If "Ie didn"t exist, there would be no aliens for your department to relate to, not the Siwannese, not your tame p.u.s.s.ycat people!"
"Sir," DeVeer said, "I must suggest that you not make any more statements until you have engaged a counsel for your defense. We have impounded your records, and I am obliged to remind you that anything you say now can and may be used in evidence against you." "Read me-Admiral Landreau-my rights?" Landreau shouted.
Nearby Doonans turned to look. Once the identified Landreau, they continued to stare.
"How dare you even question a senior official 0 the government, when these d.a.m.ned Reeves an the real troublemakers?" He flung a contemptUoU hand in Todd"s direction before he planted a fingertip in the middle of the Poldep chiefs black tunic and pushed. "You, a Iumped-up little Aisle constable, have the unmitigated gall to interfere with s.p.a.cedep, to access s.p.a.cedep files, to snoo: into my department! i have a good mind-I have-!
Landreau suddenly clutched at his chest. His eye protruded in DeVeer"s direction and then rolled ur into his head as he slid to the floor.
"Get a doctor!" Todd shouted, dropping to hi" knees beside the man. Rogitel knelt down and ben his head to Landreau"s chest.
"His heart has stopped," Rogitel said, his voic( more expressionless than ever.
"He doesn"t get out of it this easily," Todd said and flattened a hand over Landreau"s sternum. Hi hit it a short rap with the other fist and then starte( cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Mike Solinari was beside them in a moment. "Dr Moody is coming." He looked at Landreau. "I don" think anything can be done, Todd. Look at all that blood in his face. I think he had an apoplexy."
"What?" Rogitel demanded. "Can"t you revivi him?"
"Not from that sort of a fit," the young veterina nan said, exhibiting only a clinical detachment. "Ht burst a blood vessel. Embolism. Instantly fatal People with high blood pressure are p.r.o.ne to it.
Probably had it coming for years."
"You can say that again," said a new voice, and All Kiachif pushed his way to the group looking down at the Admiral"s p.r.o.ne body. "No one had it coming to him longer, stronger, or wronger than he did, if you know what I mean." He pulled at Todd"s shoulder. "You might as well stop that, laddie. It won"t do him a bit of good. Don"t waste any more breath on him. I know a deader when I see one." Kate Moody arrived a moment later and confirmed young Solinari"s and Kiachifs diagnoses.
"There"s nothing I can do for him. Here, some of you help me get him out of here. We"ll take him to the Health Center. My skimmer"s outside."
"Commander Rogitel," DeVeer said, laying a hand on the a.s.sistant"s arm and bringing him to his feet. "If you are not going to indulge in a medical emergency of your own, I have a list of charges that have been laid against you. Will you come with me now?" Rogitel rose silently. DeVeer turned back to the Reeves. "Oh, and save me some punch, won"t you?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. "I"ll be back as soon as I shut this fellow up." He marched his prisoner away toward the grid, accompanied by Hirula to operate the controls.
"I don"t believe he"s dead," said Todd, watching the stretcher team leave the Hall with their burden.
Someone had spread a tablecloth over Landreau"s body before they carried it away.
"Believe it," Kiachif said firmly, slapping him on the shoulder.
"Well, that"s that, if you know what i mean. The end of all your troubles, trials, and tribulations. Well, this set! Third"s gone, Landreau"s sputtered his last, and the Treaty"s signed.
Nothing to stand in the way of you living happily ever after, is there?" Todd and Hrriss exchanged meaningful glances.
"Now that you mention it, no," Todd said, "particularly the "happily ever after" bit. C"mon, Hrriss, Hrruna"s had our girls far too long. "We owe you so much, sir, for coming in when you did," Hu Shih was saying to First Speaker Hiruna as Todd and Hrriss approached.
"If it is not an imposition, honored sir," Hrriss asked Hrruna politely, "I would like to dance with my betrothed." He reached out a hand to Nrrna.
Nrrna glanced appealingly at the First Speaker, who patted the female"s hand. "Yes, of course. Such a charming young lady. You are most fortunate young Hrriss."
"You are so kind, sir," Nrrna said, lowering hei eyelids prettily at First Speaker.
"And when is the joining to be?" Hrruna asked.
"Soon!" Hrriss said emphatically.
"Very soon," Nrrna agreed, looking lovingly al Hrriss. "Possibly tomorrow.
The old man sighed as the couple slipped through the crowd. "Ah, if I was thirty years younger! Bul it is always the lady"s choice, isn"t it? I must say, he is a fine young cub.
"I couldn"t agree more," Second Speaker Hrrtc said, watching the couple swirl gracefully onto the 4n dance floor. "He is one of the hopes for Hrruba"s future."
"Kelly?" Todd asked, bowing to her. "May I have the honor of this dance."
"May I, sir?" Kelly asked Hrruna sweetly.
"Yes, do. Enjoy yourselves, young ones!" Hrruna said, jaw dropped. "Ah, youth."
"That"s a very pretty dress you have on," Todd said as with a firm hand he guided Kelly out among the dancers.
"Almost have on," Kelly grimaced, tugging at the filmy swags of cloth and settling them more securely across her nicely developed chest. "Red"s not really my color."
"I think you can wear any color," Todd said with genuine gallantry.
"But I"m really not sure I should be dancing with you, she said, with such a firm arm around his neck and such a firm grip on his other hand that he stared at her in surprise. "For one thing, you"re not really suitably dressed for the occasion."
"Kelly, that"s not fair. .
." he began, and then saw the merry devilment in her sparkling eyes.
"All right, I"ll bite, how should I be dressed?" Suddenly she took the lead from him and danced him over to a window ledge.
"You"re not wearing tails," she said, waving a coil of rope in front of him that she must have somehow secreted on the ledge.
"Imagine you forgetting an old Rraladoonian custom like that!" Enchanted by his lover"s gesture, he let her tie the rope around his waist and proceed to tie the other end around hers, completely ruining the line of her gown.
"Hey, that"s not how to make a rope tail!" he said.
laughing.
"No, it"s to keep you from going off somewhere without taking me with you!" Now she backed him into the curtains of the window and whirled a length around him, before she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him long and lovingly. Not at all surprising, especially since he had never hoped tc see her again, he responded pa.s.sionately.
Kiachil had been right-there was nothing at all to stop them living happily ever after.
"Friends, feasting, and fine firewater," All Kiachit said, carefully enunciating each word to Ken Reeve, swigging the last of the mlada from his gla.s.s. "That"s the elements that make the besi parties, if you know what I mean! No, don"t take that bottle away, Reeve," he implored Ken as he swept dirty dishes off the table in front of him so he could prop up his elbows. "Pour me another portion, if you please."
"Nothing left in it, Kiachif." Ken upended the crock to show that it was empty. "See?" Kiachif looked mournfully at the bottom of his gla.s.s. "You couldn"t find another bottle somewhere nearby, could you?
I always thought you were a merry mate of mine." From long experience, Ken judged the old captain was only a few minutes from falling asleep when the power of the mlada hit. "Cm, I suppose there"s one more in the kitchen. You wait here, Kiachif, and I"ll see if I can"t find it." "That"s fine, fair and friendly of you," he said with satisfaction, and propped himself up to wait, tapping his fingers to the slow dance music and watching the couples swaying rhythmically. Ken went into the kitchen and peeped out through the door until he saw the old s.p.a.cefarer sag over onto folded arms at the table. It had only taken a moment when he wasn"t moving or talking for the liquor to relax him completely.
"Hrrestan, give me a hand, will you?" Ken asked, getting under one of Kiachifs arms and heaving upward. "We"d better put him to bed."
"With pleasurrre, my friend," the Hrruban said, taking the other arm.
Together, they hoisted the Codep captain upright and started to walk him toward the guest cabins at the far side of the common.
Kiachif woke up partway there and glanced at each of his escorts in turn from under his bushy brows. "That"s what I like to see," he said, nodding approvingly. "Cooperation between happy Human and Hrruban. Long may it continue.
Ken and Hrrestan got Kiachif onto the bunk in one of the rooms and considerately pulled his boots off. "So long as we can help it," Ken said, glancing at his old friend, as they lowered the lights in the cabin behind them, "it always will." They left the old pilot snoring and went out together to rejoin the celebration.
THE END.