While this was progressing, Lane turned to his companion. ‘Did you see that?’
It developed that Reid had been too slow. He had observed a brightness out of the comer of one eye. He was willing to take Lane’s word for what it had been. When he had listened silently to the description, he was very disturbed. ‘You may have had your first look, then, at the enemy?’ he said.
Before Lane could reply, the physicist spoke. 'I thought/ he said, ‘we’d better not get too far away from where that came through, since we lost it so quickly - which is a puzzle. Losing it, I mean.’
'What’s puzzling about it?’ Lane asked swiftly.
Before the man at the panel could more than give them another glance from those sharp, probing gray eyes of his, two younger men emerged from a corridor behind him. Presumably, they had responded to some signal, for they silently sat down in little chairs that folded out from the same control panel. Their superior made a hand gesture at Lane, which seemed to say, 'Wait!1 Whereupon, he and his assistants concentrated their attention on the instrument board in front of them.
Lane and Reid watched them briefly. Then Reid said, You indicated there was one other thing in connection with the energy emitted by your skin and mine.’
Lane nodded. ‘Naturally/ he said, “we immediately checked with all the computers in Spaceport - that is, those that monitor the identifying of personnel in the offices, the maintenance, manufacturing, crew, and other facilities involving approximately one million employees and staff officers.’ A grim smile tightened his lips. ‘It seems that one other person has every morning emitted this same energy. He is a mechanic in a minor maintenance plant. His name is Len Jaeger.’
The expression on Reid’s face was one of bafflement It scans an unrelated phenomenon, I presume you checked up on this man, Jaeger.’
‘Naturally,’ was the reply. The commander’s firm lips tightened. The lode on his face and in his eyes was suddenly sardonic. ‘You asked about Susan a few minutes ago. Believe it or not, there’s a connection between Susan and Jaeger.’
The older man gave his friend a quick, searching look. And then he shook his head sadly. ‘There’s satisfaction in your voice, John, which I deplore. In a deadly situation like this, you should not be getting personal pleasure out of a coincidence.’
‘You call it a coincidence if you will,’ said the younger man, and there was an edge of anger in his tone, “but just listen to this: Jaeger and his family moved recently into Spaceport. Because his occupation is relatively innocuous and unclassified, we don’t have a big dossier on him and on his family. There’s a wife and a teenage son. But - now get this - the son has since his arrival become e member of the Red Cat outfit, of which Susan - as you well know - is still a member!
‘Well, then,’ said Reid, and he sounded relieved, ‘then every-' thing is explained. If we reason backwards from you - ’ He left the sentence hanging, made a dismissing gesture as if no more need be said.
John Lane bit his lip. He was visibly irritated. 'Not so fast,’ he admonished. ‘I don’t follow your reasoning.’
Reid was calm. ‘The only time I associate with you, I emit the energy. You emit it all the time. Ergo, as a result of Susan being - what was the word you used? - still in the Red Cat outfit, Jaeger has been close to you each day without you knowing it . . . Naturally, you wouldn’t recognise a - ’ He broke off. ‘What is his occupation?’
“He’s a machinist,’ said Lane with a scowl. But his eyes showed thoughtfulness, and he was clearly trying to evaluate his companion’s analysis. ‘It’s hard to imagine,’ he said slowly. ‘He lives half a mile from me. What would he be doing near me early morning or late evening, which is the only time I’m either home or en route from or to?’
‘Well,’ said the older man. What does the record show about when he emitted the energy? Did it begin the same time as you and me?’
The younger man’s face had a disgusted look on it, abrupdy. ‘If I had built Spaceport - ’ he began, impatiently.
‘What’s the problem?’ asked his companion, quickly..
‘Jaeger works in nonclassified shops,’ was the reply, ‘The computers in such shops are simpler. They could be connected with more sophisticated systems, but they weren’t until the day after you and I showed a positive reaction. At that point, Security automatically put a watch on the whole city. Naturally, they had no idea what the problem was, and they still don’t. But,’ he spread his hands, and grimaced unhappily, ‘that’s when they spotted him.’ His eyes narrowed. He nodded decisively, ‘I shall have Jaeger brought to my office tomorrow morning.’
Desmond Reid had a faraway look in his eyes. ‘Let’s consider that settled, then,’ he said. ‘Now, about Susan. John, your use of the words “still a member” bothers me. So, I’m assuming that though the surface appearance is clear enough, you’re working against her at some depth.’
Lane was calm. ‘I don’t care for your language,’ he said, ‘but it’s true. I’ve set currents in motion.’ He brought his teeth together with a click. ‘ A person like myself,’ he continued, ‘doesn’t have to deal directly with the simple minds of teenagers. Knowledge of human nature is the key to sucess, where reason cannot prevail.’ ‘I think I get the picture,’ said the older man sadly. He became grave. ‘I gather you’re not concerned about damage to Susan.
‘Susan,’ was the cool reply, ‘has already been damaged by the outfits. All I can do is conduct a salvage operation, and hope for the best.’ He shook his head, and made an effort at a comradely smile. “Listen, Dez, Estelle and you and the others who stayed home here have been too close to this problem. First of all, there is no problem. But you’ve been whittled away at by the weaklings, and you’ve sold truth and propriety without even noticing it - ’
He was interrupted. ‘There is no problem?’ his friend echoed. Tou can’t be serious. The absence for ten years of a husband and father creates a problem, and when it is multiplied in that the absence involves tens of thousands of men, it becomes a very severe problem indeed.’
Lane’s smile was cynical again. ‘Dez, I also faced the no-sex situation, just as Estelle did here. Ten years, Dez, But I didn’t groan or weaken. I saw the reality. I didn’t blame the Space Authority, because - fact is - I chose this life. Perhaps I chose it before I thought clearly. Young people tend to be like that. But the government spent fifty thousand dollars on my basic education, and then an equal amount on the advanced stuff. So, now I’m one of the people they count on. And diey can count on me. I shall do my best, regardless of the self-denial involved. So what do I find when I get back here? People have gotten soft about the kids. Instead of looking for a solution that would toughen their spirits, they catered to their alienation. Accordingly, it’s taken for granted that these youngsters will scurry back to the outside world, and in their place will come unsuspecting suckers who will then go through the same cycle with their kids. That’s wrong. I will not be a party to a faulty solution.’
‘What has this got to do with the difficulties that you are causing Susan?’
The commander’s patience began to show wear. ‘For God’s sake,’ he snapped, ‘you’ve got that backwards. On my return, I found Susan in difficulties. My judgement, based on my experience and observation in my own teens, tells me she’s been conned. I am now in process of putting a stop to that.’
'I see.’ The older man was smiling also, but in a disturbed way, "I’m afraid the outfits are smarter than you think, and they’re going to catch on to what you’re up to. At which time you may discover what happens to booters when they run afoul of outfits - Lane stopped the next words before they were spoken by laying a hand on Reid’s arm. Throughout their discussion, he had repeatedly sent quick, darting looks at what the three scientists were doing at the big instrument panel. Now, finally, the lead scientist gestured at his helpers, sighed deeply, shook his head, and turned toward his passengers. It was evident to both men that they were about to be given further information.
/>
The physicist said, and he was clearly unhappy about it, ''What was puzzling, gentlemen - to answer Commander Lane’s earlier question - was that it is difficult to know why we should have lost the picture so quickly. It would almost seem as if they became aware of us, and disconnected. And, of course, that’s impossible, because their distance from earth is too great. You follow the reasoning?’ He glanced from Lane to Reid and back again. ‘Where they are beyond Pluto’s orbit, is six light-hours away. That also means radio or TV hours. If they were to signal to us that they wanted to negotiate, it would require six hours for our reply to reach them by normal, direct transmission. And then six more hours for them to answer back. On the other hand, if they - like we do - have the ability to use ordinary waves as carriers multi-’ times faster than light-speed, then it would still take a few minutes at the enormous distance to the Neptune-Pluto orbit. But that reaction you saw took seconds only. As if something here in Spaceport tuned us out.’
‘You can’t tune in again?’
‘I haven’t been able to, so far. And’ - the keen eyes were narrowed - ‘that suggests we were cut off. Which means they have a feedback system which can detect when another receiver tunes in on them.’
‘And you suggest,’ said Lane, ‘that they have such sensitive equipment here on earth?’ His tone was strained. He was suddenly a very disturbed man. He turned to his companion. ‘Dez. I’m dead tired, and so I’ve got to have some sleep. But this information should be communicated to Elliotson at Space Control.’ ‘I’m sure it should, and will,’ the older man soothed. ‘But don’t get yourself all upset. After all, the fleet is deployed for defense. Our space radar network goes all the way out to Pluto - that’s why they haven’t crossed Pluto’s orbit. It’s difficult to imagine anything as large as an atomic bomb penetrating within millions of miles of earth without setting off an alarm somewhere.’
He stopped, because the man in the seat beside him had leaned forward, and was speaking again to the scientist. ‘What about that picture we saw? Can the computer reproduce that?’
The physicist shook his head unhappily. ‘I’m sorry, sir. Equipment aboard this armored vehicle is self-contained and therefore limited. I’ve already put through a requisition for an aerial laboratory, and when you talk to Commander Elliotson please ask him to authorise that at once.’
‘By aerial laboratory,’ asked Lane, ‘you mean a ship that will float above my house?’
‘Above this area, Commander, We need to patrol all the way from the Jaeger cottage, which is half a mile west of your home, past your residence and to the street where we saw the picture - that is, right here. But, now, if it’s all right, I think we should get you two gentlemen home and to bed.’
It was all right. Yet they were reluctant to give up hope. And during the rest of the drive sat watching the screen expectantly. Unfortunately, both before Reid got off, and afterwards, the energy patterns remained neutral. And they were still blank and uniformative when Lane stood up wearily, said good-bye, and got out of the machine, and so, as those aboard monitored his movements, walked through the gate, up to the veranda, and into his house.
The invisible observer first became aware of the armored truck when it felt an automatic response within the energy complex by which it operated on earth. It was by that reaction that it shut off the picture Lane and Dr Yanlo saw so fleetingly.
A few minutes later, it watched as the armored truck approached the Lane residence. Sensing energy probes, it drew back behind the Subsurface shrubbery ... as Lane walked from the truck to the gate, and so into his house.
After Lane disappered, the unseen energy duplicate of a remote Real Being emerged from its concealment, and boldly came closer to the truck. At first, it circled warily - from across the street. Then from the side. And then from above.
That was the mistake,
Estelle was reading in the chair beside the bar, when she heard the heavy throbbing sound of the truck. She obviously did not connect the noise with her husband, for she continued to stare at the book in front of her. But she was tired, and her face showed lines of fatigue. As she came to the end of that page, she leaned back and squeezed her eyelids in an unmistakable effort to fend off sleep. Presently, she opened her eyes again, glanced at her watch, and sighed.
‘All right," she said suddenly, aloud, ‘all right, Commander Lane, I’m sure you’re tired, also. But does life have to be this difficult?’
Only instants after she finished her complaint there was the sound of a key in the nearby front door. The door opened, and shut. As his footsteps approached, the blonde woman put the book onto the table beside the chair, and waited expectantly. Moments later, there was her husband. He stepped through the doorway, and stopped, stared at her in surprise, ‘Still awake? My dear, you should have more sense.’
He came all the way into the room. ‘1 must make a phone call,' he said. As he picked up the receiver and button-pressed the number, his face was visible in the light from the floor lamp. His eyes had tiny blood lines in them. His face was not as fatigued as hers, but the skin was unnaturally dark. As soon as he had the phone connected, and had identified himself to a man called Elliotson, he said, ‘Jim, we’ll need one of the aerial labs type L-20 to support ground unit 67-A. A Dr Yanlo is in charge. Looks like a very able man. Fine. Good-bye.’ He hung up, and reaching down took the woman’s hand. ‘Bedtime, darling, don’t you think?’
There was muscle resistance in his wife, as he drew her out of the chair. Her body protested his assumption that he could walk into his house at two o’clock in the morning and find all signals at ‘Go!’ She waited while he gave her a kiss, and then said in an unaccepting tone, ‘Aren’t you interested in what happened to your daughter today?’
The man made a wry face. ‘I see the unwelcome sign is out again/ he said.
There was a long pause after those words were spoken. Estelle closed her eyes, and sort of slumped in his arms. Finally, she sighed, and looked up at him, her cheeks wet. ‘Ever since your return,’ she said, ‘we seem to have operated slightiy out of phase. You have never been unwelcome. Even that first night I held my peace until you started to take charge like a full admiral without waiting to discover that there was no war. Since then there’s been a kind of truce, with both sides stiffly standing at attention during moments of stress. When you said what you did just now, for the first time - for the very first time - there went fleetingly through my mind the thought: Is this marriage going to last, really?’ She broke off, wearily, ‘John, I don’t think I could stand you not caring what happens to Susan. I just couldn’t live with that.1
The wry smile had faded from her husband’s face, as she spoke. By the time she was finished, he was shaking his head sorrowfully. ‘It looks,’ he said, ‘like I’m going to have to make the fight to keep this marriage going. But if what you just said is all it takes, then there’s no problem. Naturally, I knew Susan was in the care of one of our supermen - which is what the active flight officers are, if anyone is. And since the transport vehicle was the magnificent Omnivulture class, all I had to do was have the Father computer that deals with such, report to me periodically. So Father got it from Mother, and Mother got it from Boarder, that they spent the day on Tombaugh, and checked in at O-Base shortly before ten p.m. Now, what else would you like to know about my interest in Susan - aside from the fact that I don’t care for her to be in an outfit?1
“Why don’t you just forget about the outfits?’ his wife said fretfully. “You arrived so late into that situation - on her nineteenth birthday, she’s out - automatically graduated. So it’s just a little over two years.’ Her tone was slightly pleading.
‘I’ll make up my mind about the oufits,’ said the man, ‘after I get a little time to study them.’ He had released himself from her, as he spoke. Now, he stepped back. ‘Estelle, you’ve got to let me form my own opinion on that. Don’t try to get some kind of a blanket withdrawal out of me in connection with Susan, I won’t do it.’
‘It bothers me,’ persisted the woman, ‘that you were willing to let her go out with a man, where they would be alone in a plane, and then in a known pleasure resort.’
Lane sighed. ‘I guess I need a drink,’ he said. He walked to the bar, and put out two glasses. He glanced over at her. “Like one?’ She shook her head, an impatient movement. So her husband poured himself a jigger of something, put in ice and water, and then stood sipping. Finally, he seemed to relax, for he said, ‘I took that drink as a method of refraining from a hasty response. One of the things, my dear, that bothers men about some women is that they never let up. You can see the thought in the woman’s face, and in the configuration of her body muscles.’
He continued after another sip, ‘What I’m saying is that, just looking at you I could see that you were going to say more. I had the thought: She’s not going to let well enough alone, now that I’ve established my innocence. I refer to your accusation that I never thought of Susan all day, I did. So I’m cleared on that. But what I observed in your face was: She will not be able to restrain herself from continuing a fruitless argument. Whatever the new thought is, it will not be witheld, but will come bursting forth, presumably in view of the subject, in the form of an attack. And so now you’ve done it. My answer is: I deny that you have spoken a rational statement.’
The woman was defensive. ‘I don’t see how you can say a thing like that. It is well-known in Spaceport that grounded officers prey on the wives of absent personnel and on female jabbers. And so the rule of parents here, that is, of parents who care - ’
The man winced. Closed his eyes. Pressed his teeth together. Clenched the hand that was not holding the glass, and tightened the one that was. All were melodramatic acts of restraint.
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