by Moulton, CD
He entered the designated room where he was asked to sit on a bench designed for those with tails. He was offered gincha and sweetcakes.
"We understand you found the body," Tab said after introducing himself and Kit. "How long would you estimate he had been dead when you first saw him?"
"He wasn't dead," Nord replied. "He was sort of on his knees when I first saw him and partly stood against the wall. I thought perhaps he had been thrown by the pitch of the ship and asked if he was all right. He turned toward me and I saw the knife.
"I'll never forget his eyes. They had a sort of glaze on them. He fell forward and I hit the emergency switch."
"Did he say anything?" Tab asked.
"No," Nord said. "Well, he tried, but it was only a gurgle. The knife...." he shuddered.
"Please," Kit requested. "Try to repeat the sounds. It may be important. Was he trying to say a name?"
"It could be," Nord answered. "It was a sort of 'guhh' sound, then a buzz like 'Miirrrrr', then 'ahhhhhg'. He didn't say anything else or do anything else."
"Mirahg?" Tab said. "He could have been trying to say a name. That fact is important even if we can't discover what name it was."
"It means he knew who his murderer was," Nord agreed. "I would think most people who are murdered know their killer's name."
"But this is on a ship on a vacation world," Kit argued. "It would narrow the field to a very few people if he were saying a name."
"I see what you mean," Nord said. "I could see he was somewhat predatory around females so I can easily imagine someone would take great offense. Not everyone considers the same act in the same way and what is proper to one might not be to another. Some things aren't proper to anyone."
"What do you mean?" Tab asked.
"It's nothing!" Nord cried. "I'm speaking out of turn! I'm a doctor and should know better than to let personal prejudices influence my words."
"This is a murder investigation," Tab said. "You could save a life. Don't hold anything back, Nord. I assure you we aren't interested in little scandals or such and I swear we won't try to build a case on such things, but we MUST know. They may mean nothing or they may solve the case."
"Well, that Zia Tor fellow banged the dead man's head against the wall earlier," Nord said. "He, er, said, well, that Bo had better leave his mate alone or he would, uh, break his, er, his goddamned neck. He said that, uh, Bo was, er, saying lies about, uh, the girl. Mai."
"Probably doesn't mean anything," Kit said to put him at ease. "I've said the same kind of thing and worse when some piece of garbage tried to move in on a girl I was with. I remember one time I smacked this guy and said I'd kill him if I ever saw him again – and we're friends now. The girl was causing it all! She thought it was being cute to make me jealous! Stupid who ... uh, you know what I mean."
Nord grinned and agreed he'd made a few rash and foolish statements himself. They discussed it twice more, then Nord went out and to his cabin.
They were a bit strange, but very likeable. He knew they were powerful, having direct contact with Emperor Maita and "the crew" – had even gone on a "little adventure" with the emperor – yet they seemed like rather normal sorts. He hadn't really thought much about detectives before and all of this was very exciting in a way. He would still prefer this kind of excitement would stay as far from him as possible! He wouldn't miss it a bit if it stayed worlds away!
. . . .
Tor saw the two empire detectives with those Acnians and the captain. Acnians gave him the creeps. Only insects should have eyes like that.
He was probably in for it now. He had lost his temper and made a fool of himself with that character and now.... Damn it! They would come directly to him and he couldn't give them any real answers! At the time of the murder he could only tell them he was somewhere on the ship in the clear walkways over the water! Would they believe that?
A servo came to give him the message he was wanted in room 2B12. He took a deep breath and told Mai he was going to answer some questions and he should keep a better hold on his stupid temper because now he would be in for it.
"I'll go with you," Mai suggested. "I'll tell them you got back to the room half an hour earlier than you did and they'll have to leave you alone."
"Do you really think they'll fall for that?" he asked. "They're empire. They might have something that'll tell if I'm lying. What if someone remembers seeing me somewhere else?"
"Then it's their word against both of ours," she replied. "I know perfectly well you have a hot temper and I wish you'd try harder to control it, but I also know you'd never really hurt anybody."
They went together to room 2B12 and in where they introduced themselves and were introduced to the two detectives. They were asked a lot of questions about various generalities. Finally, Tor couldn't take any more.
"Look, I know damned well you've heard about me threatening him! I know you've heard about me swatting him, but I did NOT kill him! I swear it!" he cried. "Don't play these games. I'll answer all your questions."
"Okay," Kit replied. "Where were you at the time of the murder and did anyone see you?"
"I was...." Tor started.
"If the murder was within a half hour of when we found out about it we were together in.... Well, we're recently lifemated, you know," Mai replied. "I can guarantee he wasn't.... He was in the room with me!"
Tab glanced at her, then said the murder was within a very few minutes before the alarm so that was the period they had to know about.
They went back to their stateroom. Tor felt guilty, but he certainly didn't want to be a suspect in all this.
Mai picked up her book and told him to relax. He hadn't done anything and he was out of it now.
He picked up the torn cape and suggested he take it to the seamstressing department. He'd have it cleaned, too. She was reading as he left. He noticed it was the same book she was reading when he came in earlier, just after the murder. It showed she was more upset by all of this than she was letting on. She generally read one in an hour and she was still at the first part of that one.
. . . .
Kap studied herself in the mirror and smiled. She was really rid of Bo now! Those empire detectives would never find his killer. There was nothing to go on. She would have to act as if she was a little lost and scared or something. Klom was coming soon. He was ditching Zezz in their room, telling her he was going to check on the murder.
There was a knock on the door and she threw it open. It was only a messenger servo with a note telling her to come to room 2B12.
Damn! Did it have to be now?
She went to the table and took her scarf. She would take the torn one. It would make her seem nervous and upset.
She went in and was introduced to the two detectives. They asked her a lot of questions and she gave them a lot of answers. Apparently her plan to be seen in the dining salon waiting for Bo had worked. They knew all about her little scene and she showed them the scarf she'd torn on that plant by the door. She didn't volunteer anything and they soon let her leave. She hoped Klom waited for her!
. . . .
Kwold and Flish sat side by side and answered the questions. Yes, Kwold had made this tour twice before. He had seen Bo on it the first trip and noticed from that time how predatory the fellow was with the women.
The Eacheron, Klom, was on that trip, that Tor fellow had been along on the next trip. His mate was on the first. Mai was her name. She had been very much a party girl, even with other races. Flish giggled and he admitted he was one of those of another race who spent time with her.
A servo came to tell the detectives Zia Tor had taken a cape to be cleaned and repaired. The captain left orders that any such things were to be reported to the detectives. Tab asked it when and how the cape had been torn. It went out to check with the ship recorder and returned to say the cape had been torn on the plant by the "C" door to the dining salon at seventeen forty seven of that afternoon.
Tab thought a moment, the
n told the servo to bring the cape and the record of when and how it was damaged and to request that Captain Wahrd and the two Acnians come – along with Tor and Mia. Kwold was told he and Flish could stay if they liked. He HAD reported the thing!
. . . .
So that was that! Tab felt he had it all now. He would wait until they were all there to see exactly how far this would go. The servo brought the cape and records, then went to bring Tor and Mai. They came in and sat.
"Tor, you were not in your room with Mai at the time of the murder," Kit announced. They agreed through their internal communications system that Kit would begin.
Tor looked to Mai, then back to Kit. He didn't say anything.
"Well?" Kit said.
"But.... He couldn't have done it! I know it!" Mai cried. "He would never hurt anyone! I will NOT believe it! I lied for him because I know he wouldn't do any such thing!"
"Oh, he didn't," Tab said easily. "We know you killed him and when, why and how. Even without the one little item of absolute proof we have we would've found you within thirty hours. All we would have to do is to go through the rosters to find the ones who were on your earlier trip."
She jumped up to stare at Tab.
"You were another one of Bo's many conquests on that trip," Kit continued. "You were just about everybody's conquest on that trip it appears. None of the others would talk about it and no one else cares. That's what most people come on these tours for. The violent weather appeals to some basic instincts and increases sexual desires and responses tremendously on some primitive levels. It's probably due to racial memories of deadly weather in all of our pasts.
"Bo was the type who would talk. He’d have you again or he’d downgrade and ridicule your new mate. You met him in the dining salon to try to make him leave you alone, but he insisted you go with him right then and there. You stormed out of the door, catching your cape on that plant and tearing it. The watcher servo reacted to that and stopped you to inform that the ship would make repairs.
"Standing there talking to the servo with Bo waiting about two meters outside of the door you picked up a table knife from the nearest setting, told the servo you would deliver the cape for repairs, then went out into that hall. When you reached the walkway junction to your own room you plunged the knife into his throat and raced to be there when your mate returned.
"Had you simply reported the thing then there would have been no severe penalty other than Tor finding out about it. It WAS self-defense to that point. Trying to shift the suspicion to Tor was more than self-defense. It was a deliberate attempt to save your own hide at the expense of your lifemate."
Tor was staring at her in something akin to horror. "That book you had!" he cried. "You pretended to be reading that book and were all smiles and love when I came in! You actually killed a man ten minutes before and you could laugh and make petty remarks about sharp things that tore capes on the ship! You were planning right then to put it on me if anything went wrong!
"You walked right up to the body and said something about it being the guy who was so nice to you! How...?"
He suddenly turned and ran from the room as Mai screamed at him that she didn't mean to kill anybody. He stopped in the hall and came back to stare at her again.
"Oh, Tor!" she cried. "I love you! I need you so!"
"You didn't mean to kill anyone," Tor said very tiredly. "But you DID mean for me to take the blame!"
"No!" she cried. "You would have demanded the probe and would be found innocent! I never thought you were in any danger!"
"I see. And will you take the probe to prove THAT statement?" Tor asked.
She started screaming at him then in vulgar terms that aren't printable. Seela went to stand in front of her and say quietly she would be most happy to hypnotize her to demand she tell the truth. Mai hid her eyes and was silent as Wahrd confined her to quarters under servo guard for the duration of the trip.
Tab and Kit stayed until the "Wavewalker" docked, then went back to Perfect 3.
Seventh Case
"Seems a long way to go for something like this," Kit said to his partner, Tab. "Halfway across the galaxy to find a princess? Besides the fact we don't exactly spend a lot of time shoring up those kinds of governments it would seem to be the sort of thing that could better be handled locally."
The robot detectives were aboard Kit's ship, T6. It had recently added some interesting little features to itself that it may never use and now TRD-60, Tab's ship (The ships are actually parts of the robots as well as independently intelligent beings), was installing the same features. Often both ships were required on their cases, but not this one. TR could be called if it was needed.
"Princess Tar is a figurehead," T6 replied. "Sort of thing used in ceremonials and such. Gloeb isn't in the empire, anyhow, it's an associate. Not too likely to get into the empire if they don't change the form of government."
"What are they like?" Tab asked.
"Mammals. General K-form," T6 answered. "Bipedal. Sort of between Z and a Cheeth. Thinner than Z and not so sharp-featured as the Cheeth. Hair forms a mane down to the center of the back and on the chest of the males. They all have beards."
"Do you have anymore information yet?" Kit asked. "Who kidnapped her and why? When? Where?"
"Probably grabbed by the insurrection," T6 said. "Colony on a world called Maorp in the same solar system. They're highly rebellious and resent the fact their colony can't sustain itself, depending on the home world for much of the necessities."
"That doesn't sound reasonable," Tab protested. "All they have to do is check with library and they can learn thousands of ways to make almost any world produce. Even an ice world or a hot one will sustain a large colony in domes."
"Maorp is probably a little better than Perfect Three," T6 replied with a cynical sneer in the "voice" (It used speakers, of course). Tab had wondered how the ships were able to sound sarcastic or happy or cynical for a long time, but TR finally fouled up and sent the subliminals without "vocals" (Signals sent directly by radio as well as the speakers) and Tab had caught on.
"Then why?" Kit began and stopped. "Oh, no!"
"Yup!" T6 replied happily. "Now you're going to see how things were on Z's Earth before the time he was abducted and continued for nearly three hundred years afterward! You're going to receive firsthand experience with a lack of logic you won't quite believe! The only saving grace of this race is that they're not prone to violence against their own kind like the Terrans were. Not major violences in any case. They're capable of the normal insane cruelties and insensibilities of mammalian cultures. They do tend to kill each other a lot, but not so much in a warlike setting. It's personal violence and rage at individuals. The problem is they're likely to go back to war – they've had them in their history – if anything happens to Princess Tar. The colony couldn't stand against Gloeb for long, but a great many people could be killed and a lot of damage could be done.
"Like Z's ancestors, they base most things on their monetary system. Everything has a price or can be related to money in some manner. The monetary unit is called the lotz and is divided into twelve parts. Their math is based on twelve so is very easy to work with. You can deduce they have six fingers on a hand, I think.
"What we call a centime, or one one hundredths of a credit, they call a du, one one hundred forty fourth. Twelve du make a dur, six dur are a half. The coins are the du, the dur, the half and the lotz.
"It's good you're machines. You can work with a twelve base as well as a ten or binomials.
"We have arrived!"
The two robots looked out the dome at the planet below to see what would be a pretty world if it weren't for the dirty-looking clouds and the odd patterns of pollution streaming off the continents into the seas.
"Will the ecological system handle all that crap they’re dumping into it?" Tab asked.
"Luckily, yes," T6 answered. "They've figured exactly how much the system will handle and keep a tiny bit under it."
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"But why not stop all of it?" Kit asked. "Surely they have the technology if they're allowed even associate status with the empire."
Tab and T6 both snickered at that.
"You have a lot to learn about these kinds of people," Tab said. "As we're going aground I'll assume we're landing at a specified place?"
"Yup!" T6 replied. "I think they're disappointed because we're landing with diplomatic status. They've got all that bureaucratic crap they can't pull on us. That means nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety of each hundred thousand 'government employees' can't pretend to be doing something because you're here."
"Oh, they'll still have plenty of that crap," Tab replied. "I wish I'd been around when Maita lost its temper with the bureaucrats in the old Kheth Federation and on those other worlds. We'll see if they can make Kit and me lose ours!"
"I know Maita can lose its temper," Kit agreed. "I've input some of that stuff. Do you think it'll be that bad?"
"You're about to find out!" T6 replied. "There's a car coming for you. Here's all that's transpired so far."
T6 burst-input the entire thing so Tab and Kit could act as though they'd been at the com. It wouldn't do for these people to know T6 was intelligent or that it could act without a pilot – or that they were dealing with robots.
The car was a flat platform with benches and a clear dome over it. The temperature outside was quite comfortable to all of them as the Kheth and Swaz were from worlds much like Gloeb, yet there was air conditioning inside that made it almost uncomfortably cool. There was soft music playing from some hidden quadrophonic system – which is ridiculous in a vehicle as only one spot could hope to properly receive any balance. The seats were plush and there was chrome and gilt all over the interior that seemed to serve no purpose.
