VI
For one solid hour Hilton stared at the wall, motionless and silent.Then, shaking himself and stretching, he glanced at his clock.
A little over an hour to supper-time. They'd all be aboard. He'd talkthis new idea over with Teddy Blake. He gathered up a few papers and wasstapling them together when Karns walked in.
"Hi, Bill--speak of the devil! I was just thinking about you."
"I'll just bet you were." Karns sat down, leaned over, and took acigarette out of the box on the desk. "And nothing printable, either."
"Chip-chop, fellow, on that kind of noise," Hilton said. The team-chieflooked actually haggard. Blue-black rings encircled both eyes. Hispowerful body slumped. "How long has it been since you had a goodnight's sleep?"
"How long have I been on this job? Exactly one hundred and twenty days.I did get some sleep for the first few weeks, though."
"Yeah. So answer me one question. How much good will you do us afterthey've wrapped you up in one of those canvas affairs that lace up theback?"
"Huh? Oh ... but damn it, Jarve, I'm holding up the whole procession.Everybody on the project's just sitting around on their tokuses waitingfor me to get something done and I'm not doing it. I'm going so slow asnail is lightning in comparison!"
"Calm down, big fellow. Don't rupture a gut or blow a gasket. I'vetalked to you before, but this time I'm going to smack you bow-legged.So stick out those big, floppy ears of yours and really _listen_. Hereare three words that I want you to pin up somewhere where you can seethem all day long: SPEED IS RELATIVE. Look back, see how far up the hillyou've come, and then balance one hundred and twenty days against tenyears."
"What? You mean you'll actually sit still for me holding everything upfor ten years?"
"You use the perpendicular pronoun too much and in the wrong places. Onthe hits it's 'we', but on the flops it's 'I'. Quit it. Everything onthis job is 'we'. Terra's best brains are on Team One and are going tostay there. You will not--repeat NOT--be interfered with, pushed aroundor kicked around. You see, Bill, I know what you're up against."
"Yes, I guess you do. One of the damned few who do. But even if youpersonally are willing to give us ten years, how in hell do you thinkyou can swing it? How about the Navy--the Stretts--even the Board?"
"They're my business, Bill, not yours. However, to give you a littleboost, I'll tell you. With the Navy, I'll give 'em the Fuel Bin if Ihave to. The Omans have been taking care of the Stretts for twenty-sevenhundred centuries, so I'm not the least bit worried about their abilityto keep on doing it for ten years more. And if the Board--or anybodyelse--sticks their runny little noses into Project Theta Orionis I'llslap a quarantine onto both these solar systems that a microbe couldn'tget through!"
"You'd go _that_ far? Why, you'd be ..."
* * * * *
"Do you think I wouldn't?" Hilton snapped. "Look at me, Junior!" Eyeslocked and held. "Do you think, for one minute, that I'll let anybody onall of God's worlds pull _me_ off of this job or interfere with myhandling of it unless and until I'm damned positively certain that wecan't handle it?"
Karns relaxed visibly; the lines of strain eased. "Putting it in thosewords makes me feel better. I _will_ sleep to-night--and without anypills, either."
"Sure you will. One more thought. We all put in more than ten yearsgetting our Terran educations, and an Oman education is a lot tougher."
Really smiling for the first time in weeks, Karns left the office andHilton glanced again at his clock.
Pretty late now to see Teddy ... besides, he'd better not. She wasprobably keyed up about as high as Bill was, and in no shape to do thekind of thinking he wanted of her on this stuff. Better wait a couple ofdays.
On the following morning, before breakfast, Theodora was waiting for himoutside the mess-hall.
"Good morning, Jarve," she caroled. Reaching up, she took him by bothears, pulled his head down and kissed him. As soon as he perceived herintent, he cooperated enthusiastically. "What _did_ you do to Bill?"
"Oh, you don't love me for myself alone, then, but just on account of_that_ big jerk?"
"That's right." Her artist's-model face, startlingly beautiful now,fairly glowed.
Just then Temple Bells strolled up to them. "Morning, you two lovelypeople." She hugged Hilton's arm as usual. "Shame on you, Teddy. But Iwish _I_ had the nerve to kiss him like that."
"Nerve? You?" Teddy laughed as Hilton picked Temple up and kissed her inexactly the same fashion--he hoped!--as he had just kissed Teddy."You've got more nerve than an aching tooth. But as Jarve would say it,'scat, kitten'. We're having breakfast _a la twosome_. We've got thingsto talk about."
"All right for _you_," Temple said darkly, although her dazzling smilebelied her tone. That first kiss, casual-seeming as it had been, hadcarried vastly more freight than any observer could perceive. "I'll huntBill up and make passes at him, see if I don't. _That'll_ learn ya!"
* * * * *
Theodora and Hilton did have their breakfast _a deux_--but she did notrealize until afterward that he had not answered her question as to whathe had done to her Bill.
As has been said, Hilton had made it a prime factor of his job to becomethoroughly well acquainted with every member of his staff. He hadstudied them _en masse_, in groups and singly. He had never, however,cornered Theodora Blake for individual study. Considering the power andthe quality of her mind, and the field which was her specialty, it hadnot been necessary.
Thus it was with no ulterior motives at all that, three evenings later,he walked her cubby-hole office and tossed the stapled papers onto herdesk. "Free for a couple of minutes, Teddy? I've got troubles."
"I'll say you have." Her lovely lips curled into an expression he hadnever before seen her wear--a veritable sneer. "But these are not them."She tossed the papers into a drawer and stuck out her chin. Her faceturned as hard as such a beautiful face could. Her eyes dug steadilyinto his.
Hilton--inwardly--flinched. His mind flashed backward. She too had beenworking under stress, of course; but that wasn't enough. What could hehave _possibly_ done to put Teddy Blake, of all people, onto such awarpath as this?
"I've been wondering when you were going to try to put _me_ through yourwringer," she went on, in the same cold, hard voice, "and I've beenwaiting to tell you something. You have wrapped all the other womenaround your fingers like so many rings--and what a _sickening_exhibition that has been!--but you are not going to make either a ringor a lap-dog out of me."
Almost but not quite too late Hilton saw through that perfect act. Heseized her right hand in both of his, held it up over her head, andwaved it back and forth in the sign of victory.
"Socked me with my own club!" he exulted, laughing delightedly,boyishly. "And came within a tenth of a split red hair! If it hadn'tbeen so absolutely out of character you'd've got away with it. _What_ aload of stuff! I was right--of all the women on this project, you're theonly one I've ever been really afraid of."
"Oh, damn. Ouch!" She grinned ruefully. "I hit you with everything I hadand it just bounced. You're an operator, chief. Hit 'em hard, atcompletely unexpected angles. Keep 'em staggering, completely offbalance. Tell 'em nothing--let 'em deduce your lies for themselves. Andit anybody tries to slug you back, like I did just now, duck it andclobber him in another unprotected spot. Watching you work has been notonly a delight, but also a liberal education."
* * * * *
"Thanks. I love you, too, Teddy." He lighted two cigarettes, handed herone. "I'm glad, though, to lay it flat on the table with you, because inany battle of wits with _you_ I'm licked before we start."
"Yeah. You just proved it. And after licking me hands down, you thinkyou can square it by swinging the old shovel that way?" She did notquite know whether to feel resentful or not.
"Think over a couple of things. First, with the possible exception ofTemple Bells, you're the best brain aboard."
"No. You are. Then Temple. Then there are ..."
"Hold it. You know as well as I do that accurate self-judgment isimpossible. Second, the jam we're in. Do I, or don't I, want to lay iton the table with you, now and from here on? Bore into that with yourClass A Double-Prime brain. Then tell me." He leaned back, half-closedhis eyes and smoked lazily.
She stiffened; narrowed her eyes in concentration; and thought. Finally:"Yes, you do; and I'm gladder of that than you will ever know."
"I think I know already, since you're her best friend and the only otherwoman I know of in her class. But I came in to kick a couple of thingsaround with you. As you've noticed, that's getting to be my favoriteindoor sport. Probably because I'm a sort of jackleg theoreticianmyself."
"You can frame that, Jarve, as the understatement of the century. Butfirst, you are going to answer that question you sidestepped so neatly."
"What I did to Bill? I finally convinced him that nobody expected theteam to do that big a job overnight. That you could have ten years. Ormore, if necessary."
"I see." She frowned. "But you and I both know that we _can't_ string itout that long."
He did not answer immediately. "We _could_. But we probably won't ...unless we have to. We should know, long before that, whether we'll haveto switch to some other line of attack. You've considered thepossibilities, of course. Have you got anything in shape to do afine-tooth on?"
"Not yet. That is, except for the ultimate, which is too ghastly to evenconsider except as an ultimately last resort. Have you?"
"I know what you mean. No, I haven't, either. You don't think, then,that we had better do any collaborative thinking yet?"
"Definitely not. There's altogether too much danger of setting both ourlines of thought into one dead-end channel."
"Check. The other thing I wanted from you is your considered opinion asto my job on the organization as a whole. And don't pull your punches.Are we in good shape or not? What can I do to improve the setup?"
* * * * *
"I have already considered that very thing--at great length. Andhonestly, Jarve, I don't see how it can be improved in any respect.You've done a marvelous job. Much better than I thought possible atfirst." He heaved a deep sigh of relief and she went on: "This couldvery easily have become a God-awful mess. But the Board knew what theywere doing--especially as to top man--so there are only about fourpeople aboard who realize what you have done. Alex Kincaid and SandraCummings are two of them. One of the three girls is very deeply and verytruly in love with you."
"Ordinarily I'd say 'no comment', but we're laying on the line ...well ..."
"You'll lay _that_ on the line only if I corkscrew it out you, so I'llQ.E.D. it. You probably know that when Sandy gets done playing aroundit'll be ..."
"Bounce back, Teddy. She isn't--hasn't been. If anything, too much theopposite. A dedicated-scientist type."
She smiled--a highly cryptic smile. For a man as brilliant and aspenetrant in every other respect ... but after all, if the big dopedidn't realize that half the women aboard, including Sandy, had beenmaking passes at him, she certainly wouldn't enlighten him. Besides,that one particular area of obtuseness was a real part of his charm.Wherefore she said merely: "I'm not sure whether I'm a bit catty oryou're a bit stupid. Anyway, it's Alex she's really in love with. Andyou already know about Bill and me."
"Of course. He's tops. One of the world's very finest. You're in thesame bracket, and as a couple you're a drive fit. One in a million."
"Now I can say 'I love you, too', too." She paused for half a minute,then stubbed out her cigarette and shrugged. "Now I'm going to stick myneck way, way out. You can knock it off if you like. She's a tremendouslot of woman, and if ... well, strong as she is, it'd shatter her tobits. So, I'd like to ask ... I don't quite ... well, _is_ she going toget hurt?"
"Have I managed to hide it _that_ well? From _you_?"
It was her turn to show relief. "Perfectly. Even--or especially--thattime you kissed her. So damned perfectly that I've been scared green.I've been waking myself up, screaming, in the middle of the night. Youcouldn't let on, of course. That's the hell of such a job as yours. Therest of us can smooch around all over the place. I knew the question wasextremely improper--thanks a million for answering it."
"I haven't started to answer it yet. I said I'd lay everything on theline, so here it is. Saying she's a tremendous lot of woman is likecalling the _Perseus_ a nice little baby's-bathtub toy boat. I'd go tohell for her any time, cheerfully, standing straight up, wading intobrimstone and lava up to the eyeballs. If anything ever hurts her it'llbe because I'm not man enough to block it. And just the minute thisdamned job is over, or even sooner if enough of you couples make it so Ican ..."
"Jarvis!" she shrieked. Jumping up, she kissed him enthusiastically."That's just wonderful!"
* * * * *
He thought it was pretty wonderful, too; and after ten minutes more ofconversation he got up and turned toward the door.
"I feel a lot better, Teddy. Thanks for being such a nicepressure-relief valve. Would you mind it too much if I come in and sobon your bosom again some day?"
"I'd love it!" She laughed; then, as he again started to leave: "Wait aminute, I'm thinking ... it'd be more fun to sob on _her_ bosom. Youhaven't even kissed her yet, have you? I mean _really_ kissed her?"
"You know I haven't. She's the one person aboard I can't be alone withfor a second."
"True. But I know of one chaperone who could become deaf and blind," shesaid, with a broad and happy grin. "On my door, you know, there's a hugeinvisible sign that says, to everyone except you, 'STOP! BRAIN AT WORK!SILENCE!', and if I were properly approached and sufficiently urged, Imight ... I just _conceivably_ might ..."
"Consider it done, you little sweetheart! Up to and including my mostvigorous and most insidious attempts at seduction."
"Done. Maneuver your big, husky carcass around here behind the desk sothe door can open." She flipped a switch and punched a number. "I cancall anybody in here, any time, you know. Hello, dear, this is Teddy.Can you come in for just a few minutes? Thanks." And, one minute later,there came a light tap on the door.
"Come in," Teddy called, and Temple Bells entered the room. She showedno surprise at seeing Hilton.
"Hi, chief," she said. "It must be something both big and tough, to haveyou and Teddy both on it."
"You're so right. It was very big and very tough. But it's solved,darling, so ..."
"_Darling?_" she gasped, almost inaudibly, both hands flying to herthroat. Her eyes flashed toward the other woman.
"Teddy knows all about us--accessory before, during and after the fact."
"_Darling!_" This time, the word was a shriek. She extended both armsand started forward.
Hilton did not bother to maneuver his "big, husky carcass" around thedesk, but simply hurdled it, straight toward her.
* * * * *
Temple Bells was a tall, lithe, strong woman; and all the power of herarms and torso went into the ensuing effort to crack Hilton's ribs.Those ribs, however, were highly capable structural members; andfurthermore, they were protected by thick slabs of hard, hard muscle.And, fortunately, he was not trying to fracture _her_ ribs. Hispressures were distributed much more widely. He was, according topromise, doing his very best to flatten her whole resilient body outflat.
And as they stood there, locked together in sheerest ecstasy, TheodoraBlake began openly and unashamedly to cry.
It was Temple who first came up for air. She wriggled loose from one ofhis arms, felt of her hair and gazed unseeingly into her mirror. "Thatwas _wonderful_, sweetheart," she said then, shakily. "And I can _never_thank you enough, Teddy. But we can't do this very often ... can we?"The addendum fairly begged for contradiction.
"Not too often, I'm afraid," Hilton said, and Theodora agreed....
"Well," the man said, somewhat later, "I'll leave you two ladies toyour k
nitting, or whatever. After a couple of short ones for the road,that is."
"Not looking like that!" Teddy said, sharply. "Hold still and we'llclean you up." Then, as both girls went to work:
"If anybody ever sees you coming out of this office looking like_that_," she went on, darkly, "and Bill finds out about it, he'll thinkit's _my_ lipstick smeared all over you and I'll strangle you to deathwith my bare hands!"
"And that was supposed to be kissproof lipstick, too," Temple said,seriously--although her whole face glowed and her eyes danced. "Youknow, I'll never believe another advertisement I read."
"Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that, if I were you." Teddy's voicewas gravity itself, although she, too, was bubbling over. "It probably_is_ kissproof. I don't think 'kissing' is quite the word for theperformance you just staged. To stand up under such punishment as yougave it, my dear, anything would have to be tattooed in, not just puton."
"Hey!" Hilton protested. "You promised to be deaf and blind!"
"I did no such thing. I said 'could', not 'would'. Why, I wouldn't havemissed that for _anything_!"
When Hilton left the room he was apparently, in every respect, his usualself-contained self. However, it was not until the following morningthat he so much as thought of the sheaf of papers lying unread in thedrawer of Theodora Blake's desk.