Book 3 - Star's End Read Online Free PDF Page A

He had linked with Old Ones. He compared it to
making love to his grandmother bare-assed on an iceberg, with a
crowd watching. Drawing Chub was the best thing that had happened
to him in years.
    “Yes. We half-wits stick together. Venceremos, Comrade
Moyshe.”
    BenRabi filled the universe with laughter. “Where the hell
did you get that?”
    “Your mind full of cobwebby memories, Moyshe man-friend.
One time you play revolutionary on hard matter place called
Dustball.”
    “Yeah. I did. About two weeks. Then it was duck bullets
all the way back to the Embassy.”
    “You live much in few years, Moyshe man-friend. Ten times
anyone else linked by starfish Chub. Many adventures. Think Chub
would make good spy?”
    “Who would you spy on?”
    “Yes. Problem. Very difficult to disguise as
shark.”
    “That’s another joke, isn’t it?”
    “Yes. You still spying, Moyshe man-friend?”
    “Not anymore. I’m not Thomas McClennon anymore.
I’m Moyshe benRabi. I’ve found me a home, Chub. These
are my people now. You can’t spy on your own
people.”
    “Oh. Saw shadows in your mind. Thought maybe secret
spy-stuff lurked. So. Hey! Maybe someday you go spy on hard matter
place people? Be double spy.”
    “Double agent?”
    “Oh. Yes. That right words.”
    “No more spying, Chub. I’m going to be a
mindtech.”
    “Dangerous.”
    “So is spying. In more ways than you’ll ever
understand.”
    “Hurts-of-the-heart dangers, you mean?”
    “I don’t know why they tell you you’re stupid.
You’re a lot smarter in a lot of ways than most people I
know. You see things without having to have them
explained.”
    “Helps, being starfish. People can’t look inside,
Moyshe man-friend. You have to tell. You have to show. You not the
kind of man to do that.”
    “Yeah. Let’s talk about something else,
huh?”
    “Running out of talk time, Moyshe man-friend. Scavenger
creatures getting dancey. You not paying attention?”
    “I still haven’t got the hang of seeing everything
at once.”
    That was one of the beauties of the mindtech’s linked
universe. He was not subject to the limitations of binocular
vision. But he did have to unlearn its habits.
    Blind people made better techs faster. They had no habits to
unlearn, no preoccupations to overcome. But blind people who
suffered from classical migraine were scarce.
    Scarlet torpedoes edged toward the fleet. They were not yet
wholly committed. Hunger still had not banished good sense.
    Sharks were slow of wit, but they knew they had to get past the
harvestships to reach their prey.
    That was the whole point of the starfish-Starfisher
alliance.
    “Can’t visit anymore, Chub. We’re not going on
mind-drive, so I’ll have to help fight.”
    “Oh, yes, Moyshe man-friend. Shoot straight. I help,
putting right vectors in your brain.”
    “All right.” Aloud, into his helmet, benRabi said,
“Gun Control.”
    A second later his earphones crackled. “Gun Control,
aye.”
    “Mindtech. In link and free to assume control of a sector
battery. Sharks will attack. Repeat, will attack.”
    “Shit. All right, buddy. But never mind the sector
battery. Master Gunner says he wants you to feed the main battle
tank. Think you and your link can give us good realtime
input?”
    “Yes,” Chub murmured deep in benRabi’s
hindbrain.
    “Yes,” Moyshe said. And wondered why. It was not
something he had ever tried.
    “Monitor?”
    “All go, Gun Control,” Clara’s voice
interjected. “Green boards all across, I’ve just keyed
the translator. You can bring the computer on-line whenever
you’re ready.”
    “Stand by for draw, Linker.”
    “Moyshe,” said Clara, “don’t take any
chances. Key out if it gets rough.”
    “Drawing, Linker.”
    For an instant benRabi felt as though some intangible vacuum
were sucking his mind away. A smatter of panic quickly yielded to
Chub’s soothing.
    Moyshe relaxed, became a conduit. He became an almost
disinterested observer.
    The scavengers