Kate Wilhelm in Orbit - Volume One Read Online Free PDF Page B

p.m. flight. Anne would not be off until four, so they made themselves comfortable in her rooms and waited. Herb turned her screen on, offered a helmet to John, who shook his head, and they both seated themselves. John watched the screen for several minutes; then he, too, put on a helmet.
    Anne was looking at the waves far out at sea where they were long, green, undulating; then she brought her gaze in closer, to the blue-green and quick seas, and finally in to where they stumbled on the sand bars, breaking into foam that looked solid enough to walk on. She was peaceful, swaying with the motion of the boat, the sun hot on her back, the fishing rod heavy in her hands. It was like being an indolent animal at peace with the world, at home in the world, being one with it. After a few seconds she put down the rod and turned, looking at a tall smiling man in swimming trunks. He held out his hand and she took it. They entered the cabin of the boat, where drinks were waiting. Her mood of serenity and happiness ended abruptly, to be replaced by shocked disbelief and a start of fear.
    “What the hell…?” John muttered, adjusting the audio. You seldom needed audio when Anne was on.
    “…Captain Brothers had to let them go. After all, they’ve done nothing yet—” the man was saying soberly.
    “But why do you think they’ll try to rob me?”
    “Who else is here with a million dollars’ worth of jewels?”
    John turned it off and said to Herb, “You’re a fool! You can’t get away with something like that!”
    Herb stood up and crossed the room to stand before a window wall that was open to the stretch of glistening blue ocean beyond the brilliant white beaches. “You know what every woman wants? To own something worth stealing.” He chuckled, a low throaty sound that was without mirth. “Among other things, that is. They want to be roughed up once or twice, and forced to kneel… Our new psychologist is pretty good, you know? Hasn’t steered us wrong yet. Anne might kick some, but it’ll go over great.”
    “She won’t stand for an actual robbery.” Louder, emphasizing it, he added, “I won’t stand for that.”
    “We can dub it,” Herb said. “That’s all we need, Johnny, plant the idea, and then dub the rest.”
    John stared at his back. He wanted to believe that. He needed to believe it. His voice showed no trace of emotion when he said, “It didn’t start like this, Herb. What happened?”
    Herb turned then. His face was dark against the glare of light behind him. “Okay, Johnny, it didn’t start like this. Things accelerate, that’s all. You thought of a gimmick, and the way we planned it, it sounded great, but it didn’t last. We gave them the feeling of gambling, of learning to ski, of automobile racing, everything we could dream of, and it wasn’t enough. How many times can you take the first ski jump of your life? After a while you want new thrills, you know? For you it’s been great, hasn’t it? You bought yourself a shiny new lab and closed the door. You bought yourself time and equipment, and when things didn’t go right you could toss it out and start over, and nobody gave a damn. Think of what it’s been like for me, kid! I gotta keep coming up with something new, something that’ll give Anne a jolt and through her all those nice little people who aren’t even alive unless they’re plugged in. You think it’s been easy? Anne was a green kid. For her everything was new and exciting, but it isn’t like that now, boy. You better believe it is not like that now. You know what she told me last month? She’s sick and tired of men. Our little hot-box Annie! Tired of men!”
    John crossed to him and pulled him around. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “Why, Johnny? What would you have done that I didn’t do? I looked harder for the right guy. What would you do for a new thrill for her? I worked for them, kid. Right from the start you said for me to leave you alone. Okay. I left you