good for a month?"
"Of course-but why only a month? If I go to space with Bran-no, make it indefinite, valid until revoked. And a gen-eral power of attorney, as Erika holds for me on earth.'
"You think you'll go on Inconnu?'
"Bran thinks not. But I do not fancy being a manless wife for years at a time, so for me the mater is not settled until the fact."
"Can't blame you. On the other hand, you can't establish yourself here very wel if you go off sky-hooting within the year. Wel, we won't solve it al this minute. Let's sign those papers and have that much out of the way, at least.'
They did so, and Rissa went to her room. On her viewscreen a light blinked; she turned a switch and Tregare's face ap-peared, a bandage over part of his left cheek. He smiled briefly, then said, "I was hoping to catch you in per-son-never mind, though. The message is, I'm finished up, here. I'll be back there sometime tonight. Late, probably; don't wait up. Might start packing, if you want-we can leave for the scoutship tomorrow."
He touched the bandage. "Don't worry about this; I'm not hurt or anything." He paused, then said, "You know some-thing? I've missed you a lot." The screen went blank.
Rissa caled Maison Renale. A recorded voice answered. "Occupant has vacated. No relay code was given." She shrugged, cut the circuit and called Liesel, telling her of Tregare's cal.
"Good thing he lets somebody know-I haven't heard from him in-oh, the past four days, I suppose. He said nothing more? Just that he's coming tonight and you two leaving to-morrow?"
"That we can leave-not that we must.''
"Nothing wrong with tomorrow-after all, you're not going off-planet yet, are you?"
"I would think not."
"Well, I want to see him before you leave. You'll tell him?"
"Of course."
she thought of packing and decided the chore was too slight to merit doing in advance. She went outside and walked up-trail an hour, then back, enjoying the pul of muscles and the complete lack, now, of pain. As she neared the Lodge, a flash of light caught her attention; at a table on a roof-deck now facing the sun, Hawkman sat, apparently nude. He motioned toward an outside stair, narrow and steep; she climbed it and joined him.
He was shorts-clad, not nude, and what he had waved to catch her eye was a wine flagon, now half-full. He laughed and said, "I'm enjoying the pleasure of good wine in sunlight.
Sit and have some? Your walk probably gut-dried you well enough."
"Thank you." She drained half the glass to quench thirst, then sipped. "It is pleasant here-I had not noticed this place before." She told him of Tregare's call. "I am glad he returns."
"I'm glad he's here at all, after so long. My thanks, Rissa."
She shook her head. "It was largely luck, my part. And perhaps bad luck that he did not come sooner, in earlier times."
"I'l settle for now, and the way it did happen." He laughed again. " 'Perhaps' never won stakes, Rissa-it applies only to the future, never to the past."
They talked of other things-her study of the politics and economics of Number One. The "private money," such as Bleeker's certificates, was new to her-he explained how it worked as a handy credit device, and how, if used carelessly, it could ruin the user. "The Hulzeins issue it sparingly," he said. "We prefer to deal in others' paper; it's safer." They discussed trends and situations on the planet. Finaly he said, "You've got most of it, and rapidly. But one thing you're missing. Just because the landowners' power lessens as industry develops, don't sell land short. Industry needs it as much as farms and herds do-in the end, here the same as on Earth, it gains the value of what's built on it. Remember that, for you'l be here to see it happen-especially if I've guessed right and you're not done stretching your years by star travel." His brows slanted as he raised them. "Well? Am I right?"
"In al respects, I think-except that I do not know when I wil next travel."
"Well, at your age that's no
"Of course-but why only a month? If I go to space with Bran-no, make it indefinite, valid until revoked. And a gen-eral power of attorney, as Erika holds for me on earth.'
"You think you'll go on Inconnu?'
"Bran thinks not. But I do not fancy being a manless wife for years at a time, so for me the mater is not settled until the fact."
"Can't blame you. On the other hand, you can't establish yourself here very wel if you go off sky-hooting within the year. Wel, we won't solve it al this minute. Let's sign those papers and have that much out of the way, at least.'
They did so, and Rissa went to her room. On her viewscreen a light blinked; she turned a switch and Tregare's face ap-peared, a bandage over part of his left cheek. He smiled briefly, then said, "I was hoping to catch you in per-son-never mind, though. The message is, I'm finished up, here. I'll be back there sometime tonight. Late, probably; don't wait up. Might start packing, if you want-we can leave for the scoutship tomorrow."
He touched the bandage. "Don't worry about this; I'm not hurt or anything." He paused, then said, "You know some-thing? I've missed you a lot." The screen went blank.
Rissa caled Maison Renale. A recorded voice answered. "Occupant has vacated. No relay code was given." She shrugged, cut the circuit and called Liesel, telling her of Tregare's cal.
"Good thing he lets somebody know-I haven't heard from him in-oh, the past four days, I suppose. He said nothing more? Just that he's coming tonight and you two leaving to-morrow?"
"That we can leave-not that we must.''
"Nothing wrong with tomorrow-after all, you're not going off-planet yet, are you?"
"I would think not."
"Well, I want to see him before you leave. You'll tell him?"
"Of course."
she thought of packing and decided the chore was too slight to merit doing in advance. She went outside and walked up-trail an hour, then back, enjoying the pul of muscles and the complete lack, now, of pain. As she neared the Lodge, a flash of light caught her attention; at a table on a roof-deck now facing the sun, Hawkman sat, apparently nude. He motioned toward an outside stair, narrow and steep; she climbed it and joined him.
He was shorts-clad, not nude, and what he had waved to catch her eye was a wine flagon, now half-full. He laughed and said, "I'm enjoying the pleasure of good wine in sunlight.
Sit and have some? Your walk probably gut-dried you well enough."
"Thank you." She drained half the glass to quench thirst, then sipped. "It is pleasant here-I had not noticed this place before." She told him of Tregare's call. "I am glad he returns."
"I'm glad he's here at all, after so long. My thanks, Rissa."
She shook her head. "It was largely luck, my part. And perhaps bad luck that he did not come sooner, in earlier times."
"I'l settle for now, and the way it did happen." He laughed again. " 'Perhaps' never won stakes, Rissa-it applies only to the future, never to the past."
They talked of other things-her study of the politics and economics of Number One. The "private money," such as Bleeker's certificates, was new to her-he explained how it worked as a handy credit device, and how, if used carelessly, it could ruin the user. "The Hulzeins issue it sparingly," he said. "We prefer to deal in others' paper; it's safer." They discussed trends and situations on the planet. Finaly he said, "You've got most of it, and rapidly. But one thing you're missing. Just because the landowners' power lessens as industry develops, don't sell land short. Industry needs it as much as farms and herds do-in the end, here the same as on Earth, it gains the value of what's built on it. Remember that, for you'l be here to see it happen-especially if I've guessed right and you're not done stretching your years by star travel." His brows slanted as he raised them. "Well? Am I right?"
"In al respects, I think-except that I do not know when I wil next travel."
"Well, at your age that's no
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