Starfishers Volume 3: Stars End Read Online Free PDF Page A

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