The Fenris Device Read Online Free PDF Page B

Stylaster to this ship or whatever that’s down there. Now, if I can’t take that ship down there, effectively no one can. There are some men who might have the ability—men as good as me—but once they find out I refused to take the ship down they’ll refuse also. To some extent it’s a matter of etiquette, but primarily it’s a matter of respecting my judgment. Ergo, if I don’t go, nobody goes. Your ship—or whatever—stays there. The Sister Swan will be operational soon, but that won’t make any difference. I don’t want to boast and say that if I can’t do it, nobody can—but I’m pretty sure that if I don’t do it, nobody who can will.”
    He remained totally impassive, not bothering to blink. “It is a ship,” he said, obviously willing to fulfill his part of the bargain. “Its name is the Varsovien . It was left on Mormyr nearly a thousand of your time-strips....”
    â€œYears?”
    â€œYears. A thousand of your years ago.”
    â€œIt was left,” I quoted. I didn’t like to interrupt, but I wanted to get things straight if I was getting them at all. “It didn’t crash?”
    â€œNo,” he said. “It was abandoned.”
    â€œAnd now, after a thousand years, you want it back. Why?”
    â€œI do not know.”
    I knew he was telling the truth. The underhanded bastard. But perhaps not. A little information was better than no bread, and I hadn’t actually told him anything that was phenomenally useful. I paused for a moment, trying to frame another question in the most useful possible way, when the door opened. Ecdyon was sitting behind it and it dealt him a firm blow which knocked him over. Johnny literally bounded into the cabin.
    â€œWhat the fucking hell do you...?” I began to shout, forgetting that one shouldn’t swear in front of an alien, but Johnny wouldn’t let me finish.
    â€œMayday,” he said. “There’s a mayday....”
    â€œWhere?”
    â€œOne-fifty mk out from the sun. About the same from here. We’re closer than Pallant.”
    The fact that we were closer than Pallant didn’t really figure. The Swan was far faster than anything that might be sitting around on Pallant Field. It was our pigeon.
    â€œDrive-chamber, quick,” I told him.
    He disappeared back out the door, without even pausing to look at poor Ecdyon.
    I helped the Gallacellan to his feet. He was making a peculiar noise with his back mouth, and seemed to be having trouble taking in air through his front one. I think he was winded.
    â€œI am sorry,” he wheezed, as he regained his full six foot ten. “Your air—it is rather bad.”
    â€œI dunno,” I muttered, as I backed away, leaving him to look after himself while I pretended to be a lifeboat. “We like it.”
    I made the control room in seconds. I closed the locks, and began to broadcast a warning to everybody within earshot via the klaxon. I checked to see that we had an empty yard, and found that there were people running for cover. I opened a circuit with the port authority.
    â€œTell me as soon as I’m clear,” I snapped.
    The officer was on the ball. He didn’t bother asking questions.
    â€œHold hard,” he said. “Information on the bleep.”
    There was a whine on the circuit as he transferred all the general information on the mayday call at high speed.
    â€œThanks,” I said. Then, to Johnny: “Start countdown now, but be ready to hold her if we don’t get the all clear.”
    â€œEighty, seventy-nine, seventy-eight...,” he began, without preamble.
    â€œHow much burn can I use, port?” I asked.
    â€œRegulation,” said the officer. “Sorry, we just don’t have the space.”
    â€œOK,” I said. “Not to worry.” Using a bigger thrust from the cannons to lift me would have earned a few extra seconds,