It was a minutes after sunrise, and Smale and I were on the
terrace with the of and honeydew.
"That's one of being in in your own house--the food's
good," I commented.
"I can your feelings," Smale said. "Frankly, I didn't relish
this assignment. But it's clear that there are here which
require explanation. It was my that you'd see fit to cooperate
voluntarily."
"Take your army and sail off into the sunrise, General," I said. "Then
maybe I'll be in a position to do something voluntary."
"Your alone----"
"My telling me that where I come from, a citizen has
certain legal rights," I said.
"This is a that legal technicalities," Smale said.
"I'll tell you frankly, the presence of the here only
received _ex post facto_ by the Peruvian government. They were
faced with the _fait accompli_. I mention this only to just
how the government in this matter."
"Seeing you the beach with a of was of
a hint for me," I said. "You're lucky I didn't you out with my
disintegrator rays."
Smale on a bite of melon.
"Just kidding," I said. "But I haven't you any trouble. Why the
reinforcements?"
Small at me. "What reinforcements?"
I pointed with a fork. He turned, out to sea. A tower
was the surface, a white wake behind. It rose higher,
water off the deck. A open, and men out,
lining up. Smale got to his feet, his to the floor.
"Sergeant!" he yelled. I sat, open-mouthed, as Smale jumped to the
stair, it three steps at a time. I him bellowing, the
shouts of men and the of being unstacked, pounding.
I to the marble and looked down. Pruffy was out on the
lawn in pajamas, questions. Colonel Sanchez was pulling
at Smale's arm, also yelling. The Marines were up on the lawn.
"Let's watch those petunias, Sergeant," I yelled.
"Keep out of this, Legion," Smale shouted.
"Why should I be the only one not yelling," I yelled. "After all, I own
the place."
Smale up the stairs. "You're my responsibility,
Legion," he barked. "I'm you to a point of maximum security.
Where's the cellar?"
"I keep it downstairs," I said. "What's this all about? Interservice
rivalry? You the are going to the glory?"
"That's a nuclear-powered sub," Smale barked. "Gagarin class; it
belongs to the Soviet Navy."
* * * * *
I there with my mouth open, looking at Smale without him,
and trying hard to think fast. I hadn't been too when the
Marines up; I had gone over the legal of my situation
months before, with a of high-priced legal talent; I that
sooner or later somebody would come around to me for tax evasion,
draft dodging, or parking; but I was in the clear. The
government might my a of it didn't, but no
one prove I'd them from Uncle Sam. In the end, they'd
have to let me go--and my account in a Swiss bank would last me, even
if they managed to any new from my lab.
In a way, I was the had come.
But I'd about the Russians. Naturally, they'd be interested,
and their were at least as good as the of the US
Secret Service. I should have that sooner or later, they'd pay
a call--and the legal wouldn't slow them down. They'd me
into a brain laundry, and every last out of me as casually
as I'd a lemon.
The was now, and I was looking the of
half a dozen five-inch rifles, any one of which blast Smale's
navy out of the water with one salvo. There were a of hundred
men, I estimated, landing over the and spilling
into them. Down on the lawn, the was orders, and the
men were double-timing off to positions that must have been in
advance. It looked like the Russians weren't unexpected. This
was a game the big boys were playing, and I was just a pawn, caught
in the middle. My picture of me the was
fading fast. My was about to a battlefield, and whichever
way it out, I'd be the loser. I had one possibility; to get
lost in the shuffle.
Smale my arm. "Don't there, man!" he snapped. "Which
way--"
"Sorry, General," I said, and a hard right to his stomach. He
folded, but still managed to for me. I gave him a left to the
jaw, and he dropped. I jumped over him, through the French
doors, and took the four at a time, whirled, and
slammed the strong-room door me. The would stand
anything of a direct with a good-sized shell, and
the boys were to use any for of
damaging the they'd been sent out to collect. I was safe for a
little while.
Now I had to do some fast, thinking. I couldn't much
with me--when and if I it off the island. A rods,
maybe; what was left of the movies. But I had already most of
the rods; I them as well as I know my tax bracket. One to
a gave you a fast picture of the subject; two or three repeats
engraved it on your brain. The only a man couldn't know
everything was that too much, too fast, would the mind--and
amnesia the clean.
I didn't have time to use any more rods, and I couldn't anything.
But just to walk off and it all....
I through and ends, small into my pockets.
I came across a cylinder, three long, in
black and gold--a memory-trace. It me of something....
That was an idea. I still had the U-shaped plastic that
Foster had used to a knowledge of his old home. I
had it once--for a moment. It had me a in two
seconds flat, just pressed against my temple. It had been here
ever since. But maybe now was the time to try it again. Half the items
I had here in my strong-room were mysteries, like the cylinder
in my hand, but I what the plastic give me.
It all anyone needed to know about Vallon and the Two Worlds,
and all the they possessed.
I out the armor-glass window. Smale's Marines were trotting
across the lawn; the Russians were out along the water's edge.
It looked like all right. Still, it would take them a while
to up--and more time still to decide to blast me out of my
fort. It had taken an hour or so for Foster to up the briefing;
maybe I wouldn't be much longer at it.
I the aside, a of drawers, the
inconspicuous of plastic that a whole civilization.
I it across to a chair, settled myself, then hesitated. This
thing had been designed for an brain, not mine. Suppose it burnt
out my wiring, left me here gibbering, for Smale or the Ruskis to work
over?
But the was to my empty-handed,
settle for what I might in time manage to from my account--if
I a way of money without calling the
Gestapo....
No, I wouldn't go to without a struggle. What I could
carry in my would give me independence--even from the
greed of nations. I my knowledge for my freedom.
There were of with this picture, but it was the
best I do on notice. Gingerly I the U-shaped to
my head. There was a of pressure, then a like warm
water about me. Panic to rise, faded. A voice to
reassure me. I was among friends, I was safe, all was well....
