Beyond Heaven's River (20 page)

Beyond Heavens River

Thirty-Nine

“It’s beautiful — really remarkable, what you’ve done here,” Oomalo Waunter said. His wife agreed with a nod and tight smile.

“Thank you,” Anna said. “It passes the time. My husband is sleeping now. He had a bad fall yesterday.”

“Oh?” Alae said.

“So I’ll conduct the business. There’s a table under the tree” — she pointed — “and it’s very pleasant to sit in the shade.”

“Do you have an affidavit from Mr. Kawashita stating you’re empowered to conduct his business?” Oomalo asked. Anna didn’t show a glimmer of irritation.

“As his wife, I’m legally empowered without any affidavit, so long as he gives recorded and witnessed approval before final dispensation.”

“Of course.”

“So — what are the circumstances?”

“We plan to settle down on a colony world, sell the ship, sell our holdings here — is this being recorded?”

“Of course not,” Anna lied.

“We don’t want certain people to be able to trace us,” Alae said. Oomalo’s grin shifted a notch, but he held it firm and continued. “We need to build up enough capital to see us through the next couple of centuries. We’re not Abstainers, you know, so we have to make our plans way ahead of time.”

“I see,” Anna said. “Do you have a buyer?”

“The purchasers wish to remain anonymous. We’ll represent their concerns until the deal is final.”

“What’s the bid?”

“We’re not at liberty to discuss that with you. They’re quite interested, however.”

“I can’t consent to the deal until I know who the purchaser is, and what’s being bid.”

“You can’t interfere with our attempt to sell,” Alae said, cocking her head to one side, eyes wide.

“It seems the provisions of the contract conflict here —” Oomalo began.

“No,” Anna said calmly, “not at all. Read it carefully. Majority holder has the right to approve any changes in ownership which might affect his holdings. We can’t interfere with your attempt to set up a deal — but if you want any sale to go through Centrum files, we must know the particulars. We’ll be circumspect, of course.”

Alae sighed with irritation. “Well,” Oomalo said, “I think we can trust you. Hafkan Bestmerit is interested in buying our share.”

“Very good,” Anna said. “They’re tough characters to negotiate with. And their bid?”

“Option of seven billion, royalties of one degree, considerations for twelve million.”

“More than a fair offer,” Anna said. “I doubt they’ll make anything off the deal. There’s nothing here.”

“I’m not sure that’s been determined yet,” Alae said sharply. Anna shook her head.

“I’m convinced, my husband is convinced. But if Hafkan Bestmerit isn’t, that’s all to your advantage.”

“Final word should come through in the next few days.” Oomalo took a deep breath and looked across the low hills. “It’s really quite pleasant here. We’re having difficulties with some instruments in our lander. Do you have replacements for a DN65 inertial guidance rotor?”

“None to spare,” Anna said.

“How long before your ship returns?”

She caught herself before answering. “Any time now.”

“Would it be possible to purchase one from your lander? I’m sure you have several redundant systems — but our craft is much older …”

“As I said, none to spare.”

“No lander,” Oomalo said. “Of course not. Where would you go? I’m being silly. But that puts us in a fix. Without that rotor, we’d take a substantial risk trying to get back to the ship. I hope you won’t mind if we stay here until your ship returns? If it’s no imposition.”

Anna tapped her fingers on the table, pausing before saying, “No. No imposition. We have a small building not far from here which should hold you comfortably.”

“Are there any animals?” Alae asked.

“Only insects. They won’t bother you.”

“I think we’re a bit premature, approaching you before everything is worked out. But we expected to receive the transmission on the way. If Alae could get some of our things from the lander, we’ll take advantage of your hospitality and rest for a while. Then, may we cook you dinner? I’m sure your foodstuffs are preferable to our own — but I’m a fair cook, and Alae does wonderful things with hydroponic materials.”

“Of course,” Anna said. She followed them to the air lock and stood talking with Oomalo while his wife walked back to the lander. The man was too smooth, too relaxed. He made her nervous. His calmness didn’t seem to have the same source as her own — a mask used while conducting business. The business seemed to mean very little to him.

“She’s coming back now,” Waunter said, watching the outer hatch light come on. “This is really very kind of you. We’re used to much bigger spaces than a lander affords.”

“Not at all. I’m sure you have lots to tell us — stories about your experiences, how you found the planet deserted … keep us very entertained.”

What would she carry in the luggage? Was there any way to detect it? The lock sensors — but not with Oomalo watching. Why was she worried?Calm. If they were planning, it was best to appear unsuspecting.

“We’re not very used to company ourselves,” Oomalo was saying. “Living alone for so many years. I can adjust, but my wife may not react in the most acceptable manner.” He smiled. His smile, Anna thought, was really quite genuine and warm. When it wasn’t used, however, Oomalo’s face became a waxy blank, eyes bright and observing but somehow insulated.

Alae stood in the lock. She was carrying a cloth travel bag. “Just a few things. We won’t be here long.”

Yoshio met them on the path to the compound. He was dressed in blue coveralls and carried a piece of paper on which he drew curved and straight lines. He held up his scriber in greeting and shook Alae’s hand, nodding to Oomalo. “Welcome back,” he said. “I trust things have gone well for you.”

Alae shrugged. “We still have to sell out.”

“We were used to having one employer and steady work,” Oomalo explained. “We were freelancers only technically … and the reality, so soon, was hard for a while. But we’re getting by. Aren’t we, Alae?”

The woman nodded, looking between Kawashita and Nestor. Anna instinctively turned to see what she was staring at — nothing but a hedgerow. A small shiver wriggled up her back. “They’re staying for dinner,” she said.

The meal was highly spiced, not to Anna’s taste. Kawashita ate it without comment. He said very little. The dome evening settled onto the open patio.

Oomalo dominated the evening’s talk. Anna thought his quest for hidden artifacts on the Aighor ship was compulsive, but she listened intently to his description of the old guidance systems and computers.

Alae sat as quiet as Kawashita, face expressionless. Everything was cordial, but Anna could not relax.

She escorted the Waunters to their shed, followed a few yards behind by Kawashita, who still clutched his piece of paper and scriber.

On the way back to the house, she cursed softly. “We haven’t gotanything ,” she said. “No weapons, no escape … damn!”

“You’re worried about them. Why?”

“Their story falls apart every time I come close to it. Who would buy this place? Certainly not the Hafkan Bestmerit negotiators. If they were interested, they’d contact us first — money is no object to them, since most don’t use it the way we do, anyway. So I ask myself why the Waunters are here, and — I don’t know! I’ve told them the ship will be back any time now, but they know we’re alone here. We need something — the garden tools, something from the shed. A cutter.”

Kawashita held his hand to his head and frowned. “Yes. One for each of us.”

“What’s the matter?”

“The bruise.”

“Do you want a med unit?”

“No. Just a throb. It’s gone now.”

“Tools from the shed. Two cutters — anything more powerful? Can we remove the torches from the welders? No. Power supply is too big. Anything else?”

He shook his head.

“And let’s not get separated while they’re here. We should stay within sight of each other at all times. Let’s go into the garden.” He followed and stood in the cricket-filled dusk while she rummaged in the shed. “Carry it in your pocket,” she said as she came out. She showed him how to collapse the handle of the pistol-shaped tool.

“When it’s folded, it won’t work. To unfold it, push this button, and to release the safety, push again. I’m going to do something illegal here. Donatien taught me this a long time ago, along with general lessons in dirty fighting. When the handle is partially collapsed, a gap appears between the upper grip and the body — here, see? There’s a small brain in the cutter which decides whether or not activating the tool will harm an animal. If it thinks it will, the cutter shuts down temporarily. The sensor wires are on one side of the gap — but if we cut them, it just deactivates the whole tool. We can, however, smash the brain with a short blade.” She took out a pocket knife and performed the operation on both cutters.

“Now look. My cutter is on, set to three inches. I’m going to slice my finger a bit.” The glowing field nudged her index finger and drew a drop of blood. “It’ll extend to twenty feet and cut flesh down to bone — but it won’t cut through bone. It’s a small garden tool, not set for anything tougher than a wood stem. So aim at someone’s throat, or the abdomen, and remember — the field is rigid. It extends across twenty feet, but it’ll take quite a swing to cut anything at the extreme end. It’s best at edge-cutting, and not very good at puncturing.”

Kawashita folded the altered cutter and put it in his pocket.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” Anna said.

“Everything will be fine.” He smiled.

“Are you feeling all right?”

“Not super, but I’ll do.” He walked back to the house, moving slowly from side to side on the path. He stopped once and bent to pick a handful of rye grass, sniffing it.

“Why give lessons to an old warrior?” she asked herself aloud. “He’s the one should be lecturingme. ” But something was still wrong with him. She shook her head. Holding the cutter tightly, she swung around on impulse and activated the field. She swept through a row of irises, cleanly severing the purple flowers. Then she folded the tool and put it in her waist pocket, checking to see if it made a bulge. The outside didn’t look much different from a tapas.

Later, in her sleep-field, with Kawashita in a lotus position on his mattress, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. It was possible she was being too jumpy. Their excuses for getting into the dome were on the edge of believability, and Alae had opened her bag wide enough several times for Anna to see there were no large weapons in it. But a persistent voice said,Knife …wire …don’t let them near …

Still, it was business. She’d conducted business before under worse circumstances.

The house and compound were surrounded by sensor nets. For the moment they were secure. She rolled over and looked at Kawashita. He was drawing on his piece of paper again — straight lines, curves, squiggles. There was a circle in the middle of the page, and all the lines radiated from it. “What are you drawing?” she asked.

“Where we haven’t been,” he said.

She nodded and lay on her back. A kind of numbness crept over her. Who was crazier, Yoshio or herself?

In the morning the communications equipment announced a message from thePeloros. Anna listened to it before waking Kawashita, who had stayed up far into the night. As she bent over to shake him, his eyes came open and he stared at her. His whole body had tensed as she approached. Now he grinned and relaxed. “What was that all about?” she asked.

“Alert,” he said. “You tell me to be aware.”

“We’re okay in the house, alone. The ship says it’ll be here in three days. Are you willing to leave by then?”

Yoshio scowled and looked at his paper. “I don’t know,” he said. “Perhaps. But I have to go outside with the cart first.”

“Okay. We’ll take the Waunters with us — can’t leave them in here alone. A group journey.”

“No,” he said.

“I don’t trust them anywhere but in their lander, or right with us.”

“I have no fear of them, but I should not be disturbed by too many people. One can come — I will watch out for myself.”

“We shouldn’t separate,” Anna said doggedly. “Don’t you understand?”

“You underestimate me,” Kawashita said, sitting up and putting on his robe. “I slept with one eye open for many years, remember?”

“You haven’t been feeling well.”

“I’ll admit that. But I’m still alert. And I’m much closer to figuring out the puzzle.”

“The paths?”

“Yes. Statistics, distributions.”