To the Stars Trilogy Part 22

"I don't care what he said. If you wish to hold a meeting of Family Heads to listen to him, you may do it any time you choose. Tonight if you wish. After our business is finished. I have called this meeting as Train-master and we have urgent matters to discuss."

"You can't throw me out!" Hem shouted. 'As Proctor Captain I have a right to attend."

Jan sprang to his feet and put his face close to the other's ruddy one. "You have the right to leave, nothing else, that is an order."

"You cannot order me, you attacked me, there are charges... drew a gun on me, Hem, and I defended you myself. There are witnesses. I will prefer charges when we reach Southtown. If you insist on bothering me now I shall arrest you now, for endangering the safety of the train, and I shall imprison you.

Now go."

Hem's eyes swept the room, looking for some evi-dence of aid. Chun opened his mouth-then shut it.

The Hradil sat as unmoving and expressionless as a snake. There was only silence. Hem choked out a sound and stumbled to the door, fumbling at the handle with his left hand, then vanished into the night.

"Justice will be done in Southtown," The Hradil said.

"It will be done," Jan answered, his voice as expres-sionless as hers. 'After the trip. Now, are there any trou-bles I should know about?"

"There are complaints," Ivan s.e.m.e.nov said.

"I don't want to hear them. Morale, complaints, food, personal problems, all of these will be handled by the Family Heads. I mean mechanical problems; air, power, anything like that?"

He looked from face to face, but there was no re-sponse. It had to continue this way. He had to keep them off balance, unable to adjust completely to this new mode of life.

"Good. I knew I could rely upon you all to make things smoother for the technical crew. There are other ways in which you can help. As you know, we shall be driving for twice the normal amount eAch day.

This is only the first day, so fatigue is not showing yet. But it will. The drivers will be working double time, so will soon be twice as tired as normal. We may have accidents which we cannot afford. Unless we train more drivers as we go.

"Why do you bother us with this?" Chun Taekeng asked abrasively. "This is a technical matter about which you boast great proficiency. With no farming to be done, there are plenty of men to choose from, so choose who you will."

"Begging your pardon, but I would not trust any of your h.o.r.n.y handed field workers near my machinery.

Every man with any technical skills or abilities is now working or training."

"If you have them all, why do you come to us?" The Hradil asked.

"I said men. My drivers tell me that they know many women with the skills and reflexes we need. They could be trained....

"Never!" The Hradil exploded the word, her eyes narrowed to slits buried in a webwork of ancient wrinkles. Jan turned to face her, the closest he had ever been before, and realized that her cap of snowy hair was really a wig. So she had vanity. Perhaps that knowledge could be turned to some good use.

"Why not?" he asked quietly.

"Why? You dare ask? Because a woman's place is in the home. With her children, the family, that is the way it always has been done before."

"Well that's not the way it will be done in the future. The s.h.i.+ps always come. They did not come. The s.h.i.+ps take the corn. We are carrying the corn south. The s.h.i.+ps bring the seed and supplies we need.

There is no seed or supplies. Women do not do technical work. They do now. My co-driver tells me that Alzbeta Mahrova, of your family, does skilled and delicate embroidery. He feels a woman with those talents could be trained as a co-driver. Then he could relieve me as driver. You can send her there now.

"No!"

There was silence then. Had he pushed too hard? Maybe,' but he had to push to keep them off balance-while he kept his balance. He had to stay in command. The silence went on and on, then was suddenly broken.

"You pick on only one," Bruno Becker said in his slow and solemn manner. "The girls in the Becker family are as good at embroidery as the Mahrovas. Some say even better. My daughter-in-law, Arma, is known for the delica-cy of her work."

"I know it," Jan said, turning~his back on The Hradil, deliberately, smiling and nodding enthusiastically.

'And she is a very smart girl, as well. A moment, yes, isn't her brother driver of nine train? I thought so.

I'll have him send for her.

-Her own brother will be able to tell her worth, and whether she will be able to be trained as a co-driver."

"Her embroidery is like chicken droppings in the sand," The Hradil spluttered.

'I'm sure both girls do fine work," Jan said calmly. "But that is not the question. It is whether they can be trained to do a co-pilot's work. I'm sure Otakar will be able to train Alzbeta as easily as Arma's brother can teach her."

"Impossible. Alone, with only men."

-A problem easily solved. Very sensible of you to remind me. When Alzbeta comes in the morning to the engine, be sure a married woman is with her. You've solved in advance what might be a problem, Hradil, I do thank you. Now let its prepare a list of women who might be suitable for this work."

There seemed to be no trouble. The Family Heads were suggesting names, drawing up lists, with Jan agreeing and writing down the ones they thought best. Only The Hradil was silent. Jan chanced a look at her expressionless face and realized that all her feelings were in her eyes; burning pits of hatred. She knew what he had done and was filled with arctic loathing, frozen by it. If she had disliked him before, she hated him now, with a ferocity beyond belief. Jan turned away and tried to ignore her because he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Seven.

'Another hour at least," Lajos Nagy said. "We have to blast more headroom or the engines will never get through.

And I want to do static tests on the outer lip. I don't like the condition of some of the rock." He had been up an entire day and night, had worked right through the night. His skin was pale and marked by dark patches, like soot, under his eyes.

"How many tanks will it take?" Jan asked.

"Two. The ones with the oversize fusion guns.

"Leave those two and start ahead with the rest of the tanks. You must stay ahead of us."

"I'll follow with these "Oh no you won't. You look like h.e.l.l, do you know that? I want you asleep when the tanks leave.

We've got a long trip ahead and a lot more trouble, I'm sure. Now don't argue, or I'll give your job back to Hem."

"You've talked me into it. Now that you mention it, I do feel like lying down."

Jan walked slowly across the newly-carved Road to-ward the waiting trains. He looked out at the harsh blue of the sky and winced at the glare. The sun was still behind the mountains, but it would rise soon enough. Beyond the sharp edge of the cliff there were only clouds hiding the jungle below. It was going to be a hot day. And get still hotter. He turned back to his engine to see Emo leaning against the golden flank of metal, sucking on a cold pipe. There was grease on his hands and arms and even on his face.

'All done," he told Jan. "Took most of the night, but worth it. I'll doze in the engine room. Didn't put the new brake valves in, no need. Old ones jtist gummed up. Rinsed out and put back. Work fine. Changed the filters in the lines, too. Solid with gunk. I'd like to bend that Decio over my knee. He nevertouched a one of them."

"Maybe I'll let you do that. After the trip."

The few hours' sleep he had grabbed had restored Jan and he enjoyed the climb tip the side of the engine. As he clambered up the sun broke over the hills and shone on the metal so that, even through half-closed eyes, he was in the center of a golden glare. Half-blinded, he went through the hatch and slammed it after him. The air was cool and dry.

"Gear box temperature, tire temperature, brake drum temperattire, bearing temperattire."

It wasn't Otakar who was speaking, but a far sweeter and familiar voice. To think he had forgotten!

Alzbeta sat in the co-driver's seat, with Otakar standing behind her nodding his head happily. Not two feet away sat a pudgy, gray-haired woman, knitting with grim ferocity. The Hradil's own daughter, watchdog and guardian of virgins. Jan smiled to himself as he slipped into his driver's chair. Alzbeta glanced up at the motion and her voice died.

"She's doing absolt.i.tely fantastic," Otakar said. 'About ten times brighter and ten times smarter than the last dim dirt-scratcher I tried to teach this job to. If the other girls are anywhere as good, our driver problem is solved."

"I'm sure they will be,:' Jan said, hut his eyes were on Alzbeta as he spoke. So close he could almost touch her. Those dark eyes looking deep into his.

"I like this work, too," she said. Very seriously, her back to the others. Only Jan could see her eyes move up and down his body, followed by the slow wink.

"For the good of the train," he said, just as seriously. "I am glad that this plan will work. Isn't that so, aunty?"

The Hradil's daughter returned only a glare of pure malice before bending back to her knitting. She had been well briefed by her mother. Her presence could be suffered. It was small enough price to pay to have Alzbeta nearby. When he spoke it was to Otakar~but his eyes were on the girl.

"How soon before you think she will be ready to spell you as co-driver?"

"Compared to some of the dummies on these trains, I would say she is ready now. But let her have a day here at least, observing, then perhaps tomorrow she can try a trial run in the seat with me standing by."

"Sounds good to me. What do you think, Alzbeta?"

"I'm... not sure. The responsibility."

"The responsibility is not yours, it is the driver's. I or Otakar will be in this seat, making the decisions and driving the train. Your job will be to help, to keep track of things, to watch the instruments, to follow orders. As long as you stay calm, you can do it. Do you think you can?"

Her jaw was clamped tight and, beautiful as she was, there was more than a little of The Hradil in her when she spoke.

"Yes. I can do it. I know I can do it."

"Very good. Then it is all arranged."

When the fusion guns had finished cutting the new Road, Jan personally walked every foot of it, the exhausted tank operator plodding at his side. They walked along the lip, just a meter from the sheer fall into the jungle far below. Despite the breeze the cutting was like an oven, the rock still warm under their feet. Jan knelt and tapped the edge of the rock with a heavy hall peen hammer he carried. A chunk of stone broke away and rattled down the slope and vanished over the drop.

"I don't like some of this rock. I don't like it at all," he said. The tank operator nodded.

"Don't like it mvself. If we had more time I would widen the cut. I've done what I can with melt compacting. Hope the lava flow on the surface will penetrate and hold it together."

"You're not the only one to hope that. All right, you've done all you can now. Get your tanks through and I'll bring the first train over." He started away, then turned back. "You've dug' in the guide wire as we planned?"

'Absolute minimum clearance. If it was one more centimeter to the right you would be taking off the top of the engine."

"Good." Jan had been thinking about this and he knew what had to be done. There would be protests, but they would follow his orders. His own crew were predictably the first.

"You'll need an engineer for this job," Emo said. "I promise not to sleep."

"I will not need one. The engines will be dead slow all the way, so they can do without yotir attention for a few minutes. Nor will I need a co-driver or a communications officer for that short a time. Clear the driving compart-ment. Once we're past this you'll learn the ,1ob, Alzbeta." He guided her toward the hatch with his hand on her elbow, ignoring the gasps and raised knitting needles of her chaperone. "Don't worry.

There were more protests from the pa.s.sengers as they were unloaded but, in a few minutes, Jan was alone in the train. If anything happened he would be the only one to suffer. They could not afford to waste more time here; they must press on.

'All clear," Otakar called from the open hatch. "I can still come along."

"See you on the other side. Clear the train, I'm starting."

He touched lightly on the accelerator and, at absolutely minimum speed, the engine crawled forward. As soon as it was moving he set the autopilot and took his hands from the wheel. He was committed. The engine would take itself across in a far more controlled manner than he himself could. As the train crept forward he went to the open hatch and looked at the edge of the Road. If there were trouble, it would be there. Centimeter by centimeter they crawled through the newly-burned section of Road, closer and closer to the far end.

The sound was a grinding rumble, easily heard above the drone of the engine, and as the noise began cracks appeared in the hard stirface of the stone. Jan started to turn to the controls, then realized he could do nothing. He stood, his fingers tight-clamped to the edge of the hatch, as the great section of Road broke away and vanished with a roar toward the valley floor, far below. Cracks spread like deadly fingers across the surface, reaching for the train.

Then stopped.

There was a great gap now, a chunk bitten out of the solid rock of the Road. But it ended short of the engine. The powerful machine lumbered past the opening and Jan sprang back to the controls, frantically switching from camera to camera to get a view of the following car. Now the engine was through safely, past the gap.

However, the cars it pulled were almost three times wider.

His foot was a fraction of a centimeter above the brake pedal, his fingers resting on the autopilot, his eyes fixed on the screen.

The wheels of the first car crept toward the gap, the outer, double wheel appareritly aimed directly at it.

It would never get by. He was about to stamp on the brakes when he looked closer. Just possibly.

The wheel rolled to the edge of the gap~and dropped over the lip.

The outer tire of the two. It turned slowly in the air, blue sky showing under it. All of the weight of the overloaded car came onto the inner wheel.

As the tire skirted the very edge of the drop it compressed under the weight, flattening to an oval. Then the other tire hit the far edge of the gap and the car was safe on the other side. The radio bleeped in Jan's ear and he switched it on.

"Did you see that?" Otakar asked, in a very weak voice.

"I did. Stay close by and report on the broken area. I'm going to take the rest of the train across. If it stays this way it will be fine. But tell me instantls if there are any more falls."

"I'll do that, you can be sure.

At minimum crawling speed the cars followed, one by one, until the entire train was safely across the gap. As soon as the last car was reported safely past Jan killed the engine, jammed on the brakes~and let out a deep sigh. He felt as thotigh every muscle in his body had been worked over with a heavy hammer. To relieve the tension he jogged back to the new section of Road to join Otakar.

"No more falls, none at all," the co-driver reported.

"Then we should be able to get the other trains through." The pa.s.sengers were crossing on foot now, pressed as close to the inside wall as they could, looking with frightened eyes at the clul edge and the gaping crevice. "Take the first engine and keep going. Half speed until all the trains are over. It should go well now. When they are through I'll catch up on the cycle. Any questions?"

"Nothing I can put into words. This is your show, Jan. Good luck."

It was hours before the last train was past, but they all made it safely. There were no more rock falls. As Jan sped along beside the slow-moving trains he wondered what the next emergency would be.

Happily, it was a long time coming. The Road crossed the coastal ranges and cut across the alluvial coastal plain that fringed the continent. This was an almost entirely flat and featureless swamp, formerly the coastal banks, shoal water, lifted up by the engineers. The Road was on a raised dike for the most part, cutting straight as a ruled line through the reeds and tree-grown ha.s.socks. All that the maintenance tanks had to do, for the most part, was burn off intruding vegetable lile and repair the occasional crack caused by subsidence. They moved faster than the heavy-laden trains and were drawing farther and farther ahead, making up most of the two-day lead they had lost. The nights had been growing shorter until the day when the sun did not set at all. It dropped to the southern horizon, a btirning blue ball of fire, then moved into the sky again soon afterward. After this it was always above their heads, its intensity increasing as they headed south. The temperature outside had been rising steadily and now stood at well past 150 degrees. When there had still been a night, many people had emerged from the cramped, boring quarters to move about on the Road despite the breathless heat. With the sun now in the sky constantly this could not be done, and morale was being strained to the breaking point. And there were still 18,000 kilometers togo.

They were driving a full nineteen hours every day now, and the new co-drivers were proving their worth.