Masters Of The Vortex Part 11

'Could be-I haven't tried to read her.' Then, aloud: 'Go ahead, Vesta. Did the experience help you decide?' 'Oh, yes. I'm too finicky to be a very good mixer. There's just too many people I simply can't stand the smell of.'

'There's that smell smell thing again,' Thlaskin said. 'You've harped on it before. You mean to say you people's noses are thing again,' Thlaskin said. 'You've harped on it before. You mean to say you people's noses are that that sensitive?' sensitive?'

'Absolutely. No two people smell alike, you know. Some smell nice and some just plain stink. F'rinstance, the boss here smells just wonderful-I could hug him all day and love it. Doctor Janowick, too, she smells almost like the skipper. You're nice, too, Thlaskin, and so is Maluleme, and Nadine. And Tom-mie ain't bad; but a lot of the others are just too srizonified much for my stomach.'

'I see,' Cloud said. 'You do do give some people a lot of room around here.' give some people a lot of room around here.'

"Yeah, and that's what got this chick I was telling Thlaskin here about in such a jam. She's been bending her elbow pretty free, and taking a jab or so of this and that between drinks. But she ain't sozzled, y'understand, not by many a far piece; just 120.

lit up like Nyok s.p.a.ceport. She's maybe been a bit on the friendly side with a few of her friends, so this big bruiser-not a Vegian; no tail, even; an Aldebaranian or some-such-like and a Cla.s.s A-Triple-Prime stinker-gets interested in a big way. Well, he smells just like a Tellurian skunk, so she brushes him off, kind of private-like, a few times, but he don't take, so she finally has to give him the old heave-ho right out in front of everybody.

' "You slimy stinker, I've told you a dozen times it's no dice- you stink!" she says loud, clear, and plain. "This s.h.i.+p ain't big enough to let me get far enough away from you to hold my breakfast down," she says, and this burns the ape plenty.

' "Lookit here, babe," he says, coming to a boil, "Bend an ear while I tell you you something. No klevous Vegian chippie is going to play high and mighty with me, see? I'm fed up to the gozzle. So come down off your high horse right now, or I'll..." something. No klevous Vegian chippie is going to play high and mighty with me, see? I'm fed up to the gozzle. So come down off your high horse right now, or I'll..."

' "You'll what?" she snarls, and puts a hand behind her back. She's seeing red now, and fit to be tied. "Make just one pa.s.s at me, you kedonolating slime-lizard," she says, "and I'll bust your pfztikated skull wide open!"

'He goes for her then, but, being a Vegian, her footwork's a lot better than his. She ducks, sidesteps, pulls her sap, and lets him have it, but good, right behind the ear. It takes the s.h.i.+p's croaker an hour to bring him to, and the skipper's so scared he blasts right back to Vegia and the croaker calls the hospital and tells 'em to have a meat-wagon standing by when we sit down.'

'A very interesting and touching tale, Vesta,' Cloud said then, in English, 'but pretty rough language for a perfect lady, don't you think?'

'How the h.e.l.l else ...' Vesta started to reply in s.p.a.ceal, then switched effortlessly to English: 'How else can a lady, however ladylike she may be, talk in a language which, except for its highly technical aspects, is basically and completely profane, obscene, vulgar, lewd, coa.r.s.e, and foul? Not that that bothers me, of course ...'

Nor did it, as Cloud well knew. When a Master of Languages studied a language he took it as a whole, no matter what that whole might be. Every nuance, every idiom, every possibility was mastered; and he used the language as it was ordinarily used, it was ordinarily used, without prejudice or favor or motional bias. without prejudice or favor or motional bias.

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'... but it's so pitifully inadequate- inadequate-there's so so much that's completely missing! Thlaskin objected before, remember, that there wasn't any word in s.p.a.ceal he could use- much that's completely missing! Thlaskin objected before, remember, that there wasn't any word in s.p.a.ceal he could use-would use, I mean-to describe Maluleme as his wife. And my brother- Zambkptkn-I've mentioned him?' use, I mean-to describe Maluleme as his wife. And my brother- Zambkptkn-I've mentioned him?'

'Once or twice,' Cloud said, dryly. This was the understatement of the trip.

'He's a police officer. Not exactly like one of your Commissioners of Police, or Detective Inspector, but something like both. And in s.p.a.ceal I can call him only one of four things, the English equivalents of which are "cop", "lawman", "flatfoot", and "bull". What What a language! But I started to tell his story in s.p.a.ceal and I'm going to finish it in s.p.a.ceal. It'll be fun, in a way, to see how close I can come to saying what I want to say.' a language! But I started to tell his story in s.p.a.ceal and I'm going to finish it in s.p.a.ceal. It'll be fun, in a way, to see how close I can come to saying what I want to say.'

Then, switching back to the lingua franca of deep s.p.a.ce; 'So that's how come my brother got into the act. The hospital called the cops of course, so he was there with the meat wagon and climbed aboard. He was all set to pinch the jane and throw her in the can, but when he got the whole story, and especially when she say's she's changed her mind about circulating around so much-it ain't worth it, she says, she'd rather be an out-and-out hermit than have to have even one more fight with anybody who smelled like that-of course he let her go.'

'Let her go go!' Cloud exclaimed. 'How could could he?' he?'

'Why, sure, boss.' Vesta, wide-eyed, gazed innocently at her captain. 'The ape didn't die, die, you know, and she wasn't going to do it again, and he wasn't a Vegian, so didn't have any relatives or friends to go to the mat for him, and besides, anybody with one tenth of one percent of a brain would know better than to keep on making pa.s.ses at a frail after she warned him how bad he stunk. What you know, and she wasn't going to do it again, and he wasn't a Vegian, so didn't have any relatives or friends to go to the mat for him, and besides, anybody with one tenth of one percent of a brain would know better than to keep on making pa.s.ses at a frail after she warned him how bad he stunk. What else else could he do, chief?' could he do, chief?'

'What else, indeed?' Cloud said, in English. 'I live; and- occasionally-I learn. Come on Joan, let's go and devote the imponderable force of our ma.s.sed intellects to the multifarious problems of loose atomic vortices.'

On the way, Joan asked: 'Our little Vesta surprised you, Storm?'

'Didn't she you? She had me gasping like a fish.'

'Not so much. I know them pretty well and I used to breed cats. Scent: hearing-they can hear forty thousand cycles: the fact that they mature both mentally and physically long before 122.

they do s.e.xually: some of their utterly barbarous customs: it's quite a shock to learn how-"queer", shall I say-some of the Vegian mores are to us of other worlds.'

' "Queer" is certainly the word-as queer as a nine-credit bill. But confound it, Joan, I like like 'em!' 'em!'

'So do I, Storm,' she replied quietly. 'They aren't aren't human, you know, and by Galactic standards they qualify. And now we'll go and whack those vortices right on their center of impact." human, you know, and by Galactic standards they qualify. And now we'll go and whack those vortices right on their center of impact."

'We'll do that, chum,' he said. Then, in perfect silence he went on in thought: 'Chum? Sweetheart, I mean ... My G.o.d, what what a sweetheart you'd ...' a sweetheart you'd ...'

'Storm!' Joan half-shrieked, eyes wide in astonishment. "You're sending.'' sending.''

'I'm not either!' he declared, blus.h.i.+ng furiously. 'I can't- you're snooping. snooping.1'

'I'm not snooping-I haven't snooped a lick since I started talking. You got got it back there, Storm!' She seized both his hands and squeezed. 'You it back there, Storm!' She seized both his hands and squeezed. 'You did did it, and neither of us realized it "til just this minute!' it, and neither of us realized it "til just this minute!'

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13: Games Within Games

The methods of operation of the Vortex Blaster II Vortex Blaster II had long since been worked out in detail. Approaching any planet Captain Ross, through channels, would ask permission of the various governments to fly in atmosphere, permission to use high explosive, permission to land and be serviced, and permission- after standard precautions-to grant planetary leave to his s.h.i.+p's personnel. All this asking was not, of course, strictly necessary in his case, since every world having even one loose atomic vortex had been demanding long and insistently that Neal Cloud visit it next, but it was strictly according to protocol. had long since been worked out in detail. Approaching any planet Captain Ross, through channels, would ask permission of the various governments to fly in atmosphere, permission to use high explosive, permission to land and be serviced, and permission- after standard precautions-to grant planetary leave to his s.h.i.+p's personnel. All this asking was not, of course, strictly necessary in his case, since every world having even one loose atomic vortex had been demanding long and insistently that Neal Cloud visit it next, but it was strictly according to protocol.

Astrogators had long since plotted the course through planetary atmosphere; not by the demands of the governments concerned and not by any ascending or descending order of violence of the vortices to be extinguished, but by the simple criterion of minimum flight-time ending at the pre-selected point of entry to the planet.

Thus neither Joan nor Cloud had anything much to do with planetary affairs until the chief pilot notified Joan that he was relinquis.h.i.+ng control to her-which never happened until the vessel lay motionless with respect to the planet's surface and with the tip of her nose three two zero zero point zero meters distant from the center of activity of the vortex.

Approaching Chickladoria, the routine was followed precisely up to the point where Joan's mechanical brain took over. This time, however, the brain was not working, since Joan was in the throes of rebuilding 'Lulu' into 'Margie'. On Chickladoria, then, the chief pilot did the piloting and 'Storm' Cloud did the blasting, and everything ran like clockwork. The s.h.i.+p landed at Malthester s.p.a.ceport and everyone who could possibly be spared disembarked.

Ready to leave the s.h.i.+p, Cloud went to the computer room to make one last try. There, seated at desks, Joan and her four top experts were each completely surrounded by welters of reference books, pamphlets, wadded-up scratch-paper, tapes, and punched cards.

'Hi, Joan-Hi, fellows and gals-why don't you break down and come on out and get some fresh air?'

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'Sorry, Storm, but the answer is still "no". We'll need all this week, and probably more ...' Joan looked up at him and broke off. Her eyes widened and she whistled expressively. 'Myohmy, ain't he the handsomest handsomest thing, though? I wish I thing, though? I wish I could could go along, Storm, if only to see you lay 'em out in rows!' go along, Storm, if only to see you lay 'em out in rows!'

For, since Chickladoria was a very warm planet-fully as hot as Tominga had been-Cloud was dressed even more lightly than he had been there; in sandals, breech-clout, and De-Lameter harness, the shoulder-strap of the last-named bearing the three silver bars of a commander of the Galactic Patrol. He was not muscled like a gladiator, but his bearing was springily erect, his belly hard and flat, his shoulders were wide, his hips were narrow, and his skin was tanned to a smooth and even richness of brown.

'Wellwell! Not bad, Storm; not bad at all.' One of the men got up and looked him over carefully. 'If I looked like that, Joan, I'd play hookey for a couple of days myself. But I wouldn't dare to-in that kind of a get-up I'd look like something that had crawled out from under a rock and I'd get sunburned from here to there.'

'That's your own fault, Joe,' a tall lissom, brunette lieutenant chipped in. 'You could could have the radiants on while you do your daily dozens, you know. Me, I'm mighty glad that have the radiants on while you do your daily dozens, you know. Me, I'm mighty glad that some some of the men, and not only us women, like to look nice.' of the men, and not only us women, like to look nice.'

'Wait a minute, Helen!' Cloud protested, blus.h.i.+ng. 'That's not it, and you know it. These fellows don't have have to mix socially with people who run around naked, and I do.' to mix socially with people who run around naked, and I do.'

'And how you hate it.' The other man offered mock sympathy, with a wide and cheerful grin. 'How 'How you suffer-I don't think. But that holster-harness. It looks regulation enough, but isn't there something a little different about it?' you suffer-I don't think. But that holster-harness. It looks regulation enough, but isn't there something a little different about it?'

'Yes. Two things.' Cloud grinned back. 'Left-handed and the holster's anch.o.r.ed so it can't flop around. Don't know as I ever told you, but ever since that alleged pirate burned my arm off I've been practising the gun-slick's draw.'

'Did you get it?' Joan asked impishly. 'How good are you?'

'Not bad-in fact, I'm getting plenty good,' Cloud admitted. 'Come on up to the range sometime with a stop-watch and I'll show you.'

'I'll do that. Right now-shall we?'

'Uh-uh. Can't. I'm due at the High Mayor's Reception in 125.

twenty minutes, and besides, I want to breathe some air that hasn't been rehabilitated, rejuvenated, recirculated, reprocessed, repurified and rebreathed until it's all worn out. Happy landings, gang-I'll be thinking of you while I'm absorbing all that nice new oxygen and stuff.'

'Particularly the stuff-and especially the liquid liquid stuff!' Joe called after him just before he shut the door on his way out to join Thlaskin and Maluleme. stuff!' Joe called after him just before he shut the door on his way out to join Thlaskin and Maluleme.

Going through customs was of course the merest formality, and an aircab whisked them into the city proper. Cloud really did enjoy himself as he strode along the walkway from the cab-park toward the Mayor's ... well, if not exactly a palace, it was close enough so as to make no difference. And he did attract plenty of attention. Not because of his dress or his build- most of the men on the street wore less than he did and many of them were just as trim and fit-but because of the nature and variety of his bodily colors, which were literally astounding to these people, not one in twenty of whom had ever before seen a Tellurian in person.

For Chickladorians are pink; pink all over. Teeth, hair, skin, and nails; all pink. Not the pink of red blood showing through translucency, but that of opaque pigment. Most of their eyes, even-queerly triangular eyes with three lids instead of two- are of that same brick-reddish pink; although a few of the women have eyes of a dark and dusky green.

This visitor's skin, however, was of a color so monstrous it simply had to be seen to be believed. In fact, it wasn't the same color in any two places-it VARIED! His teeth were white; a horrible, dead-bone color. His lips, hair and eyes- funny, round, flat-opening things-were of still other sheerly unbelievable colors-there wasn't a bit bit of natural, healthy pink about him anywhere! of natural, healthy pink about him anywhere!

Thus the crowds of Chickladorians studied him much more intensively than he studied them; and Maluleme strutting along at his side, basked visibly in the limelight. And thus, except for the two Chickladorians at his side and except for the un.o.btrusive but efficient secret-service men who kept the crowding throng in hand, Cloud could very well have been mobbed.

The walk was very short, and at its end: 'How long we got to stay, boss?' Thlaskin asked, in s.p.a.ceal. 'As soon as we can get away we want to join our folks and grab 126.

a jet for home.'

'As far as I'm concerned you don't need to stay at all, or even come. Why?'

'Just checking, is all. His Nibs sent us a special bid, so we got to at least show up. But he don't know us from nothing, so after we tell him h.e.l.lo and dance a couple of rounds and slurp a couple of slugs we can scram and n.o.body'll know it unless you spill.'

'No spill,' Cloud a.s.sured him. 'You dance with Maluleme first. I'll take the second-that'll drive it in that she's here. After that, flit as soon as you like. For the record, you'll be here until the last gilot is picked clean.'

'Thanks, boss,' and the three, entering the extravagantly-decorated Grand Ballroom, were escorted ceremoniously up to the Presence and the Notables and their surrounding V.I.P.'s They were welcomed effusively, Cloud being informed through several different interpreters that he was the third-most-important human being who had ever lived. He made- through two interpreters each checking the other's accuracy- his usual deprecatory speech concerning the extinguishment of Iqose atomic vortices. He led the Grand March with the president's wife, a lady whose name he did not quite catch and who, except for a pound or so of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other baubles, was just as bare as Maluleme was. So was the equally bejeweled mayor's wife, with whom he had the first dance. She was neither young or slender, nor was she s.e.xy. Then, as agreed, he danced with Maluleme, who was-but definitely! -all three.

However, as he circled the floor in time with the really excellent music, he thought, not of the attractive package of femininity in his arms-who was one of his crew and Thlaskin's wife -but of Joan. She'd been training down, he'd noticed, and wearing more makeup, since those other girls had come aboard. She was getting to be a regular seven-sector callout-he'd like like to dance with Joan this way! to dance with Joan this way!

There were other dances; some with girls like Maluleme, some with women like Madam Mayor, most with in-betweens. There was food, which he enjoyed thoroughly. There were drinks; which, except for ceremonial beakers of fayalin with the president and the mayor, he did not touch. And, finally, there was the very comfortable bed in his special suite at the hotel.

127.

Instead of sleep, however, there came a thing he expected least of any-a sharp, carefully-narrowed Lensed thought.

'This is Tivor Nordquist of Tellus, Commander Cloud, on my Lens,' the thought flowed smoothly in. 'I have waited until now so as not to startle you, not to make you show any sign of anything unusual going on. There must be no suspicion whatever that you even know there's a Lensman on the planet."

'I can take care of my part of that. One thing, though; I've got exactly one week to work with you. One week from today any possible excuse for me staying on Chickladoria goes p-f-f-t.'

'I know. One 'day should b.u.t.ton it up, two at most. Here's the print. I'm a narcotics man, really but...'

'Oh-Fairchild, eh?'

'Yes. Ellington told me you're quick on the uptake. Well, all leads to him via any drug channels fizzled out flat. So, since all these zwilnik mobs handle all kinds of corruption-racketeering, gambling, vice, and so on, as well as drugs-we decided to take the next-best line, which turned out to be gambling. After a lot of slow digging we found out that Fairchild's gang controls at least four planets; Tominga, Vegia, Chickladoria, and Palmer III.'

'What? Why, those planets cover ...'

'Check. That's what made the digging so tough, and that's why they did it that way. And you're scheduled for Vegia next, is why I'm meeting you here. But to get back to the story, we haven't got dope enough to find Fairchild himself except by pure luck. So we decided to make Fairchild's mob tell us where he is.'

'That'll be a slick trick if we can do it.'

'Here's how. Somebody Somebody on this planet knows how to call Fairchild in emergencies, so we'll create an emergency and he'll do it.' on this planet knows how to call Fairchild in emergencies, so we'll create an emergency and he'll do it.'

'My mind is open, but I'm a bit skeptical. What kind of an emergency have you got in mind?'

'Some of the details you'll have to ad lib as you go along, but it'll be, basically, bold-faced robbery without a blaster and with them jittery as glaidos because they can't figure it. I was going to try to do it myself, but I can't work without my Lens and I can't come near the hot spots without their spy-rays catching the Lens and blowing the whole show. Doctor Janowick told Phil Strong that she could, without using her sense of percep- tion and after only a short practise run, beat any crooked card game any gambler could dream up-something about random and nonrandom numbers. Can she?'

'Um-m ... never thought of it ... random random numbers ... Oh, I see. Yes, she can. Especially the most-played one, that over-and-under-seven thing. And with a little telepathy thrown in, I can do the same with any crooked game they've got except a magnetically-controlled wheel; and I could do a fair job on that.' numbers ... Oh, I see. Yes, she can. Especially the most-played one, that over-and-under-seven thing. And with a little telepathy thrown in, I can do the same with any crooked game they've got except a magnetically-controlled wheel; and I could do a fair job on that.'

'Better and better. You and Miss Janowick, then; and be sure and bring Vesta the Vegian along.'

'Vesta? Um ... Maybe, at that. Adolescent Vegians not only can be, but are, interested in everything that goes on, everywhere. They're born gamblers, and she's alrady got a reputation for throwing money around regardless-and she's rich enough to afford it. And in a winning streak she'll stir up so much excitement that n.o.body will pay any attention to anybody else. However, things being what they are, I'll have to be mighty careful about letting her go on a gambling spree.'

'Not too much so. Just hint that you won't fire her if she takes a fling or two at the tables and she'll be so happy about it and love you so much that she won't even think of wondering why.'

And so it proved. After a long discussion of details with the Lensman, Cloud went to sleep. The following afternoon he went back to the s.h.i.+p and sought out Vesta, whom he found slinking dejectedly about with her tail almost dragging on the floor. Scarcely had he begun his suggestion, however, when: 'Really, chief?' Vesta's tail snapped aloft, her pointed ears quivered with eagerness. She hugged him ecstatically, burying her face in the curve of his neck and inhaling deeply. 'You zmell chief?' Vesta's tail snapped aloft, her pointed ears quivered with eagerness. She hugged him ecstatically, burying her face in the curve of his neck and inhaling deeply. 'You zmell zo zo wonderful, chief-but a wonderful man like you would wonderful, chief-but a wonderful man like you would have have to smell zo, wouldn't he? I thought you'd smack me bow-legged if I even hinted at wanting to lay a ten-cento chip on the line. But I to smell zo, wouldn't he? I thought you'd smack me bow-legged if I even hinted at wanting to lay a ten-cento chip on the line. But I know know I can beat the games they've got on I can beat the games they've got on this this planet ... and besides, I've been gone half a year and haven't spent a hundred credits and I've learned nine languages including your cursed English...' planet ... and besides, I've been gone half a year and haven't spent a hundred credits and I've learned nine languages including your cursed English...'

She took out her book of Travelers' Cheques and stared at it thoughtfully. 'Maybe, though, just to be on the safe side, I'd better tear one of these out and hide it in my room. It'd be awful awful to have to call my mother for jet fare home from the 'port. to have to call my mother for jet fare home from the 'port.

128.

129.

She and dad both'd yowl to high heaven-they'd claw me 'Huh? But listen!' Cloud was puzzled. 'If you shoot such a terrific wad as that, what possible difference would it make whether you had plane fare for a few hundred miles left or not?'

'Oh, lots,' she a.s.sured him. 'They don't expect me to have much of any of my allowance left when I get home, and I never intended to, anyway. But anybody anybody with half a brain is expected to be able to get home from a party- with half a brain is expected to be able to get home from a party-any kind of party-without crying for help, and without walking, either; so I'll go hide one of these slips.' kind of party-without crying for help, and without walking, either; so I'll go hide one of these slips.'

'If that's that's all that's bothering you, no matter,' Cloud said quickly. 'You've got another pay day coming before we get to Vegia, you know.' all that's bothering you, no matter,' Cloud said quickly. 'You've got another pay day coming before we get to Vegia, you know.'

'Oh, I never thought of that-I've never been on a payroll before, you know, and can't get used to being paid for doing nothing. But can we go now, Capain Nealcloud, please? I can't wait!'

'If Joan's ready we can. We'll go see.'

But Joan was not ready. 'Did you actually think she would be?' Helen asked. 'Don't you know that the less a woman puts on the longer it takes her to do it?'

'Nope-I s'posed Doctor Joan Janowick would be above such frippery.'

*You'd be surprised. But say, how'd you talk her into this vacation? Your manly charm, no doubt.'

'Could be, but I doubt it. All she wanted was half an excuse and the promise I wouldn't get sore if we have to kill a couple of days in s.p.a.ce before starting shooting on Vegia ... Hot Dog! -just look look who's here!' who's here!'

Joan came in, pausing in embarra.s.sment, at the burst of applause and whistles that greeted her. She was richly, deeply tanned; taut, trim, and dainty-she had trained down to a hundred and fifteen pounds-her bra was a triumph of the couturier's art. She, too, was armed; her DeLameter harness sported the two-and-a-half silver bars of a lieutenant commander.

'Ouch-I'm bedazzled!' Cloud covered his eyes ostentatiously, then, gradually and equally ostentatiously recovering his sight: 'Very nice, Joanie-you're a veree veree slick chick. With a dusting of powdered sugar and a dab of cream you'd make a slick chick. With a dusting of powdered sugar and a dab of cream you'd make a right tasty snack. Just one thing-a bit overdressed, don't you think?'