Masters Of The Vortex Part 15

'That won't be too tough, will it? A Tellurian, sixty, tall, thin, grave, distinguished-looking ... or maybe ...'

'Exactly. You're getting the idea. Cosmeticians and plastic surgery. He could look like a Crevenian, or thirty years old and two hundred pounds and slouchy. He could look like anything. He undoubtedly has a background so perfectly established that fifteen thoroughly honest Vegians would swear by eleven of their G.o.ds that he hasn't left his home town for ten years. So every intelligent being on Vegia who hasn't got a live tail, with blood circulating in it, is going under the Lens and through the wringer if we have to keep Vegia in quarantine for a solid year. He is not not going to get away from us this time.' going to get away from us this time.'

'I'm betting on you, Nordquist. Clear ether!'

The Lensman signed off and Cloud, at the end of the specified hour, undressed and redressed and went to the computer room. All the others except Joe were already there.

'Hi, peoples!' Cloud called; then did a double-take. 'Wow! And likewise, Yipes! How come the tri-di outfits didn't all collapse, Joan, when those two spectaculars took up cybernetics?'

'I'll never know, Storm.' Joan shook her head wonderingly, then went on via thought; and Cloud felt her pang of sheer jealousy. 'Why is it that big girls are always so much more beautiful than little ones? And the more clothes they take off the better they look? It simply isn't fair!' fair!'

Cloud's mind reached out and meshed with hers. 'Sure it is, sweetheart. They're beauties; you can't take that away from them ...'

And beauties they certainly were. Helen, as has been said, was lissom and dark. Her hair was black, her eyes a midnight blue, her skin a deep, golden brown. Barbara, not quite as tall -five feet seven, perhaps-was equally beautifully propor- 156.

tioned, and even more striking-looking. Her skin was tanned ivory, her eyes were gray, her hair was a shoulder-length, carefully-careless ma.s.s of gleaming, flowing, wavy silver.

'... they've got a lot of stuff: but believe me, there are several grand lots of stuff they haven't haven't got, too. I wouldn't trade half of you for either of them-or both of them together.' got, too. I wouldn't trade half of you for either of them-or both of them together.'

'I believe that-at least, about both both of them,' Joan giggled mentally, 'but how many men ...' 'Well, how many men do you want?' Cloud interrupted. 'Touche, Storm ... but do you really ...' What would have developed into a scene of purely mental lovemaking was put to an end by the arrival of Joe Mackay, who also paused and made appropriate noises of appreciation. of them,' Joan giggled mentally, 'but how many men ...' 'Well, how many men do you want?' Cloud interrupted. 'Touche, Storm ... but do you really ...' What would have developed into a scene of purely mental lovemaking was put to an end by the arrival of Joe Mackay, who also paused and made appropriate noises of appreciation.

'But there's one thing I don't quite like about this deal,' he said finally. 'I'm not too easy in my mind about making love to a moll who is packing a Mark Twenty Eight DeLameter. The darn thing might go off.'

'Keep your distance, then, Lieutenant Mackay!' Helen laughed. 'Well, are we ready?'

They were. They left the s.h.i.+p and walked in a group through the throng of cheering Vegians toward the nearby gaily-decorated stands in which the official greetings and thank-you's were to take place. Helen and Babs loved it; just as though they were parading finalists in a beauty contest. Bob and Joe wished that they had stayed in the s.h.i.+p and kept their clothes on. Joan didn't quite know whether she liked this kind of thing or not. Of the six Tellurians, only Neal Cloud had had enough experience in public near-nudity so that it made no difference. And Vesta?

Vesta was fairly reveling-openly, unashamedly reveling-in the spotlight with her Tellurian friends. They reached the center stand, were ushered with many flourishes to a reserved section already partly filled by Captain Ross and the lesser officers and crewmen of the good-will-touring Patrol s.h.i.+p Vortex Blaster II. Vortex Blaster II. Not all of the officers, of course, since many had to stay aboard, and comparatively few of the crew; for many men insist an wearing Tellurian garmenture and refuse to tan their hides under ultra-violet radiation-and no untanned white Tellurian skin can take with impunity more than a few minutes of giant Vega's blue-white fury. Of the ceremonies themselves, nothing need be said; such Not all of the officers, of course, since many had to stay aboard, and comparatively few of the crew; for many men insist an wearing Tellurian garmenture and refuse to tan their hides under ultra-violet radiation-and no untanned white Tellurian skin can take with impunity more than a few minutes of giant Vega's blue-white fury. Of the ceremonies themselves, nothing need be said; such 157.

things being pretty much of a piece, wherever, whenever, of for whatever reason held. When they were over, Vesta gathered her six friends together and led them to the edge of the roped-off area. There she uttered a soundless (to Tellurian ears) whistle, whereupon a group of Vegian youths and girls formed a wedge around the seven and drove straight through the milling crowd to its edge. There, by an evidently pre-arranged miracle, they found enough copters to carry them all.

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16: Vegian Justice

The nearer they got to the destination the more fidgety Vesta became. 'Oh, I hope hope Zambkptkn could get away and be there by now-I haven't seen him for over half a year!' Zambkptkn could get away and be there by now-I haven't seen him for over half a year!'

'Who?' Helen asked.

'My brother. Zamke, you'd better call him, you can p.r.o.nounce that. The police officer, you know.'

'I thought you saw him this morning?' Joan said.

'I saw my other brothers and sisters, but not him-he was tied up on a job. He wasn't sure just when he could get away tonight."

The copter dropped sharply. Vesta seized Cloud's arm and pointed. 'That's where we're going; that big building with the landing-field on the roof. The Caravanzerie. Zee?' In moments of etnotion or excitement, most of Vesta's sibilants reverted to Z's.

'I see. And this is your Great White Way?'

It was, but it was not white. Instead, it was a blaze of red, blue, green, yellow-all the colors of the spectrum. And crowds! On foot, on bicycles, on scooters, motorbikes, and motortricyeles, in cars and in copters, it seemed impossible that anything anything could move in such a press as that. And as the air-cab approached its destination Neal Cloud, s.p.a.ce-hardened veteran and skillful flyer though he was, found himself twisting wheels, stepping on pedals, and cutting in braking jets, none of which were there. could move in such a press as that. And as the air-cab approached its destination Neal Cloud, s.p.a.ce-hardened veteran and skillful flyer though he was, found himself twisting wheels, stepping on pedals, and cutting in braking jets, none of which were there.

How that jockey landed his heap and got it into the air again all in one piece without dismembering a single Vegian, Cloud never did quite understand. Blades were scant fractional inches from blades and rotors; people were actually shoved aside by the tapering b.u.mpers of the cab as it hit the deck; but nothing happened. This, it seemed, was normal! normal!

The group re-formed and in flying-wedge fas.h.i.+on as before, gained the elevators and finally the ground floor and the ballroom. Here Cloud drew his first full breath for what seemed like hours. The ball-room was tremendous-and it was less than three-quarters filled.

Just inside the doorway Vesta paused, sniffing delicately. 'He is here-come on!' She beckoned the six to follow her and 159.

rushed ahead, to be met at the edge of the clear s.p.a.ce in head-on collision. Brother and sister embraced fervently for about two seconds. Then, reaching down, the man broke his sister's grip and flipped her around sidewise, through half of a vertical circle, so that her feet pointed straight up. Then, with a sharp 'Blavzkt!' 'Blavzkt!' he snapped into a back flip. he snapped into a back flip.

'Blazkt-Zemp!' she shouted back, bending beautifully into such an arch that, as his feet left the floor, hers landed almost exactly where his had been an instant before. Then for a full minute and a half the joyous pair pinwheeled, without moving from the spot; while the dancers on the floor, standing still now, applauded enthusiastically with stamping, hand-clapping, whistles, cat-calls, and screams. she shouted back, bending beautifully into such an arch that, as his feet left the floor, hers landed almost exactly where his had been an instant before. Then for a full minute and a half the joyous pair pinwheeled, without moving from the spot; while the dancers on the floor, standing still now, applauded enthusiastically with stamping, hand-clapping, whistles, cat-calls, and screams.

Vesta stopped the exhibition finally, and led her brother toward Cloud and Joan. The music resumed, but the dancers did not. Instead, they made a concerted rush for the visitors, surrounding them in circles a dozen deep. Vesta, with both arms wrapped tightly around Cloud and her tail around Joan, shrieked a highly consonantal sentence-which Cloud knew meant 'Lay off these two for a couple of minutes, you howling hyenas, they're mine'-then, switching to English: 'Go ahead, you four, and have fun!'

The first two men to lay hands on the two tall Tellurian beauties were, by common consent and without argument, their first partners. Two of the Vegian girls, however, were not so polite. Both had hold of Joe, one by each arm, and stood there spitting insults at each other past his face until a man standing near by snapped a few words at them and flipped a coin. The two girls, each still maintaining her grip, leaned over eagerly to see for themselves the result of the toss. The loser promptly relinquished her told on Joe and the winner danced away with him.

'Oh, this is wonderful, wonderful, Storm!' Joan thought. 'We've been Storm!' Joan thought. 'We've been accepted- accepted-we're the first group I ever actually knew knew of to really break through the crust.' of to really break through the crust.'

The Vegians moved away. Vesta released her captives and turned to her brother.

'Captain Cloud, Doctor Janowick, I present to you my brother Zamke,' she said. Then, to her brother: 'They have been very good to me, Zambktpkn, both of them, but especially the captain. You know what he did for me.'

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'Yes, I know.' The brother spoke the English 'S' with barely a trace of hardness. He shook Cloud's hand firmly, then bent over the hand, spreading it out so that the palm covered his face, and inhaled deeply. Then, straightening up: 'For what you have done for my sister, sir, I thank you. As she has said, your scent is pleasing and will be remembered long, enshrined in the Place of Pleasant Odors of our house.'

Turning to Joan, and omitting the handshake, he repeated the performance and bowed-and when an adult male Vegian sets out to make a production of bowing, it is a production well worth seeing.

Then, with the suddenest and most complete change of manner either Cloud or Joan had ever seen he said: 'Well, now that the formalities have been taken care of, Joan, how about us hopping a couple of skips around the floor?'

Joan was taken slightly aback, but rallied quickly. 'Why, I'd love it ... but not knowing either the steps or the music, I'm afraid I couldn't follow you very well.'

'Oh that won't make any ...' Zamke began, but Vesta drowned him out.

'Of course course it won't make any difference, Joan!' she exclaimed. 'Just go ahead and dance any way you want to. He'll match your steps-and if he so much as touches one of your slippers with his big, fat feet, I'll choke him to death with his own tail!' it won't make any difference, Joan!' she exclaimed. 'Just go ahead and dance any way you want to. He'll match your steps-and if he so much as touches one of your slippers with his big, fat feet, I'll choke him to death with his own tail!'

'And I suppose it is irrefutable that you can and will dance with me with equal dexterity, aplomb, and insouciance?' Cloud asked Vesta, quizzically, after Joan and Zamke had glided smoothly out into the throng.

'You zaid it, little chum!' Vesta exclaimed, gleefully, 'And I know what all those words mean, too, and if I ztep on either one of your your feet I'll choke my zelf to death with my feet I'll choke my zelf to death with my own own tail, zo there!' tail, zo there!'

Snuggling up to him blissfully, Vesta let him lead her into the crowd. She of course was a superb dancer; so much so that she made him think himself a much better dancer than he really was. After a few minutes, when he was beginning to relax, he felt an itchy, tickling touch-something almost impalpable was creeping up his naked back-the fine, soft fur of the extreme tip of Vesta's ubiquitous tail!

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He grabbed for it, but, fast as he was, Vesta was faster, and she shrieked with glee as he missed the s.n.a.t.c.h.

'See here, young lady,' he said, with mock sternness, 'if you don't keep your tail where it belongs I'm going to wrap it around your lovely neck and tie it into a bow-knot.'

Vesta sobered instantly. 'Oh ... do you really really think I'm lovely, Captain Nealcloud-my neck, I mean?' think I'm lovely, Captain Nealcloud-my neck, I mean?'

'No doubt about it,' Cloud declared. 'Not only your neck- all of you. You are most certainly one of the most beautiful things I ever saw.'

'Oh, thanks ... I hadn't ...' she stared into his eyes for moments, as if trying to decide whether he really meant it or was merely being polite; then, deciding that he did mean it, she closed her eyes, let her head sink down onto his shoulder, and began to purr blissfully; still matching perfectly whatever motions he chose to make.

In a few minutes, however, they heard a partially-stifled shriek and a soprano voice, struggling with laughter, rang out.

'Vesta!'

'Yes,Babs?'

'What do you do about this tail-tickling business? I never had to cope with anything like that that before!' before!'

'Bite him!' Vesta called back, loudly enough for half the room to hear. 'Bite him good and hard, on the end of the tail, if you can't catch the tail, bite his ear. Bite it good.'

'Bite him? Why, I him? Why, I couldn't-not possibly/' couldn't-not possibly/'

'Well, then give him the knee, or clout him a good, solid tunk on the nose. Or better yet; tell him you won't dance with him any more-he'll be good.'

'Now you tell us what to do about tail-ticklers,' Cloud said then. 'S'pose I'd take a good bite at you tell us what to do about tail-ticklers,' Cloud said then. 'S'pose I'd take a good bite at your your ear?' ear?'

Td bite you right back,' said Vesta, gleefully, 'and I bet you'd taste just as nice as you smell.'

The dance went on, and Cloud finally, by the aid of both Vesta and Zamke, did finally manage to get one dance with Joan. And, as he had known he would, he enjoyed it immensely. So did she.

'Having fun, chum? I never saw you looking so starry-eyed before.'

'Oh, brother!' she breathed. 'To say that I was never the belle of the ball in my schooldays is the understatement of the 162.

century, but here ... can you imagine it, Storm, me me actually outs.h.i.+ning Barbara Benton and Helen Worthington both at once?' actually outs.h.i.+ning Barbara Benton and Helen Worthington both at once?'

'Sure I can. I told you ...'

'Of course it's probably because their own women are so big that I'm a sort of curiosity,' she rushed on, 'but whatever the reason, this dance is going down in my memory book in great big letters in the reddest ink I can find!'

'Good for you-hail the conquering heroine!' he applauded. 'It'll do you good to have your ego inflated a little. But what do you you do about this tail-tickling routine?' do about this tail-tickling routine?'

'Oh, I grab their tails'-with her sense of perception she could, of course-'and when they try to wiggle them free I wiggle back at them, like this,' she demonstrated, 'and we have a perfectly wonderful time.'

'Wow! I'll bet you do-and when I get you home, you shameless..."

'Sorry, Storm, my friend,' the big Vegian who cut in wasn't sorry at all, and he and Cloud both knew it. 'You can dance with Joan any time and we can't. So loosen all clamps, friend. Grab him, Vzelkt!'

Vzelkt grabbed. So, in about a minute, did another Vegian girl; and then after a few more minutes, it was Vesta's turn again. No other girl could dance with him more than once, but Vesta, by some prearranged priority, could have him once every ten minutes.

'Where's your brother, Vesta?' he asked once. 'I haven't seen him for an hour.'

'Oh, he had to go back to the police station. They're all excited and working all hours. They're chasing Public Enemy Number One-a Tellurian, they think he is, named Fairchild- why?' as Cloud started, involuntarily, in the circle of her arm. 'Do you know him?'

'I know of of him, and that's enough.' Then, in thought: 'Did you get that, Nordquist?' him, and that's enough.' Then, in thought: 'Did you get that, Nordquist?'

'I got it.' Cloud was, as the Lensman had said that he would be, under surveillance every second. 'Of course, this one may not be Fairchild, since there are three or four other suspects in other places, but from the horrible time we and the Vegians both are having, trying to locate this bird, I'm coming to think he is.'

163.

The dance went on until, some hours later, there was an unusual tumult and confusion at the door.

'Oh, the police are calling Vesta-something has happened!' his companion exclaimed. 'Let's rush over-oh, hurry!'

Cloud hurried; but, as well as hurrying, he sent his sense of perception on ahead, and meshed his mind imperceptibly with Vesta's as well.

Her mind was a queerly turbid, violently turbulent mixture of emotions: hot with a furiously pa.s.sionate l.u.s.t for personal, tooth-and-claw revenge; at the same time icily cold with the implacable, unswervable resolve of the dedicated, remorseless, and merciless killer.

'Are you sure, beyond all doubt, that this is the garment of my brother's slayer?' Vesta was demanding.

'I am sure,' the Vegian policeman replied. 'Not only did Zambkptkn hold it pierced by the first and fourth fingers of his left hand-the sign positive, as you know-but an eyewitness verified the scent and furnished descriptions. The slayer was dressed as an Aldebaranian, which accounts for the size of the garment your brother could seize before he died; his four bodyguards as Tellurians, with leather belts and holsters for their blasters.'

'QX.' Vesta accepted a pair of offered shears and began to cut off tiny pieces of the cloth. As each piece began to fall it was seized in mid-air by a Vegian man or girl who immediately ran away with it. And in the meantime other Vegians, forming into a long line, ran past Vesta, each taking a quick sniff and running on, out into the street. Cloud, reaching outside the building with his perceptors, saw that all vehicular traffic had paused. A Vegian stood on the walk-way, holding a bit of cloth pinched between thumb and finger-nail. All pa.s.sersby, on foot or in any kind of vehicle, would pause, sniff at the cloth, and-apparently -go on about their business.

But Cloud, after reading Vesta's mind and the policeman's, turned as white as his s.p.a.ce-tan would permit. In less than an hour almost every Vegian in that city of over eight million would know the murderer by scent and would be sniffing eagerly for him; and when any one of them did did find him ... find him ...

Except for the two Vegians and the six Tellurians, the vast hall was now empty. Vesta was holding a pose Cloud had never 164.

before seen-stiffly erect, with her tail wrapped tightly around her body.

'Can they get a scent-a reliable reliable scent, I mean-that fast?' Cloud asked. scent, I mean-that fast?' Cloud asked.

'Zertainly,' Vesta's voice was cold, level, almost uninfleeted. 'How long would it take you to learn that an egg you started to eat was rotten? The man who wore this s.h.i.+rt is a cla.s.s A Triple Prime stinker-his odor is recognizable instantly and anywhere.'

'But as to the rest of it-don't do this thing, Vesta! Let the law handle it.' do this thing, Vesta! Let the law handle it.'

'The law comes second. He killed my brother; it is my right and my privilege to kill him ...'

Cloud became conscious of the fact that Joan was in his mind. 'You been here all along?' he flashed.

'In or near. You and I are one, you know,' and Vesta's voice went on: '... and besides, the law is merciful. Its death is instant. Under my claws and teeth he will live for hours-for a full day, I hope.'

'But officer, can't you you do something?' do something?'

'Nothing. The law comes second. As she has said, it is her right and her privilege.'

'But it's suicide, man-sheer suicide. suicide. You know that, don't you?' You know that, don't you?'

'Not necessarily. She will not be working alone. Whether she lives or dies, however, it is still her right and her privilege.'