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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
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Helooked at her for a long moment, his Snow Maiden, his beloved Ice Princess . . . the white satin skin, the blind coral eyes and exquisite coral mouth. She touched his moist eyelids with a scented handkerchief.
«I love you,» he said.
«Shhh. I know, Gully.»
«You've known all about me. For how long?»
«I knew Gully Foyle the spaceman off the 'Nomad,' was my enemy from the beginning. I never knew you were Fourmyle until we met. Ah, if only I'd known before. How much would have been saved.»
«You knew and you've been laughing at me.»
«Standing by and shaking with laughter.»
«Standing by and loving you. No, don't interrupt. I'm trying to be rational and it's not easy.» A flush cascaded across the marble face. «I'm not playing with you now. I . . . I betrayed you to my father. I did. Self-defense, I thought. Now that I've met him at last I can see he's too dangerous. An hour later I knew it was a mistake because I realized I was in love with you. I'm paying for it now. You need never have known.»
«You expect me to believe that?»
«Then why am I here?» She trembled slightly. «Why did I follow you? That bombing was ghastly. You'd have been dead in another minute when we picked you up. Your yawl was a wreck. . .
«Where are we now?»
«What difference does it make?»
«I'm stalling for time.»
«Time for what?»
«Not for time . . . I'm stalling for courage.»
«We're orbiting earth.»
«How did you follow me?»
«I knew you'd be after Lindsey Joyce. I took over one of my father's ships. It happened to be 'Vorga' again.»
«Does he know?»
«He never knows. I live my own private life.»
He could not take his eyes off her, and yet it hurt him to look at her. He was yearning and hating. . . yearning for the reality to be undone, hating the truth for what it was. He discovered that he was stroking her handkerchief with tremulous fingers.
«I love you, Olivia.»
«I love you, Gully, my enemy.»
«For God's sake!» he burst out. «Why did you do it? You were aboard 'Vorga' running the reff racket. You gave the order to scuttle them. You gave the order to pass me by. Why! Why!»
«What?» she lashed back. «Are you demanding apologies?»
«I'm demanding an explanation.»
«You'll get none from me!»
«Blood and money, your father said. He was right. Oh . . . Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!»
«Blood and money, yes; and unashamed.
Helooked at her for a long moment, his Snow Maiden, his beloved Ice Princess . . . the white satin skin, the blind coral eyes and exquisite coral mouth. She touched his moist eyelids with a scented handkerchief.
«I love you,» he said.
«Shhh. I know, Gully.»
«You've known all about me. For how long?»
«I knew Gully Foyle the spaceman off the 'Nomad,' was my enemy from the beginning. I never knew you were Fourmyle until we met. Ah, if only I'd known before. How much would have been saved.»
«You knew and you've been laughing at me.»
«Standing by and shaking with laughter.»
«Standing by and loving you. No, don't interrupt. I'm trying to be rational and it's not easy.» A flush cascaded across the marble face. «I'm not playing with you now. I . . . I betrayed you to my father. I did. Self-defense, I thought. Now that I've met him at last I can see he's too dangerous. An hour later I knew it was a mistake because I realized I was in love with you. I'm paying for it now. You need never have known.»
«You expect me to believe that?»
«Then why am I here?» She trembled slightly. «Why did I follow you? That bombing was ghastly. You'd have been dead in another minute when we picked you up. Your yawl was a wreck. . .
«Where are we now?»
«What difference does it make?»
«I'm stalling for time.»
«Time for what?»
«Not for time . . . I'm stalling for courage.»
«We're orbiting earth.»
«How did you follow me?»
«I knew you'd be after Lindsey Joyce. I took over one of my father's ships. It happened to be 'Vorga' again.»
«Does he know?»
«He never knows. I live my own private life.»
He could not take his eyes off her, and yet it hurt him to look at her. He was yearning and hating. . . yearning for the reality to be undone, hating the truth for what it was. He discovered that he was stroking her handkerchief with tremulous fingers.
«I love you, Olivia.»
«I love you, Gully, my enemy.»
«For God's sake!» he burst out. «Why did you do it? You were aboard 'Vorga' running the reff racket. You gave the order to scuttle them. You gave the order to pass me by. Why! Why!»
«What?» she lashed back. «Are you demanding apologies?»
«I'm demanding an explanation.»
«You'll get none from me!»
«Blood and money, your father said. He was right. Oh . . . Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!»
«Blood and money, yes; and unashamed.