JК
The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 137 из 164We were wickedbecause we were alone and unhappy. But we've found each other; we can save each other. Be my love, darling. Always. Forever. I've looked for you so long, waited and hoped and prayed . .
«No. You're lying, Olivia, and you know it.»
«For God's sake, Gully!»
«Put 'Vorga' down, Olivia.»
«Land?»
«Yes.»
«On Terra?»
«Yes.»
«What are you going to do? You're insane. They're hunting you waiting for you. . . watching. What are you going to do?»
«Do you think this is easy for me?» he said. «I'm doing what I have to do. I'm still driven. No man ever escapes from that. But there's a different compulsion in the saddle, and the spurs hurt, damn it. They hurt like hell.»
He stifled his anger and controlled himself. He took her hands and kissed her palms.
«It's all finished, Olivia,» he said gently. «But I love you. Always. Forever.»
«I'll sum it up,» Dagenham rapped. «We were bombed the night we found Foyle. We lost him on the Moon and found him a week later on Mars. We were bombed again. We lost him again. He's been lost for a week. Another bombing's due. Which one of the Inner Planets? Venus? The Moon? Terra again? Who knows. But we all know this: one more raid without retaliation and we're lost.»
He glanced around the table. Against the ivory-and-gold background of the Star Chamber of Castle Presteign, his face, all three faces, looked strained. Y'ang-Yeovil slitted his eyes in a frown. Presteign compressed his thin lips.
«And we know this too,» Dagenham continued. «We can't retaliate without PyrE and we can't locate the PyrE without Foyle.»
«My instructions were,» Presteign interposed, «that PyrE was not to be mentioned in public.»
«In the first place, this is not public,» Dagenham snapped. «It's a private information pool. In the second place, we've gone beyond property rights. We're discussing survival, and we've all got equal rights in that. Yes, Jiz?»
Jisbella McQueen had jaunted into the Star Chamber, looking intent and furious.
«Still no sign of Foyle.»
«Old St. Pat's still being watched?»
«Yes.»
«Commando Brigade's report in from Mars yet?»
«That's my business and Most Secret,» Y'ang-Yeovil objected mildly.
«You've got as few secrets from me as I have from you.» Dagenham grinned mirthlessly. «See if you can beat Central Intelligence back here with that report, Jiz. Go.»
She disappeared.
«No. You're lying, Olivia, and you know it.»
«For God's sake, Gully!»
«Put 'Vorga' down, Olivia.»
«Land?»
«Yes.»
«On Terra?»
«Yes.»
«What are you going to do? You're insane. They're hunting you waiting for you. . . watching. What are you going to do?»
«Do you think this is easy for me?» he said. «I'm doing what I have to do. I'm still driven. No man ever escapes from that. But there's a different compulsion in the saddle, and the spurs hurt, damn it. They hurt like hell.»
He stifled his anger and controlled himself. He took her hands and kissed her palms.
«It's all finished, Olivia,» he said gently. «But I love you. Always. Forever.»
«I'll sum it up,» Dagenham rapped. «We were bombed the night we found Foyle. We lost him on the Moon and found him a week later on Mars. We were bombed again. We lost him again. He's been lost for a week. Another bombing's due. Which one of the Inner Planets? Venus? The Moon? Terra again? Who knows. But we all know this: one more raid without retaliation and we're lost.»
He glanced around the table. Against the ivory-and-gold background of the Star Chamber of Castle Presteign, his face, all three faces, looked strained. Y'ang-Yeovil slitted his eyes in a frown. Presteign compressed his thin lips.
«And we know this too,» Dagenham continued. «We can't retaliate without PyrE and we can't locate the PyrE without Foyle.»
«My instructions were,» Presteign interposed, «that PyrE was not to be mentioned in public.»
«In the first place, this is not public,» Dagenham snapped. «It's a private information pool. In the second place, we've gone beyond property rights. We're discussing survival, and we've all got equal rights in that. Yes, Jiz?»
Jisbella McQueen had jaunted into the Star Chamber, looking intent and furious.
«Still no sign of Foyle.»
«Old St. Pat's still being watched?»
«Yes.»
«Commando Brigade's report in from Mars yet?»
«That's my business and Most Secret,» Y'ang-Yeovil objected mildly.
«You've got as few secrets from me as I have from you.» Dagenham grinned mirthlessly. «See if you can beat Central Intelligence back here with that report, Jiz. Go.»
She disappeared.