somewhat less frightened now than when I first arrived here. You have been most considerate. And as you have pointed out, I have already seen things that defy belief on the island of the little people and somehow I have managed to accept them and survive. There is much here that I don't understand. I cannot comprehend how it is possible that I have been somehow transported a thousand years into the future, but I cannot deny the evidence of my senses.'
He gestured at the window. 'That is unquestionably not the world I came from.
Sandy.. or Cpl. Steiger, as you call him, accepted my tale when everyone else believed me to be mad. And now, because of me, he is dead. That, General, is something I can comprehend only too well. Yes, of course, I will do whatever I can to help.'
'Good,' said Forrester. 'Then if you will bear with me, I'll attempt to answer some of your questions and explain who Sandy was and why he sent you here…'
'Excuse me, sir,' said Forrester's orderly, interrupting them.
'Yes, Roberts, what is it?'
'Sgt. Danelli of the I.S.D. just called from the base hospital. There's been an attempt on Col. Steiger's life.'
Delaney was out of his chair like a shot. 'Is he all right?'
'He's been wounded, sir,' said Roberts, 'but I'm assured it's only superficial. In fact, I was told he'll be on his way up here momentarily. Unfortunately, both men on his security escort were killed. Sgt. Danelli said Col. Steiger is certain the Network was responsible. Obviously, someone knew he was going to be in that hospital morgue.'
'Hell, he only left here less than twenty minutes ago!' said
Forrester.
'It's seems likely that someone affiliated with the Network reported that his brother's body was being brought in,' said Sgt. Roberts. 'Sgt. Danelli is going to be checking with the S amp; R team that brought Cpl. Steiger back and working back from there to see how many people knew about it. Along the line, someone must have leaked the information and an' assassin was sent to the hospital morgue on the theory that Col. Steiger would be bound to go there. I.S.D. found one of the pathologists murdered and stuffed into a supply closet. Col. Steiger felt, however, that there was another possibility.'
'That this place is bugged,' said Andre.
'What, my own quarters?' Forrester said, with disbelief.
'An I.S.D. unit is on its way to sweep for surveillance devices,' Roberts said. 'However, Sgt. Danelli seemed to think. it was an unlikely possibility. If they could get in here to plant a bug, then why not go ahead and plant a bomb?'
'We'd better get you out of here, sir,' said Delaney.
'Well, now where the hell am I supposed to go?' said Forrester. 'You think. it's any safer out there? Forget it. I'm not going to run from these people. I'm much better off being where they can make a try for me. That'll at least give us an opportunity to tackle them. Hiding won't solve anything. Besides, if they wanted to, they could take out this entire building with a small guided missile.'
'I.S.D. has already anticipated that, sir,' said Roberts.
'There's been an S. D. battery emplaced upon the roof. '
Forrester stared at him. 'Are you serious? Somebody installed a Strategic
Defence battery on my roof! When?'
'Last week, sir,' Roberts said. 'It was air lifted into place and-“
'On whose orders?'
'Col. Steiger's, sir.'
'Well, it's sure as hell nice of somebody to tell me!'
Forrester said.
'I… I'm sorry, sir, I thought you knew,' said Roberts. 'Well, it's a fine goddamn thing when the Director of Temporal Intelligence doesn't even know there's an autopulser battery up on his own roof! What the hen else has Col. Steiger authorised that I don't know about?'
'I've ordered your personal security increased, for one thing,' Steiger said, walking in on the tail end of the conversation. He hadn't even stopped to change his torn and bloodied shirt. 'And I don't want to hear any arguments about it, either. These people aren't playing around.'
'Colonel, you're insubordinate!'
''Fine, you want my damn birds, you can have 'em anytime you want,' Steiger snapped back, ripping off his insignia and tossing them on the Floor at Forrester's feet. 'I only know one way to do my job and that's not to take any halfass measures! You're not out in the field facing soldiers anymore; it isn't that straightforward. You're up against intelligence pros who make the Timekeepers look like a small time inner city street gang. The Network wants you dead and if I was a betting man, my money'd be on them. However, since I’m one of their targets too, I'd kinda like to make it a little harder for them to score a hit. They came pretty damn close just now and I almost bought it. I'm not about to let them get that dose to you. So either let me do my job or relieve me of command!'
There was a moment of shocked silence following his outburst, then Forrester softly cleared his throat.
'Are you finished?' he said.
'Yes sir, I'm finished, sir!'
'Fine. Pick up your eagles. When and if I want them, I'll tear them off you myself, is that understood?'
'Yes, sir.'
'I didn't hear you.'
'Yes, sir!' said Steiger, snapping to attention.
'Oh, stand at ease, for God's sake. Roberts, get the colonel one of my fresh shirts.
He seems to have torn his.'
'You okay?' Delaney said. Steiger was wired so tight, he seemed to be vibrating.
Steiger took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'Yeah, I guess I'll live. ' Then he seemed to notice Gulliver for the first time. He looked at him and blinked twice, taken aback at not having realised there was a stranger in the room with them.
'Who the hell is that?'
Gulliver had followed the preceding conversation with incomprehension and alarm.
Now he rose uncertainly to his feet and hesitantly extended his hand.
'Dr. Lemuel Gulliver, at your service, sir.'
'Col. Creed Steiger.' They shook hands.
'I perceive you have been wounded. I do not have my instruments with me, but..'
Steiger shook his head. 'Thank you, but it wasn't very serious. I've already had it seen to.' He frowned. 'What did you say your name was?'
'Dr. Gulliver is the man mentioned in your brother's report,' said
Forrester.
Steiger stared at him. Gulliver had been given a suit of disposable green transit fatigues to wear, so there had been nothing to mark him externally as a T.D.P., a temporally displaced person.
'Sandy was your brother?' Gulliver said. 'There is a strong family resemblance.
He was very kind to me.' There was a pained expression on his face. 'If not for me, he might have… I. I wish… it really should have been me, instead.'
Steiger stared at him for a moment, then nodded sympathetically. 'No one's blaming you, Doctor.' He glanced at Forrester. 'Sandy sent him through?'
'Yes, to tell us what he couldn't,' said Forrester, with a tight grimace.
'You saw him?'
Steiger nodded. The tension had started to go out of him, though he was still wired from the news of his brother's death and the attempt on his life. Roberts brought him one of
Forrester's black fatigue shirts and Steiger accepted it gratefully, wincing as he removed his own torn and bloodied one.
'They homed in on him with this,' said Forrester, handing Steiger the plastic envelope containing the implant transmitter.
