“Everybody who has no clear reason to do so,” growled Esker.
Romon frowned at him, obviously not liking even this slight giveaway. “You were from offplanet, and not in any registry of scientists known to us. Don’t you agree, that’s interesting?”
“Why?”
Romon shrugged. “A natural curiosity, reinforced by having previous acquaintance.”
“You said ‘everybody.’ ”
Esker leaned forward, tumbler gripped tight in a hairy hand. “The potentialities of this phenomenon are unpredictable,” he stated. “Revolutionary new technologies may well spring from it. Dangerous, in ignorant or irresponsible possession.”
“Those Susaians didn’t go there from a disinterested love of pure science,” Romon added.
And parts of the story are still untold, Hebo thought, not for the first time. And these two aren’t about to share them with me.
He forced a laugh. “I don’t qualify,” he said. “Anyhow, that particular cat is long since out of the bag.”
“Too many cats are.”
The old saw had escaped Hebo without forethought, as old saws were apt to do. It surprised him that Romon knew this one. The man must be a reader. What more was there to him that didn’t show on the surface?
“Even the discovery at Jonna should not have been broadcast to any and every world,” Romon continued. “We should at least have released the data gradually and discreetly. House Seafell urged it. But no, the other Houses knew better.”
The bitterness in his tone made Hebo wonder aloud: “Who’re you afraid would benefit, besides us? The Susaians?”
Romon’s manner turned thoughtful. “I suppose you mean the Dominance. No, not that
Hebo had likewise heard such news, leaking out across light-years, economic troubles and unrest which refused to stay repressed. Susaians as a race seemed to fare no better under totalitarianism than humans. Nevertheless, he didn’t quite agree with Romon’s assessment. That interstellar violence made no sense and hadn’t happened didn’t mean it never could.
He realized fleetingly that once upon a time he had had a different opinion. His revised mind didn’t think in quite the same way as before.
Romon was saying, “I simply have in mind whatever technology may be gotten from the knowledge. And, no, we’d not be able to monopolize it for long. But a head start, a competitive advantage—”
Better return to our muttons, Hebo thought. Aloud: “Well, amongst all those big astropolitical questions, why such a concern over me?”
Romon lifted a palm. “Please. It’s entirely friendly. I recognized your name when I was most recently checking the list of retrievals. Naturally, I was surprised, but also glad of a chance to meet you again.”
Esker sneered. “Alas, the fair Lissa Davysdaughter wasn’t here to greet you.”
He’s heard about us on Jonna, Hebo thought. His feelings on the subject sound pretty strong. I wish there were more grounds for it. “I’ll admit I was disappointed,” he gave back. “What man with his glands working right wouldn’t be?”
That must have hit a nerve. Esker glared.
And did Romon wince ever so slightly? He made haste to interpose a smile and a chuckle. “Well, of course, a very natural reason to come. But the only one? The black hole material has been sent to a number of institutions elsewhere. Scientists communicate to and fro.”
“Why is a
“Sir, I don’t appreciate your tone of voice,” Hebo said, truthfully enough. “Is this a reunion dinner or an interrogation?”
“I’m sorry,” Romon responded fast. “We both are,” which Hebo doubted. “We seem to have expressed ourselves poorly. Of course we don’t expect anything… untoward. I repeat, I’m simply curious, and it occurred to me that Dr. Esker might be of some help to you. Or I might be.”
He drew breath. “Yes, I checked further,” he went on. “You’re collecting information on Freydis as well, the planet and the proposed Susaian colony. That suggests to me your main reason for coming to Sunniva has to do with it. You’re an entrepreneur. House Seafell is business-oriented, you know. If you care to discuss your ideas, we might perhaps find we can cooperate.”
Hebo took cover behind his beer mug while he reassembled his thoughts. Be wary, he decided, but not too standoffish to learn whatever may be here to learn. “I see. Well, I’m not broadcasting it yet, when nothing may come of it. But if the colony does get started, there’ll be a lot of work to do, a lot of inventions needed, and, if the project succeeds, a lot of money to make.”
Romon laughed. “Ah-hah! That’s what I thought.”
“But why your preoccupation with the black holes?” his companion persisted. “You must be spending hours per week sifting through the information in search of bits and pieces you can halfway understand.”
“Esker,” Romon clipped, “if you don’t keep a civil tongue, I’ll regret inviting you along.”
“I’m entitled to be curious too,” said the physicist. “Or am I merely another machine of yours, to be switched off when you aren’t using it?”
Hey, better lighten the atmosphere, or I’ll have wasted an evening that looked promising yesterday, Hebo thought. He constructed amiability. “It’s no riddle, Dr. Harolsson, and I do appreciate your taking the trouble to join us. If you’ve looked closely at my queries, and I’ll bet you have, you know I’m not only asking about astrophysics, or even mainly, but about the whole little-known stellar neighborhood. The event’s bound to have effects across parsecs. Radiation effects on biospheres are just the most obvious.”
“Slight, and in the course of correspondingly many years,” Esker retorted. “Those studies can wait.”
“I gather they are in fact waiting. Sure, the new hole is the urgent case, and has a lot more to teach us. However, later on, exploration may turn up things farther off.”
Romon raised his eyes and his drink. “Profitable things?” he murmured as mildly.
“What else, for me? I’m keeping an eye open, while I carry on my current fishing expedition.”
“Excuse me, but doesn’t that flood of… abstruse data and calculations… almost blind you?”
Hebo spread his hands. “At this stage, who can tell what’s going to give a new opportunity? Besides, it’s kind of a challenge.”
“Why?” muttered Esker. “You’ll never be a scientist.”
“I see,” Romon put in. “You want to keep expanding your mental horizons. And your physical ones.” His voice dropped to a murmur:
Esker scowled, puzzled by the archaic language and resentful.
Hebo blinked. “Hey, Tennyson’s
“Oh, do you know it?” Romon asked, in surprise of his own.
“Yeah, sure, and a bunch of other mostly forgotten stuff. I may not be any literary type, but I do go a long way back, and there’s been plenty of time with nothing better to do than read.”
“Well, well. I hope we can get together over drinks now and then and cap quotations.”
Esker broke in. “This is very fine, no doubt, but it makes me wonder still the more why you’re trying to
