Double Star

considerably more than you hate having me do it — for despite Captain Broadbent's cheerful assurances I am not at all sure that I will come out of it with my skin intact — and I'm awfully fond of my skin; it's the only one I have. I believe, too, that I know why you find it hard to accept me. But is that any reason for you to make my job harder than it has to be?»

She mumbled. I said sharply, «Speak up!»

«It's dishonest! It's indecent!»

I sighed. «It certainly is. More than that, it is impossible — without the wholehearted support of the other members of the cast. So let's call Captain Broadbent down here and tell him. Let's call it off.»

She jerked her face up and said, «Oh no! We can't do that.»

«Why can't we? A far better thing to drop it now than to present it and have it flop. I can't give a performance under these conditions. Let's admit it.»

«But — but — we've got to! It's necessary.»

'Why is it necessary, Miss Russell? Political reasons? I have not the slightest interest in politics — and I doubt if you have any really deep interest. So why must we do it?»

«Because — because he — » She stopped, unable to go on, strangled by sobs.

I got up, went over, and put a hand on her shoulder. «I know. Because if we don't, some thing that he has spent years building up will fall to pieces. Because he can't do it himself and his friends are trying to cover up and do it for him. Because his friends are loyal to him. Because you are loyal to him. Nevertheless, it hurts you to see someone else in the place that is rightfully his. Besides that, you are half out of your mind with grief and worry about him. Aren't you?»

«Yes.» I could barely hear it.

I took hold of her chin and tilted her face up. «I know why you find it so hard to have me here, in his place. You love him. But I'm doing the best job for him I know how.Confound it, woman! Do you have to make my job six times harder by treating me like dirt?»

She looked shocked. For a moment I thought she was going to slap me. Then she said brokenly, «I am sorry. I am very sorry. I won't let it happen again.»

I let go her chin and said briskly, «Then let's get back to work.»

She did not move. «Can you forgive me?»

«Huh? There's nothing to forgive, Penny. You were acting up because you love him and you were worried. Now let's get to work. I've got to be letter perfect — and it's only hours away.» I dropped at once back into the role.

She picked up a spool and started the projector again. I watched him through it once, then did the acceptance speech with the sound cut out but stereo on, matching my voice — his voice, I mean — to the moving image. She watched me, looking from the image back to my face with a dazed look on her own. We finished and I switched it off myself. «How was that?»

«That was perfect!»

I smiled his smile. «Thanks, Curly Top.»

«Not at all — 'Mr. Bonforte.'»

Two hours later we made rendezvous with the Go For Broke.

Dak brought Roger Clifton and Bill Corpsman to my cabin as soon as the Go For Broke had transferred them. I knew them from pictures. I stood up and said, «Hello, Rog. Glad to see you, Bill.» My voice was warm but casual; on the level at which these people operated, a hasty trip to Earth and back was simply a few days' separation and nothing more. I limped over and offered my hand. The ship was at the moment under low boost as it adjusted to a much tighter orbit than the Go For Broke had been riding in.

Clifton threw me a quick glance, then played up. He took his cigar out of his mouth, shook hands, and said quietly, «Glad to see you back, Chief.» He was a small man, bald-headed and middle-aged, and looked like a lawyer and a good poker player.

«Anything special while I was away?»

«No. Just routine. I gave Penny the file.»

«Good.» I turned to Bill Corpsman, again offered my hand.

He did not take it. Instead he put his fists on his hips, looked up at me, and whistled. «Amazing! I really do believe we stand a chance of getting away with it.» He looked me up and down, then said, «Turn around, Smythe. Move around. I want to see you walk.»

I found that I was actually feeling the annoyance that Bonforte would have felt at such uncalled-for impertinence, and, of course, it showed in my face. Dak touched Corpsman's sleeve and said quickly, «Knock it off, Bill. You remember what we agreed?»

«Chicken tracks!» Corpsman answered. «This room is soundproof. I just want to make sure he is up to it. Smythe, how's your Martian? Can you spiel it?»

I answered with a single squeaking polysyllabic in High Martian, a sentence meaning roughly, «Proper conduct demands that one of us leave!» — but it means far more than that, as it is a challenge which usually ends in someone's nest being notified of a demise.

I don't think Corpsman understood it, for he grinned and answered, «I've got to hand it to you, Smythe. That's good.»

But Dak understood it. He took Corpsman by the arm and said, «Bill, I told you to knock it off. You're in my ship and that's an order. We play it straight from here on — every second.»

Clifton added, «Pay attention to him, Bill. You know we agreed that was the way to do it. Otherwise somebody might slip.»

Corpsman glanced at him, then shrugged. «All right, all right. I was just checking up — after all, this was my idea.» He gave me a one-sided smile and said, «Howdy, Mister Bonforte. Glad to see you back.»

There was a shade too much emphasis on «Mister» but I answered, «Good to be back, Bill. Anything special I need to know before we go down?»

«I guess not. Press conference at Goddard City after the ceremonies.» I could see him watching me to see how I would take it.

I nodded. «Very well.»

Dak said hastily, «Say, Rog, how about that? Is it necessary? Did you authorize it?»

«I was going to add,» Corpsman went on, turning to Clifton, «before the Skipper here got the jitters, that I can take it myself and tell the boys that the Chief has dry laryngitis from the ceremonies — or we can limit it to written questions submitted ahead of time and I'll get the answers written out for him while the ceremonies are going on. Seeing that he looks and sounds so good close up, I would say to risk it. How about it, Mister — 'Bonforte'? Think you can swing it?»

«I see no problem involved in it, Bill.» I was thinking that if I managed to get by the Martians without a slip I would undertake to ad-lib double talk to a bunch of human reporters as long as they wanted to listen. I had good command of Bonforte's speaking style by now and at least a rough notion of his policies and attitudes — and I need not be specific.

But Clifton looked worried. Before he could speak the ship's horn brayed out, «Captain is requested to come to the control room. Minus four minutes.»

Dak said quickly, «You all will have to settle it. I've got to put this sled in its slot — I've got nobody up there but young Epstein.» He dashed for the door.

Corpsman called out, «Hey, Skip! I wanted to tell you — » He was out the door and following Dak without waiting to say good-by.

Roger Clifton closed the door Corpsman had left open, came back, and said slowly, «Do you want to risk this press conference?»

«That is up to you. I want to do the job.»

«Mmm ... Then I'm inclined to risk it — if we use the written-questions method. But I'll check Bill's answers myself before you have to give them.»

«Very well.» I added, «If you can find a way to let me have them ten minutes or so ahead of time, there shouldn't be any difficulty. I'm a very quick study.»