Double Star

never had this, red tape before — certainly not on Mars.»

The cop said hastily, «Of course it's all right, Hans. After all, this is Mr. Bonforte.»

«Sure, but — »

I interrupted with a happy smile. «There's a simpler way out. If you — what is your name, sir?»

«Haslwanter. Hans Haslwanter,» he answered reluctantly.

«Mr. Haslwanter, if you will call Mr. Commissioner Boothroyd, I'll speak to him and we can save my pilot a trip out to the field — and save me an hour or more of time.»

«Uh, I wouldn't like to do that, sir. I could call the port captain's office?» he suggested hopefully.

«Just get me Mr. Boothroyd's number.I will call him.» This time I put a touch of frost into my voice, the attitude of the busy and important man who wishes to be democratic but has had all the pushing around and hampering by underlings that he intends to put up with.

That did it. He said hastily. «I'm sure it's all right, Mr. Bonforte. It's just — well, regulations, you know.»

«Yes, I know. Thank you.» I started to push on through.

«Hold it, Mr. Bonforte! Look this way.»

I glanced around. That i-dotting and t-crossing civil servant had held us up just long enough to let the press catch up with us. One man had dropped to his knee and was pointing a stereobox at me; he looked up and said, «Hold the wand where we can see it.» Several others with various types of equipment were gathering around us; one had climbed up on the roof of the Rolls. Someone else was shoving a microphone at me and another had a directional mike aimed like a gun.

I was as angry as a leading woman with her name in small type but I remembered who I was supposed to be. I smiled and moved slowly. Bonforte had a good grasp of the fact that motion appears faster in pictures; I could afford to do it properly.

«Mr. Bonforte, why did you cancel the press conference?»

«Mr. Bonforte, it is asserted that you intend to demand that the Grand Assembly grant full Empire citizenship to Martians; will you comment?»

«Mr. Bonforte, how soon are you going to force a vote of confidence in the present government?»

I held up my hand with the wand in it and grinned. «One at a time, please! Now what was that first question?»

They all answered at once, of course; by the time they had sorted out precedence I had managed to waste several moments without having to answer anything. Bill Corpsman came charging up at that point. «Have a heart, boys. The Chief has had a hard day. I gave you all you need.»

I held out a palm at him. «I can spare a minute or two, Bill. Gentlemen, I'm just about to leave but I'll try to cover the essentials of what you have asked. So far as I know the present government does not plan any reassessment of the relation of Mars to the Empire. Since I am not in office my own opinions are hardly pertinent. I suggest that you ask Mr. Quiroga. On the question of how soon the opposition will force a vote of confidence all I can say is that we won't do it unless we are sure we can win it — and you know as much about that as I do.»

Someone said, «That doesn't say much, does it?»

«It was not intended to say much,» I retorted, softening it with a grin. «Ask me questions I can legitimately answer and I will. Ask me those loaded “Have-you-quit-beating-your-wife?” sort and I have answers to match.» I hesitated, realizing that Bonforte had a reputation for bluntness and honesty, especially with the press. «But I am not trying to stall you. You all know why I am here today. Let me say this about it — and you can quote me if you wish.» I reached back into my mind and hauled up an appropriate bit from the speeches of Bonforte I had studied. «The real meaning of what happened today is not that of an honor to one man. This» — I gestured with the Martian wand — «is proof that two great races can reach out across the gap of strangeness with understanding. Our own race is spreading out to the stars. We shall find — we are finding — that we are vastly outnumbered. If we are to succeed in our expansion to the stars, we must deal honestly, humbly, with open hearts. I have heard it said that our Martian neighbors would overrun Earth if given the chance. This is nonsense; Earth is not suited to Martians. Let us protect our own — but let us not be seduced by fear and hatred into foolish acts. The stars will never be won by little minds; we must be big as space itself.»

The reporter cocked an eyebrow. «Mr. Bonforte, seems to me I heard you make that speech last February.»

«You will hear it next February. Also January, March, and all the other months. Truth cannot be too often repeated.» I glanced back at the gatemaster and added, «I'm sorry but I'll have to go now — or I'll miss the tick.» I turned and went through the gate, with Penny after me.

We climbed into the little lead-armored field car and the door sighed shut. The car was automatized, so I did not have to play up for a driver; I threw myself down and relaxed. «Whew!»

«I thought you did beautifully,» Penny said seriously.

«I had a bad moment when he spotted the speech I was cribbing.»

«You got away with it. It was an inspiration. You — you sounded just like him.»

«Was there anybody there I should have called by name?»

«Not really. One or two maybe, but they wouldn't expect it when you were so rushed.»

«I was caught in a squeeze. That fiddlin' gatemaster and his passports. Penny, I should think that you would carry them rather than Dak.»

«Dak doesn't carry them. We all carry our own.» She reached into her bag, pulled out a little book. «I had mine — but I did not dare admit it.»

«Eh?»

«He had his on him when they got him. We haven't dared ask for a replacement — not at this time.»

I was suddenly very weary.

Having no instructions from Dak or Rog, I stayed in character during the shuttle trip up and on entering the Tom Paine. It wasn't difficult; I simply went straight to the owner's cabin and spent long, miserable hours in free fall, biting my nails and wondering what was happening down on the surface. With the aid of anti-nausea pills I finally managed to float off into fitful sleep — which was a mistake, for I had a series of no- pants nightmares, with reporters pointing at me and cops touching me on the shoulder and Martians aiming their wands at me. They all knew I was phony and were simply arguing over who had the privilege of taking me apart and putting me down the oubliette.

I was awakened by the hooting of the acceleration alarm. Dak's vibrant baritone was booming, «First and last red warning! One third gee! One minute!» I hastily pulled myself over to my bunk and held on. I felt lots better when it hit; one third gravity is not much, about the same as Mars' surface I think, but it is enough to steady the stomach and make the floor a real floor.

About five minutes later Dak knocked and let himself in as I was going to the door. «Howdy, Chief.»

«Hello, Dak. I'm certainly glad to see you back.»

«Not as glad as I am to be back,» he said wearily. He eyed my bunk. «Mind if I spread out there?»

«Help yourself.»

He did so and sighed. «Cripes, am I pooped! I could sleep for a week ... I think I will.»

«Let's both of us. Uh ... You got him aboard?»

«Yes. What a gymkhana!»

«I suppose so. Still, it must be easier to do a job like that in a small, informal port like this than it was to pull the stunts you rigged at Jefferson.»

«Huh? No, it's much harder here.»

«Eh?»

«Obviously. Here everybody knows everybody — and people will talk.» Dak smiled wryly. «We brought him aboard as a case of frozen canal shrimp. Had to pay export duty, too.»

«Dak, how is he?»

«Well...» Dak frowned. «Doc Capek says that he will make a complete recovery — that it is just a matter of time.» He added explosively, «If I could lay my hands on those rats! It would make you break down and bawl to see what they did to him — and yet we have to let them get away with it cold — for his