Earth is Heaven

It took time for a ship to ready itself for flight. Time for the engine to reach optimum output, for the generator to build the field, for the whole massed bulk of the vessel to break the chains of gravity. This period of vulnerability gave time for Dumarest to reach the control room to stand behind the big chair in which Batrun sat with his hands on the controls.

From her post Ysanne said, 'If Urich did his job we've nothing to worry about.'

If he had done it and if no one had overridden any command he may have given. A chance Dumarest had been reluctant to take and now he had no choice. All he could do was to leave and go fast-and hope his insurance would hold.

'Nearly set.' As lights flared on the console Batrun relayed their message. 'Power steady and field almost established.' He granted. 'Now?'

'Wait!'

The Erce had been too long without an engineer. Talion had done his best but it needn't have been good enough. A hitch in the flow of power, a compensator out of tune, similarity not as fine as it could be and the ship would lack efficiency. To apply too great a strain too soon was to invite disaster.

'Earl?' Ysanne was sweating, hands clenched, knuckles prominent. 'For God's sake-let's go!'

He said nothing, standing with his fingers touching Batrun's shoulder, judging, balancing time and action. Noventes would be at the gate busy with his report. He could have noticed the withdrawl of the ramp but it was dark and unless he was looking the litter of boxes would have disguised the motion. The boxes themselves would induce a false impression; no trader was willing to abandon cargo.

But the field would be visible; the blue shimmer of the Erhaft drive growing into an unmistakable luminescence. An advertisement to the monitors.

More lights flashed on the console. 'Earl?'

'Now!' Dumarest's fingers pressed on Bartrun's shoulder. 'Take us up, Andre!'

Rising as the lasers surrounding the field began to track the Erce and the monitors checked the vessel's status. As the order to fire was suspended when it was realized Eunice was within the ship. The confusion caused precious moments of delay.

Time won in a calculated gamble in which the Erce rose higher… higher… higher…

'Now!' Again Dumarest pressed his fingers against the captain's shoulders. 'Now, Andre! Now!'

Vruya, touched in his pride, would have reached his decision and given the order. To fire. To bring down the ship and hope that Eunice could be rescued alive from the wreckage. One life against the reputation of Krantz.

Insurance that had run out.

The screens flared as livid streaks burned a path where the ship would have been. Missed again as Batrun veered the ship from its upward path. An insane maneuver successful only because of the height and speed they had gained. The time.

'Made it!' Ysanne yelled her triumph. 'By God, Earl, we've-'

The ship jerked as if kicked, cutting off her words, sending her hard against her panel. In the screens the stars wheeled in sudden gyration, the bulk of Krantz a mottled ball-shrinking with each appearance, diminishing as the sun it circled flared in growing prominence.

Rising from where he had been thrown, Dumarest said, 'Andre! The sun! We-'

'I'm trying!'

With touches and adjustments, the balancing of forces, the skill hard-learned over the years, they steadied the wheeling stars and straightened the axis of the ship.

'Earl!' Ysanne was on her feet and looking at the panel, the lights and telltales, the message they relayed. Blood streamed from her nose and masked her mouth and chin, smears she ignored as she stared at the screens. 'God! The field's down-and we're heading toward the sun!'

The screaming had died, the shouts-Belkner knew how to control his people. Now, in the engine room, he looked at the humped bulk of the generator, listened to the soft hum of the engine.

'What's wrong? What happened?'

Dumarest ignored the questions, his hands deft as he examined the engineer. The shock had thrown Talion hard against the deck, his head hitting the edge of his console as he'd gone down. Blood oozed from a ragged wound but, beneath it, the bone seemed firm.

The man was unconscious and in shock-but that would pass. More serious was the concussion he would suffer which would fog his mind and cloud his judgement, and make him useless for the work needing to be done.

To Belkner Dumarest said, 'Have some men take him to his cabin. Is there anyone who could take care of him?'

'Ava has had experience as a nurse.'

'Good.' Dumarest added wryly, 'Would you have anyone with experience as an engineer?' A stupid question- what would the Ypsheim know of space? 'Forget it. Just get Talion on his feet as soon as possible.'

'We're in trouble, Earl. Right?'

'You could say that.'

'And you need an engineer.' Belkner looked at Talion lying slumped on the deck. 'Try Urich Sheiner.'

Sheiner sat in a cabin, perched on the edge of the bunk, eyes somber staring at the floor. He looked a little pale and the fine mesh of lines at eyes and throat seemed deeper than before. A man feeling old, inadequate, a failure, yet too intelligent to waste time in futile anger.

Dumarest said, 'I need your help, Urich. We all need it.'

'Should that bother me?'

'I said all.' Dumarest looked at the bruises on the man's throat, the hands resting on his knees. 'That includes Eunice. If we die she dies with us.' He saw the twitch of fingers as he mentioned her name. 'Eunice,' he said again. 'The woman you love.'

'And who loves you.'

'So you say.' Dumarest moved so as to sit beside the other man. 'Would it help if I told you I have no feeling for her?'

'It's how she feels that is important.'

'True,' admitted Dumarest. 'But you disappoint me. Once you had guts. The courage to escape from Krantz and make your own way. Now you're letting a child destroy your life. That's what Eunice is,' he reminded. 'A child. She's attracted to the bright and new and exciting. I saved her life-how else did you expect her to respond?'

'A child,' said Urich bitterly, 'who needs a father.'

'Would she be the first? And what does it matter as long as love is present?' Questions Dumarest left hanging as he said, 'We were damaged by a missile as we left Krantz. One at the extreme of its range which detonated close enough to collapse our field. The hull is intact and our environment stable-but we are on a collision course with the sun.'

'So?'

'We need an engineer. Ours is hurt. Belkner told me you could take his place. Can you?'

'Belkner!' Urich's hands closed into fists. 'How does he know so much?'

'Talk,' said Dumarest. 'Gossip. Spacers who may have known you. Deduction. Logic. Shrewd guesses. What does it matter? Are you an engineer?'

'I've worked as one.'

A flat statement and Dumarest recognized the emotion behind it A denial would have robbed Urich of the chance of revenge against those who had robbed him of all he had achieved on Krantz; yet the admission betrayed his need. To be wanted, admired, respected.

Dumarest said quietly, 'I guess it wasn't easy for you to break free. To break with your own people and to cheat, steal, rob, murder-'

'No!' Urich reared, turning to face him. 'There was no killing. The rest, maybe, but how else was I to get away? And if it hadn't been for a drunken spacer I wouldn't have made it. He'd won at the tables and was loaded. A temptation and-' He shrugged. 'A chance and I took it.'

'And later, when you'd reached another world, there were more chances, right? How else to get by when you've nothing going for you? And the first time is the hardest. The next mark comes easier and the one after