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Aratap frowned at the door through which the major had left. It was disturbing to have to control at once the restless conquered and the short-sighted conquerors. Twenty-four hours. Something might happen; otherwise he might have to find some way of stopping Andros.
The door signal sounded and Aratap looked up with irritation. Surely it could not be Andros returning. It wasn't. The tall, stooped form of Hinrik of Rhodia was in the doorway, behind him a glimpse of the guard who accompanied him everywhere on the ship. Theoretically, Hinrik had complete freedom of movement. Probably he himself thought he had. At least, he never paid any attention to the guard at his elbow.
Hinrik smiled mistily. "Am I disturbing you, Commissioner?"
"Not at all. Take a seat, Director." Aratap remained standing. Hinrik seemed not to notice that.
Hinrik said, "I have something of importance to discuss with you." He paused, and some of the intentness passed out of his eyes. He added in quite a different tone, "What a large, fine ship this is!"
"Thank you, Director." Aratap smiled tightly. The nine accompanying ships were typically minute in size, but the flagship on which they stood was an outsized model adapted from the designs of the defunct Rhodian navy. It was perhaps the first sign of the gradual softening of the Tyra
It did not bother Aratap. To some of the older soldiers such increasing softness seemed a degeneration; to himself it seemed increasing civilization. In the end-in centuries, perhaps-it might even happen that the Tyra
Naturally, he never expressed such an opinion aloud.
"I came to tell you something," said Hinrik. He puzzled over it awhile, then added, "I have sent a message home today to my people. I have told them I am well and that the criminal will be shortly seized and my daughter returned to safety."
"Good," said Aratap. It was not news to him. He himself had written the message, though it was not impossible that Hinrik by now had persuaded himself that he was the writer, or even that he actually headed the expedition. Aratap felt a twinge of pity. The man was disintegrating visibly.
Hinrik said, "My people, I believe, are quite disturbed over this daring raid upon the Palace by these well-organized bandits. I think they will be proud of their Director now that I have taken such rapid action in response, eh, Commissioner? They will see that there is still force among the Hinriads." He seemed filled with a feeble triumph.
"I think they will," said Aratap.
"Are we within range of the enemy yet?"
"No, Director, the enemy remains where he was, just off Lingane."
"Still? I remember what I came to tell you." He grew excited, so that the words tumbled out. "It is very important, Commissioner. I have something to tell you. There is treachery on board. I have discovered it. We must take quick action. Treachery-" He was whispering.
Aratap felt impatient. It was necessary to humor the poor idiot of course, but this was becoming a waste of time. At this rate he would become so obviously mad that he would be useless even as a puppet, which would be a pity.
He said, "No treachery, Director. Our men are stanch and true. Someone has been misleading you. You are tired."
"No, no." Hinrik put aside Aratap's arm which, for a moment, had rested upon his shoulder. "Where are we?"
"Why, here!"
"The ship, I mean. I have watched the visiplate. We are near no star. We are in deep space. Did you know that?"
"Why, certainly."
"Lingane is nowhere near. Did you know that?"
"It is two light-years off."
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Commissioner, no one is listening? Are you sure?" He leaned closely, while Aratap allowed his ear to be approached. "Then how do we know the enemy is near Lingane? He is too far to detect. We are being misinformed, and this signifies treachery."
Well, the man might be mad, but the point was a good one. Aratap said, "This is something fit for technical men, Director, and not for men of rank to concern themselves with. I scarcely know myself."
"But as head of the expedition I should know. I am head, am I not?" He looked about carefully. "Actually, I have a feeling that Major Andros does not always carry out my orders. Is he trustworthy? Of course, I rarely give him orders. It would seem strange to order a Tyra
His eyes looked up at the Tyra
Aratap felt his jaw muscles clench. It was difficult to remember that the man before him was a bereaved father and that even the idiot Director of Rhodia might have a father's feelings. He could not let the man suffer.
He said gently, "I will try to explain. You know there is such a thing as a massometer which will detect ships in space."
"Yes, yes."
"It is sensitive to gravitational effects. You know what I mean?"
"Oh yes. Everything has gravity." Hinrik was leaning toward Aratap, his hands gripping one another nervously.
"That's good enough. Now naturally the massometer can only be used when the ship is close, you know. Less than a million miles away or so. Also, it has to be a reasonable distance from any planet, because if it isn't, all you can detect is the planet, which is much bigger."
"And has much more gravity."
"Exactly," said Aratap, and Hinrik looked pleased.
Aratap went on. "We Tyra
Hinrik didn't answer. He looked confused.
Aratap proceeded quickly. "Well, it's different. It doesn't matter how. We can detect that something which is radiated, so that we can always know where any Tyra
Hinrik nodded solemnly.
"Now," said Aratap, "if the young Widemos had escaped in an ordinary ship, it would have been very difficult to locate him. As it is, since he took a Tyra
Hinrik smiled. "That is well done. I congratulate you, Commissioner. A very clever ruse."
Aratap did not delude himself. Hinrik understood very little of what he had said, but that did not matter. It had ended with the assurance of his daughter's rescue, and somewhere in his dim understanding there must be the realization that this, somehow, was made possible by Tyra
He told himself that he had not gone to this trouble entirely because the Rhodian appealed to his sense of the pathetic. He had to keep the man from breaking down altogether for obvious political reasons. Perhaps the return of his daughter would improve matters. He hoped so.
There was the door signal again and this time it was Major Andros who entered. Hinrik's arm stiffened on the armrest of his chair and his face assumed a hunted expression. He lifted himself and began, "Major Andro-"