Omega

“No,” she said. “I’ve gotten too old for this sort of thing.”

WHILE WAITING FOR departure, she checked in with ops and got the latest status report from the Jenkins. It was a week old, of course, the time needed for hyperlight traffic to reach her from Lookout. That was another mistake, allowing the name Lookout to get around. It had become a joke for late night comedians, as well as a predictor of disaster. She saw now that they should have gotten on top of that right away. Should have given the sun a name, something like Chayla, and then they could have called the world Chayla III. And the inhabitants would have become Chaylans. All very dignified. But it was too late for that. It was her fault, but a smart Academy public relations section would have picked up on it right away.

There was nothing new from the Jenkins. They were still debating how best to go down and look around. She didn’t envy Jack, who had some tough decisions in front of him. The ops officer pressed his earphones and signaled her to wait. He listened, nodded, and looked up. “Commissioner on the circuit for you, ma’am.”

That was a surprise. “I’ll take it in the conference room,” she said.

He was seated on the deck of a yacht, a captain’s cap pulled low over his eyes. “Just thought I’d check in,” he said. “How are we doing?”

“Fine. I see you didn’t quite make Geneva.”

He smiled i

“Yes, sir. They’re packed and ready to go.” She paused. “Why?”

“Why do I want to know about the al-Jahani?”

“Why run me through the parade?”

“I thought it would be a good idea if you learned why there’s a Protocol.”

She sat down. “You made your point.”

“Good. Hutch, it’s not just the Goompahs. We’re talking about a precedent. If we break it at Lookout, wherever we find anyone we’ll be baptizing, selling motorized carts, and dragging critters back to perform in circuses. You understand?”

“You really think that would happen?”

“It’s hard to see how it wouldn’t. I take it you told them no deal.”

“All except the media. They’re getting limited access. But not on the ground. How’d you know?”

“I’ve already heard rumblings of formal protests. Good. I’m proud of you.”

She’d always thought of Asquith as a man who’d avoid a fight at any cost. “What chance do you think they have, Michael? The protests.”

“Zero to poor. Unless you give the game away.”

SHE JUST MISSED a flight to Reagan and, rather than wait three hours, she caught one to Atlanta, and then took the glide train to D.C. Just south of Richmond they ran into a snowstorm, the first in that area in ten years or more. It got progressively heavier as the train moved north.

It was late evening by the time she reached home, descending onto the landing pad through a blizzard. Tor was waiting on the porch.

She got out of the taxi and hurried through the storm. The door swung open, and he handed her a hot chocolate. “Well,” he said, “did we get everybody off safely for Goompah country?”

“I hope so. How’s Maureen?”

“Asleep. She missed her mommy. I don’t think she likes the way I read George.” That was a reference to George Monk, the garrulous chimp.

The hot chocolate was good. Inside, he had a blazing fire going. She set the cup down and shook the snow off her jacket.

“It’s all over the networks,” he said. “The talking heads don’t think much of your chances.”

“They’re probably right.” She was about to sit when the house AI (named for the chimp, or maybe it was the other way round) sounded the chime that indicated an incoming call.

“Who is it, George?” Tor asked.

“Academy watch officer. For Hutch.”

“That’s odd,” she said. “I can’t imagine what that would be about.” Actually she could: Her first thought was that the al-Jahani had developed a problem already.

Jean Kilgore’s face appeared on-screen. “Hutch?”

“Yes. What do you have, Jean?”

“I wanted to let you know Harold is in the hospital. Apparently it’s serious.”

She needed a moment to understand. “What happened?” she asked. “How is he?”

“Heart attack. They took him to Georgetown. It happened this afternoon.”

“Do you have anything on his condition?”

“No, ma’am. Only what I told you.”

“Okay.”

“He went home early. Said he wasn’t feeling well.”

“Thanks, Jean.” She was headed toward her closet for a fresh jacket.

“Je

“Yes,” she said. “I know.”

“But they didn’t think it was that serious. If he was having trouble, he doesn’t seem to have told anyone. Je

Great. Guy with a heart condition. “Thanks, Jean.” She’d have to change her shoes. “George, get me a cab. And co

SHE COULDN’T GET through to the aunt, whom she’d met once, years before. She was, as far as Hutch knew, Harold’s only relative in the area. But the traffic director informed her she was offline. Apparently one of those people who did not carry a commlink. Well, Hutch could understand it. If she ever got clear of the Academy, she’d think about ditching hers.

All attempts to get information from Georgetown also went nowhere. “He’s been admitted,” the hospital told her. “Other than that we don’t have anything at the moment.”

Twenty minutes after leaving Woodbridge she settled onto the roof of the Georgetown Medical Center. She climbed out, momentarily lost her balance on the snow-covered ramp, and hurried down to the emergency room receiving desk.

The aunt was there, standing in a small circle of worried-looking people. Mildred. Her eyes were red.

Hutch introduced herself. Mildred smiled weakly, stifling tears. There was also a female cousin, a neighbor, a clergyman, and Charlie Wilson, one of the people from the lab. “How is he?” she asked.

Charlie looked steadily at Hutch and shook his head.

NEWSDESK

RECORD COLD IN MIDWEST

Temperature Hits Fifty Below in St. Louis

WCN SENDS PEACEKEEPERS TO MIDDLE EAST

Train Bombed by Iniri Rebels

TIDAL WAVE KILLS HUNDREDS IN BANGLADESH

Triggered by Collapsing Island

SINGH DEFEATS HARRIGAN FOR HUMAN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

First Off-Earth Title Match

DOCTOR ALVA ACCEPTS PERUVIAN MEDAL

Honored for Efforts During Bolus Outbreak

WOMAN KILLS FOUR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR

Claims Devil Was On the Way to Snatch Their Souls

RECESSION ENTERS THIRD QUARTER

Unemployment Up Seventh Straight Month

SIX KILLED AT BELGRADE CONCERT

Grandstand Gives Way During Beethoven Fair

DEALY GUILTY

Billionaire Convicted On All Counts

Victims Demonstrate Outside Court

Civil Suits Pending

Faces Character Reconstruction

SANASI CALLED BEFORE CONGRESS

Expected to Take Fifth

Martin Says No to Deal

ALIENS IN DRACO

Primitive Civilization Under Cloud

Natives Resemble Goompahs