The Dark Design

"No, but they mutht've been around me," Joe said. "And thinthe I never thmelled anybody that didn't thmell human-though that ain't nothing to brag about-thmelling human, I mean, then the achentth mutht be human."

"That mought be," Johnston said. "It seems to this here child that if a non-Earthman cain look like a real person, then he cain smell like one."

Joe laughed and said, ''Vhy don't ve chutht potht a notithe in the main lounge? Any Ethicalth or achentth aboard pleathe report to Captain Clementh."

Gwenafra had been fidgeting about and frowning. She said.

"Why do all of you duck the question I brought up? What about Piscator?"

"Maybe we're like the circus midget who found the giant's shoes under his wife's bed," Sam said. "Afraid to ask.

"Very well. I wasn't too well acquainted with the gentleman from Cipango. He showed up about two months before the Mark Twain left. From all reports, he was a very quiet and likable person. Not withdrawn or aloof, just not aggressive. He seemed to get along with just about everybody. Which, in my book, makes him suspect. Yet he wasn't a yes-man. I remember he got into an argument with Firebrass about the size of the airship to be built. He thought that it would be better to build a smaller one. The end of the discussion was that Piscator said he still thought he was right. But since Firebrass, was the boss, he would do as he said."

"Did he have any peculiarities?" Gwenafra said.

"He was crazy about fishing, but I don't count that an eccentrici­ty. Say, what're you asking me for? You knew him."

"I just wanted to get another viewpoint," she said. "When Gulbirra gets here, we'll ask her about him. She knew him better than we did."

"Don't forget Thyrano," Joe said. "He knew him."

"Joe loved Cyrano,'' Sam said. "The Frenchmen's got a bigger nose than his. Makes Joe feel right at home."

"That'th a crock of thyit. Ain't none of you pygmieth got a nothe to be proud of. I chutht like him even if you two get along like two male hyenath in mating theathon."

"I don't care for the simile," Sam said coolly. "Anyway, what do you think of Piscator, Gwen?"

"He radiated a sort of, what do you call it? Not animal magne­tism, since there was nothing sexual about it. Just a warm attractive­ness. You knew he liked you. Though, again, he wouldn't put up with fools. He'd go along with them, even when they were being stupid. But he got rid of them in a nice way.

"I don't think he was, what is the word? A fundamentalist or fanatic Moslem. He said the Koran was to be understood allegori-cally. He also said the Bible was not to be read literally. He could quote long passages of both, you know. I talked to him a number of times, and I was surprised when he told me that Jesus was the greatest prophet after Mohammed. He also said the Moslems be­lieved that the first person to enter heaven will be Mary, the mother of Jesus. You told me Moslems hate Jesus, Sam."

"No, I said they hated Christians. And vice versa."

"No, you didn't. But that's not important. To sum it up, Piscator impressed me as a wise and good man. But there was more to him than that. I don't know how to describe it.

"Perhaps it was that he seemed to be in this world and yet not of it."

"I think you're saying this," Sam said. "He was somehow morally, or perhaps it's better to say spiritually, superior."

"He never said so or acted like he thought he was. But, yes, that might be it."

"I wish I'd known him better."

"You were too busy building your boat, Sam."

65

Frigate did not come into the hut until about an hour before suppertime. When asked by Nur where he had been, he said that he had waited all day to see Novak. Finally, Novak's secretary had said Frigate would have to come back tomorrow. Novak could spare a minute or so for him in the morning.

Frigate looked disgruntled. Waiting in line made him very impa­tient. That he had done so for such a long time meant that he was deeply determined. But he refused to say what he had in mind until he had talked to Novak.

"If he says yes, then I'll tell you."

Farrington, Rider, and Pogaas paid him little attention. They were too busy discussing means for getting the Razzle Dazzle back. When asked if he would help them, Frigate said he did not know yet. Nur only smiled and said he would wait until they had made up their own minds about the ethics of the deed.

Nur, as usual, knew more about what was going on than the others. It was he who told them, just before they left the hut to eat breakfast, that the discussion was only academic. The Razzle Daz­zle had been loaded with artifacts for trade by its new owners and would sail down-River just after breakfast.

Martin exploded. "Why didn't you tell us about this before?"

"I was afraid you three would do something rash such as trying to seize the ship in daylight before hundreds of witnesses. You would never have gotten away with it."

"We're not that stupid!"

"No, but you're that impulsive. Which is a form of stupidity."

"Thanks a lot," Tom said. "Well, maybe it's just as well. I'd much rather go off on one of those patrol steamboats. But we'd have to get the old crew together first and find some people to replace the women. This is going to take time and lots of pla

There were some delays, however. A man from the government office told them they had to go to work for the state or clear out. Frigate was absent when this happened. He returned gri

"I talked Novak into it!"

"Into what?" Farrington said.

Frigate sat down in a bamboo chair and lit up a cigarette.

"Well, first I asked him if he would build another blimp for us. I didn't expect him to agree, and he didn't. He said he meant to build two more blimps-but not for us. These would be used for patrols and for warfare, if war should come."

"You want us to steal their blimp!" Farrington said. Though he had been angry when Podebrad had deserted them, he had later been relieved. He had denied this, but it was obvious that he was glad that he did not have to fly in the airship.

"No. Neither Nur nor I believe that you would steal anybody's property, even if you like to talk about it. You two fantasize a lot. Anyway, Nur and I won't have anything to do with stealing.

"After my first proposal was turned down, I put forth my second. Novak hemmed and hawed, and then said that he would do what I suggested. It wouldn't require near the materials nor time that the blimp did. He felt bad because we'd been cheated, and he thought that helping us would compensate us.

"Besides, Novak is interested in balloons. His son was a bal­loonist."

"Balloons!" Martin said. "Are you still pushing that crazy idea?"

Tom looked interested, but he said, "We don't know anything about the winds above the mountains. We could be blown south.''

"That's right. But we're a little north of the equator. If the upper winds are anything like they are on Earth, we could be driven north and east. Once past the horse latitudes it's a different matter. But I have in mind a type of balloon that could get us to the arctic zone.''

"Crazy! Crazy!" Martin said, shaking his head.

"You refuse to do this?"

"I didn't say that. I've always been a little touched in the head myself. Besides, I don't think the winds will be going the right way for us. We should get down to business and build us a ship."

Farrington was wrong and probably knew he was just expressing a wish. The air, at the altitude at which they would float, flowed northeast.

However, when the others heard what type of balloon Frigate proposed making, all objected vehemently.