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Mary and Nathan looked at each other in amazement. Were these two actually pleading with them?
“It’s quite a logical position for you,” Ackoff said. “You know as much about Makassar as anyone in the Empire. You even had access to the old library.” Ackoff smiled thinly. “Not that I expect you to admit it, but your ship rather proves that, doesn’t it? And while you don’t know a lot about modern technology, Makassar’s not likely to get much modern technology. What’s needed is someone who knows how to make do.”
“How can you trust me?”
“We don’t have to,” Boyd said. “No matter what you do, you’ll be no threat to the Empire.” He shrugged. “Assume the worst, that you make yourself king of all the barbarians. The ship that takes you there will remove most of the tapes from that Old Empire library. What can you do to us? And Makassar is unlikely to be worse off with you than without you.’’
“And if I refuse?” Nathan asked.
Ackoff shrugged. “We’d have to consider our other alternatives.”
“The threat isn’t needed,” Mary said. “We want to go back. Nathan never wanted to leave.”
MacKi
“What makes you think you’re the only one who wants to be needed?” she demanded. “For a moment I was mad enough to suppose that because I was a passenger in Dougal’s ship I could be a match for Dougal, but that won’t work. And — I was needed on Makassar too, Nathan MacKi
“We’ll give you time to think about it,” Ackoff said.
“We won’t need it,” Mary said. She turned to MacKi
Ackoff nodded. “If it were done, ’t were best done quickly. We’ll arrange transportation in a ship with proper medical facilities. You should be as good as new when you arrive on Makassar.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, I can see there’s a chaplain aboard also. I understand congratulations are in order … That’s settled, then.”
Ackoff smiled warmly, then turned to his computer screen. That was one problem solved. There would be others. There always were.