What do you say to that,
Anson?"
"Noble sentiments, indeed. Only thing is, Cortell talks too much." Torm's pale eyes caught the other man's. "Any more foolish questions, Strang , or are you ready to take your friends back out of
here?"
The
man's hand was trembling angrily. "The people won't take it much longer.
They want Cortell cleared."
"Some of the people, you mean. There's been no convention and no election,
to my knowledge. Until there is, I'm still in charge here, and my warrant for Cortell stands."
The
man turned on his heel and started to go, then turned once again to Torm , his eyes wild. "There's nasty talk around,
Anson. Talk about you being the traitor, selling
out to these Earth dogs. What are they offering you, Anson? Safe
passage back to Earth? A nice place to live for the
rest of your life, with hot and cold running water—?"
"Get
out of here, Strang ." Torm's voice sounded rusty, and his hands gripped his chair until his knuckles were white. As the group
went up the stairs, he turned to the Colonel. "I can't sit here and talk
any longer— I've got to get a search of the tunnels organized. Cortell won't do anything just now—I can't tell you why,
you'll just have to take my word for it. But I warn you, Colonel—this is a
fight to the finish, this time. If Cortell can win
the colony to his side, it'll all be over. The people hate you and Earth with
four generations of hate, and Cortell is playing that
hate for all it's worth. It's up to you, now. If you're ready to trust me and
make a square and honorable deal with the Titan colonists, there may be time to
save things. But time is running out—" He stood up and walked for the
stairs with a group of his men around him. "We'll have to split up the
tunnels among us," he was saying as they went up the stairs. "And
we'll have to go slow . . ."
Tuck
and David sat side by side, watching the Colonel. He sat for a long time in
silence, his face looking older than Tuck had ever seen it before. Then he
slammed his fist down on the table with a groan. "The fooir he grated . " The stubborn fool! Security
will never accept a deal. What does he think he can get with this kind of
blackmail? All Security wants is to have the trouble stopped and production
continued smoothly—and thanks to him we re in the
middle of the worst trouble there's been in
years."
"Dad—"
Tuck looked up at his father. "Dad, Torm is
right. You have to trust him."
"How
can I trust him?" the Colonel exploded. "Why won't he come clean? Why won't he tell me what Cor -tell has up
his sleeve?"
"I
don't know—but does it really matter? I mean, if you could take Torm at his word, and start negotiating—"
"But
how could I ever sell Security on it? How could I tell them to trust the
colonists when I'm not even convinced myself ?" He
shook his head tiredly, and stood up. "No, it won't work. There'll be no
deals until Torm lays the truth on the line. Until
then, he's just another colonist rebel, I'm afraid." He started for the
stairs.
"Dad, what are you
going to do?"
"I
don't know. Wait, I guess. I just don't know." His shoulders sagged as he
walked up the stairs.
Tuck
turned to David Torm , and made a hopeless gesture.
"They can't see each other. Every time they talk, they get farther apart.
Dad is so sure that anything anybody does out here is aimed against Earth that
he won't even listen."
David's eyes were wide. "But he's got to see," he said excitedly. "Does he realize what's happening?
That man Cortell is dangerous, and he's
ruthless."
Tuck
nodded. "Yes—but your father isn't coming halfway, either—"
"I
know it." David flopped dejectedly down in the chair. "Why are people
so stupid? Dad doesn't hate Earthmen—he just distrusts them. He's seen too many
back-stabbing tricks to trust them. But Cortell isn't
made like dad. He's all hate—he lives on it. He hates Earth and everything
about Earth."
Tuck
looked at David. "Yet he's in contact with people on Earth. That's one
reason dad
Anson?"
"Noble sentiments, indeed. Only thing is, Cortell talks too much." Torm's pale eyes caught the other man's. "Any more foolish questions, Strang , or are you ready to take your friends back out of
here?"
The
man's hand was trembling angrily. "The people won't take it much longer.
They want Cortell cleared."
"Some of the people, you mean. There's been no convention and no election,
to my knowledge. Until there is, I'm still in charge here, and my warrant for Cortell stands."
The
man turned on his heel and started to go, then turned once again to Torm , his eyes wild. "There's nasty talk around,
Anson. Talk about you being the traitor, selling
out to these Earth dogs. What are they offering you, Anson? Safe
passage back to Earth? A nice place to live for the
rest of your life, with hot and cold running water—?"
"Get
out of here, Strang ." Torm's voice sounded rusty, and his hands gripped his chair until his knuckles were white. As the group
went up the stairs, he turned to the Colonel. "I can't sit here and talk
any longer— I've got to get a search of the tunnels organized. Cortell won't do anything just now—I can't tell you why,
you'll just have to take my word for it. But I warn you, Colonel—this is a
fight to the finish, this time. If Cortell can win
the colony to his side, it'll all be over. The people hate you and Earth with
four generations of hate, and Cortell is playing that
hate for all it's worth. It's up to you, now. If you're ready to trust me and
make a square and honorable deal with the Titan colonists, there may be time to
save things. But time is running out—" He stood up and walked for the
stairs with a group of his men around him. "We'll have to split up the
tunnels among us," he was saying as they went up the stairs. "And
we'll have to go slow . . ."
Tuck
and David sat side by side, watching the Colonel. He sat for a long time in
silence, his face looking older than Tuck had ever seen it before. Then he
slammed his fist down on the table with a groan. "The fooir he grated . " The stubborn fool! Security
will never accept a deal. What does he think he can get with this kind of
blackmail? All Security wants is to have the trouble stopped and production
continued smoothly—and thanks to him we re in the
middle of the worst trouble there's been in
years."
"Dad—"
Tuck looked up at his father. "Dad, Torm is
right. You have to trust him."
"How
can I trust him?" the Colonel exploded. "Why won't he come clean? Why won't he tell me what Cor -tell has up
his sleeve?"
"I
don't know—but does it really matter? I mean, if you could take Torm at his word, and start negotiating—"
"But
how could I ever sell Security on it? How could I tell them to trust the
colonists when I'm not even convinced myself ?" He
shook his head tiredly, and stood up. "No, it won't work. There'll be no
deals until Torm lays the truth on the line. Until
then, he's just another colonist rebel, I'm afraid." He started for the
stairs.
"Dad, what are you
going to do?"
"I
don't know. Wait, I guess. I just don't know." His shoulders sagged as he
walked up the stairs.
Tuck
turned to David Torm , and made a hopeless gesture.
"They can't see each other. Every time they talk, they get farther apart.
Dad is so sure that anything anybody does out here is aimed against Earth that
he won't even listen."
David's eyes were wide. "But he's got to see," he said excitedly. "Does he realize what's happening?
That man Cortell is dangerous, and he's
ruthless."
Tuck
nodded. "Yes—but your father isn't coming halfway, either—"
"I
know it." David flopped dejectedly down in the chair. "Why are people
so stupid? Dad doesn't hate Earthmen—he just distrusts them. He's seen too many
back-stabbing tricks to trust them. But Cortell isn't
made like dad. He's all hate—he lives on it. He hates Earth and everything
about Earth."
Tuck
looked at David. "Yet he's in contact with people on Earth. That's one
reason dad
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