you're assuming that Paddy's Fortune has to be the same thing as Godspeed Base."
"That thing Jay is holding was never made in the Forty Worlds."
"Maybe not. But you were the one who insisted that Paddy Enderton had not been to Godspeed Base. If that's true, where did he get the calculator and display?"
"I don't know. You're worrying over details. There's one good way to settle everything—go and see."
"All right. But the last thing you can afford to do is let a lot of other people know you're going." Mother glanced around and lowered her voice—though it would have taken a lot more than ordinary speech to wake up the snoring louts in the next room. "Let people learn where you've been and what you've found, after you come back. The more we keep this to ourselves, the less trouble we'll risk. The bruisers who were here last night would love to know your travel plans."
Doctor Eileen flopped down again on her chair. "Well, somebody has to know. You have to help me find a ship, and a few reliable spacers."
"All right. We'll find a ship. But I can't be directly involved, Eileen."
"Why not?"
"The men who were here last night. I would recognize them—and they'd recognize me. If they saw me, you might as well hang out a sign saying where you are going."
"Then I'll find a ship for myself."
"That's nearly as bad. You need a man to do it, Eileen, if you don't want to be conspicuous. Whoever heard of a woman going to space?"
"That's for quite different reasons, and you know it."
Mother might know it. I didn't, and at the moment I didn't care.
"They didn't see me!" I said. "They wouldn't recognize me. I'm a man. Let me help find a ship."
Mother shook her head. "You've done wonderfully well, Jay. But you're much too young."
Too young, after everything that I had done and been through! I grabbed Paddy Enderton's calculator and held it close to my chest.
"Too young to find a ship," said Doctor Eileen. "Yes, I agree. But is Jay too young to go? Look at his face, Molly. He's earned the right, if anyone has."
Mother did look at my face, and I at hers. It was the longest few seconds of my whole life, until finally she nodded.
"All right," she said slowly. "You have earned it, Jay. You truly have. You can go with Doctor Eileen—if she goes."
"I'm going," Doctor Eileen said firmly.
"All right," repeated Mother. "And now get to bed, Jay," she added automatically. "It's far too late for you to be awake."
CHAPTER 9
I know two ways to make time stretch forever.
One is to go somewhere you have never been before, and do a hundred new and interesting things. After two days you think you have been away for ages, and you just can't believe that so little time has passed since you left home.
The other way is to be waiting for something, waiting and waiting and waiting, and not able to speed up its arrival at all.
That's what happened to me in the two weeks after Doctor Eileen declared that we were going off to space to take a look at Paddy's Fortune. While others did the interesting work I had to stay home, helping Mother and keeping my eyes open for the possible return of the violent strangers.
That danger seemed to lessen toward the end of the first week. Since Paddy Enderton had left no one to inherit any of his possessions, Mother and Doctor Eileen arranged for them to be taken over to Skibbereen and sold at auction. The proceeds would go to pay for Enderton's burial and the repair of our damaged property.
As it turned out we didn't get a penny toward either one. Before the auction could take place, the storage place in Skibbereen was broken into and everything was stolen. Mother seemed to think that this was a good thing, because it made us a less attractive target.
Another dull week followed. Duncan West, who knew far too much to be treated as an outsider, had been sent over to Muldoon. Sworn to secrecy, he was negotiating for a ship and crew. It wasn't likely to be easy, with crews scattered all over after Winterfall.
"That thing Jay is holding was never made in the Forty Worlds."
"Maybe not. But you were the one who insisted that Paddy Enderton had not been to Godspeed Base. If that's true, where did he get the calculator and display?"
"I don't know. You're worrying over details. There's one good way to settle everything—go and see."
"All right. But the last thing you can afford to do is let a lot of other people know you're going." Mother glanced around and lowered her voice—though it would have taken a lot more than ordinary speech to wake up the snoring louts in the next room. "Let people learn where you've been and what you've found, after you come back. The more we keep this to ourselves, the less trouble we'll risk. The bruisers who were here last night would love to know your travel plans."
Doctor Eileen flopped down again on her chair. "Well, somebody has to know. You have to help me find a ship, and a few reliable spacers."
"All right. We'll find a ship. But I can't be directly involved, Eileen."
"Why not?"
"The men who were here last night. I would recognize them—and they'd recognize me. If they saw me, you might as well hang out a sign saying where you are going."
"Then I'll find a ship for myself."
"That's nearly as bad. You need a man to do it, Eileen, if you don't want to be conspicuous. Whoever heard of a woman going to space?"
"That's for quite different reasons, and you know it."
Mother might know it. I didn't, and at the moment I didn't care.
"They didn't see me!" I said. "They wouldn't recognize me. I'm a man. Let me help find a ship."
Mother shook her head. "You've done wonderfully well, Jay. But you're much too young."
Too young, after everything that I had done and been through! I grabbed Paddy Enderton's calculator and held it close to my chest.
"Too young to find a ship," said Doctor Eileen. "Yes, I agree. But is Jay too young to go? Look at his face, Molly. He's earned the right, if anyone has."
Mother did look at my face, and I at hers. It was the longest few seconds of my whole life, until finally she nodded.
"All right," she said slowly. "You have earned it, Jay. You truly have. You can go with Doctor Eileen—if she goes."
"I'm going," Doctor Eileen said firmly.
"All right," repeated Mother. "And now get to bed, Jay," she added automatically. "It's far too late for you to be awake."
CHAPTER 9
I know two ways to make time stretch forever.
One is to go somewhere you have never been before, and do a hundred new and interesting things. After two days you think you have been away for ages, and you just can't believe that so little time has passed since you left home.
The other way is to be waiting for something, waiting and waiting and waiting, and not able to speed up its arrival at all.
That's what happened to me in the two weeks after Doctor Eileen declared that we were going off to space to take a look at Paddy's Fortune. While others did the interesting work I had to stay home, helping Mother and keeping my eyes open for the possible return of the violent strangers.
That danger seemed to lessen toward the end of the first week. Since Paddy Enderton had left no one to inherit any of his possessions, Mother and Doctor Eileen arranged for them to be taken over to Skibbereen and sold at auction. The proceeds would go to pay for Enderton's burial and the repair of our damaged property.
As it turned out we didn't get a penny toward either one. Before the auction could take place, the storage place in Skibbereen was broken into and everything was stolen. Mother seemed to think that this was a good thing, because it made us a less attractive target.
Another dull week followed. Duncan West, who knew far too much to be treated as an outsider, had been sent over to Muldoon. Sworn to secrecy, he was negotiating for a ship and crew. It wasn't likely to be easy, with crews scattered all over after Winterfall.
Similar Books
