Gordon R. Dickson - Childe Cycle 05 by The Spirit of Dorsai Page B

at Foralie, I won't believe it. We'll continue on the assumption that they're all healthy troops there, and the only advantage we've got is surprise. Cletus, bless him, helped us with that, as much as he could. He did everything possible to put their suspicions to sleep, down in town."
    "He did?" Ramon stared at her. "What did he do?"
    Amanda told him what Cletus had said from the staff car in the hearing of the convoy soldiery.

Ramon's face lengthened.
    "But maybe he really means we shouldn't do anything until…"
    His voice failed at the look on Amanda's face.
    "If a rooster came up to you and quacked," said Amanda, sharply, "would you ignore everything else about it and decide it'd turned into a drake?"
    She looked down her nose at him.
    "Even if Cletus actually had taken leave of his senses, that wouldn't alter the situation for the rest of us,"
    she went on. "We've still got to move in, rescue him, and take deCastries when he reaches Foralie. It's the one chance we've got. But don't concern yourself. Cletus understands the situation here."
    She nodded at his skimmer.
    "You go get the teams into position. I'll meet you at Foralie before they get there."
    "Where will you be?" Ramon's face was a little pale.
    "I'll be rounding up any adults capable of using a weapon—except the women with young children—
    from the near households. We'll need anyone we can get."
    "What about the other patrols?"
    "Once we've got deCastries, we shouldn't have much opposition from anyone else who's been in Foralie Town. A good half of them are going to be dead in a week, and the most of the rest won't be able to fight."
    "They may fight even if they're not able."
    "How can they—" she broke off, suddenly seeing the white look in Ramon's eyes. "What's the matter with you? You ought to know that."
    "I didn't want to know," he said. "I didn't listen when they told us."
    "Didn't you?" said Amanda. "Well, you'd better listen now, then. Carbon monoxide passed over finely divided nickel gives you a liquid—nickel carbonyl, a volatile liquid that melts at twenty-five degrees Centrigrade, boils at forty-three degrees and evaporates at normal temperatures in the open. One part in a million of the vapors can be enough to cause allergic dermatitis and edema of the lungs—irreversible."
    His face was stark His mouth was open as if he gasped for breath.

    "I don't mind the fighting," he said thickly. "It's just the thought of the casualties among the soldiers. If this war could only be stopped now, before it starts-"
    "Casualties? Before it starts?" Amanda held him with her eyes. "What do you think Berthe Haugsrud and Bhak and the others have been, down in town?"
    He did not answer.
    "They're our casualties," she said, "already counted. The war you want to stop before it starts has been going for two days. Did you think it would all take place with no cost at all?"
    "No, I…" He swayed a little on his skimmer; and the momentary gust of anger he had sparked off in her went away, suddenly.
    "I know," she said. "There's things that aren't easy for you to think about. They aren't easy for Ekram.
    Nor for me, nor any of us. Nor was it easy for those people like Berthe, down in town, who stayed there knowing what was going to happen to them. But do you have any more of it to face or live with than they did, or the boys and girls on the teams will?"
    "No," he said. "But I can't help how I feel."
    "No," she said. "No, of course you can't. Well, do the best you can, anyway."
    He nodded numbly and reached for the power bar of his skimmer. Amanda watched him lift and slide away, gazing for a long moment after his powerful shoulders, now slumped and weary. Then she mounted her awn skimmer and took off at right angles to his route.
    She reproached herself as she went for her outburst at him. He was still young and had not seen what people could do to people. He had no basis of experience from which to imagine what would happen to the dispossessed Dorsai, once they