fleeced,’ and that’s as far as their minds reach.”
“I hope you’re right,” said Fay. She touched the controls, the boat nosed down. They slipped quietly to a landing on the pitted field, settled among a dozen other boats of similar model. For ten minutes they sat, watching through the observation dome for any sign of undue interest.
No one seemed to heed them. Other boats took off and landed, and from one of the incoming ones a dark-haired Earther couple alighted. Coincidentally, the man wore a blue jumper.
Fay nudged Paddy. “Let’s follow those two. If there’s any suspicion, they’ll certainly arouse it.”
The two Earthers sauntered off the field and no one looked at them twice. With more confidence Paddy and Fay followed, through the terminal lobby and out upon the shining streets of Rivveri.
“There’s the bank,” said Fay, nodding at a spire of red marble shafted and splined with silver, “and there, see that counter along the side? That’s the safe deposit. You need never even step inside.”
Paddy said half to himself, “It can’t be this easy.”
“It can’t be,” said Fay. “I feel the same way. As if this city is wired like a big burglar alarm—a trap—and that red spire is nothing but bait for Paddy Blackthorn and Fay Bursill.”
“It’s a hunch I have,” muttered Paddy. “A hunch that something is fishy.”
Fay looked up and down the street with her new blue eyes. “Every hunch is supposed to have subconscious reasons for being.”
“It’s all too bright and open. Look at those butter-yellow Loristanese in the little pleated skirts, with their silly smiles on their faces and those sassy little caps. It’s as if they’re all nudging each other with their elbows, telling each other to watch the big joke when the axe falls on Fay and Paddy.”
Fay squared her small shoulders. “Give me the key. All we can do is take a chance. After all we have two-fifths of the data and we could always bargain for our lives.”
Paddy said gloomily, “You don’t bargain in a nerve tube. You talk and gladly too. Those two sheets aren’t safe till they’re out of our hands.”
“Well, we’ll have to take the chance. Give me the key. You wait here and if anything happens go back to the ship, take off fast to Delta Trianguli, pick up the sheets and get away with them.”
Paddy snorted. “What do you take me for now? I’m thinking you’re becoming too bold and independent with your ordering. It’s me that’ll go up there and draw the lion’s tooth. There was never a Blackthorn yet that his woman did up the slops for him, and we won’t ever start here out on this drunker planet Loristan.”
“Boom-boom-boom,” jeered Fay. “You sound like you’re running for office.” But she smiled and was evidently pleased. “Oh, let’s both go. Then there won’t be any argument and we can both feel virtuous.”
With pumping hearts they marched up to the bench, found an empty booth. An armed guard stood at either end of the counter but paid them no heed.
Paddy pushed the key in the slot. Fay punched out the code on a set of buttons—RXBM NON LANG SON. Then came the wait. Ten seconds, twenty seconds—it was a paralyzed eternity.
A siren shrieked high on the red spire. The doors into the bank slid open, a pair of armed guards strode out toward the counter.
Paddy squared off. “Run, Fay—quick now. I’ll hold ’em. They’ll never take me alive. Run , girl! Get to the boat. You know where we’ve hid the stuff.”
Fay giggled nervously. “You fool, shut up. It’s lunchtime. They’re the relief guards.”
A rattle, a click and a package fell into the hopper at their counter.
Fay picked it up, covered the green-and-orange medallion of the Loristan Langtrys.
“Now,” she said, “back to the boat.”
“They’re watching us like hawks,” hissed Paddy.
“Come along. You’re acting like you’ve just robbed the bank!”
They walked briskly across the square,
“I hope you’re right,” said Fay. She touched the controls, the boat nosed down. They slipped quietly to a landing on the pitted field, settled among a dozen other boats of similar model. For ten minutes they sat, watching through the observation dome for any sign of undue interest.
No one seemed to heed them. Other boats took off and landed, and from one of the incoming ones a dark-haired Earther couple alighted. Coincidentally, the man wore a blue jumper.
Fay nudged Paddy. “Let’s follow those two. If there’s any suspicion, they’ll certainly arouse it.”
The two Earthers sauntered off the field and no one looked at them twice. With more confidence Paddy and Fay followed, through the terminal lobby and out upon the shining streets of Rivveri.
“There’s the bank,” said Fay, nodding at a spire of red marble shafted and splined with silver, “and there, see that counter along the side? That’s the safe deposit. You need never even step inside.”
Paddy said half to himself, “It can’t be this easy.”
“It can’t be,” said Fay. “I feel the same way. As if this city is wired like a big burglar alarm—a trap—and that red spire is nothing but bait for Paddy Blackthorn and Fay Bursill.”
“It’s a hunch I have,” muttered Paddy. “A hunch that something is fishy.”
Fay looked up and down the street with her new blue eyes. “Every hunch is supposed to have subconscious reasons for being.”
“It’s all too bright and open. Look at those butter-yellow Loristanese in the little pleated skirts, with their silly smiles on their faces and those sassy little caps. It’s as if they’re all nudging each other with their elbows, telling each other to watch the big joke when the axe falls on Fay and Paddy.”
Fay squared her small shoulders. “Give me the key. All we can do is take a chance. After all we have two-fifths of the data and we could always bargain for our lives.”
Paddy said gloomily, “You don’t bargain in a nerve tube. You talk and gladly too. Those two sheets aren’t safe till they’re out of our hands.”
“Well, we’ll have to take the chance. Give me the key. You wait here and if anything happens go back to the ship, take off fast to Delta Trianguli, pick up the sheets and get away with them.”
Paddy snorted. “What do you take me for now? I’m thinking you’re becoming too bold and independent with your ordering. It’s me that’ll go up there and draw the lion’s tooth. There was never a Blackthorn yet that his woman did up the slops for him, and we won’t ever start here out on this drunker planet Loristan.”
“Boom-boom-boom,” jeered Fay. “You sound like you’re running for office.” But she smiled and was evidently pleased. “Oh, let’s both go. Then there won’t be any argument and we can both feel virtuous.”
With pumping hearts they marched up to the bench, found an empty booth. An armed guard stood at either end of the counter but paid them no heed.
Paddy pushed the key in the slot. Fay punched out the code on a set of buttons—RXBM NON LANG SON. Then came the wait. Ten seconds, twenty seconds—it was a paralyzed eternity.
A siren shrieked high on the red spire. The doors into the bank slid open, a pair of armed guards strode out toward the counter.
Paddy squared off. “Run, Fay—quick now. I’ll hold ’em. They’ll never take me alive. Run , girl! Get to the boat. You know where we’ve hid the stuff.”
Fay giggled nervously. “You fool, shut up. It’s lunchtime. They’re the relief guards.”
A rattle, a click and a package fell into the hopper at their counter.
Fay picked it up, covered the green-and-orange medallion of the Loristan Langtrys.
“Now,” she said, “back to the boat.”
“They’re watching us like hawks,” hissed Paddy.
“Come along. You’re acting like you’ve just robbed the bank!”
They walked briskly across the square,
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