The Mind Pool by Charles Sheffield Page A

sleeve across his nose, and finally walked across to Tatty Snipes. She was still leaning forward with her head on her hands.
    Flammarion took a purple globe the size of a small grape from his pocket and pressed it firmly against her arm. “Only half a dose, Princess, but better than nothing. There, now. Give it a minute or two, and you’ll start to feel better.”
    She groaned at the first shock of the injection. After a few seconds she raised her head, and a touch of pink began to creep into the livid cheeks. “Ah-h-h. Thanks, Kubo. Oh God, I’ve been feeling wretched. I thought I’d die when I found out there were going to be no more shots.”
    “Didn’t Commander Mondrian tell you that?”
    “He did. But I tried not to think about it. Are you disobeying orders, giving it to me?”
    “Well, I suppose you might say so.” Flammarion sat down next to Tatty. “It’s certainly illegal, I promise you that.”
    “So why are you doing it?”
    “Because I understand Commander Mondrian. You see, Princess Tatiana, he doesn’t think like you or me. He believes he’s tough enough, himself, to stand anything that’s thrown at him.”
    “He’s very strong.”
    “Right. So sometimes he assumes we’re all the same. Me, I know better. I’ve got my own problems, and I know just what you’re going through. So I’ve been thinking, if we can just ease you off the Paradox, little by little, then you have a chance of making it all the way and being off it forever—even when you’re on Earth and can get it all the time.”
    Tatty held out her arm, showing the regular line of blue-black dots from wrist to shoulder. “You’re an optimist, Captain Flammarion. Eight hundred shots say you’re wrong.”
    “That’s the past, Princess. Think of the future.”
    Flammarion also thought of the future, and Tatty’s next few months. He still had a lot of explaining to do to her. But she was turning to him, gripping his hand in hers.
    “ I hate him. I do. Captain, when I think of what he did to me . . . bringing me away from Earth, sending me here—and then not coming here himself, or even calling . . .”
    “He’ll be here in a few days.” Flammarion squeezed her thin, bony hand. “You know, he’s just unbelievably busy. He still has to run all the Boundary security, and now he has to get the whole Pursuit Team activity going as well. And we’re having a terrible time with the Ambassador’s office, because Dougal MacDougal wants to be in the middle of everything. The only person who can deal with that is Commander Mondrian.”
    “Don’t make excuses for him, Captain. That’s not part of your job.” Tatty gave Flammarion a weary smile. “You’re a very loyal man, and I hope he appreciates you.”
    “It’s not loyalty. I just understand the Commander.”
    “No. You think you do, but believe me I know him a whole lot better—better than anyone who just works for him. If it fits his own needs, Commander Mondrian would sell you and me and anyone he knows.”
    “Now, Princess, you’re just getting upset again. If you think that way, why did you agree to come here? You didn’t have to leave Earth.”
    “I’m aware of that. Why do you think I’m so angry with myself? You see, I knew all this, knew it years ago. And still I’m out here, in the middle of nowhere, doing exactly what he wants me to do. I shouldn’t be blaming him. I ought to be blaming myself. ” Tatty stood up slowly, stretching to relieve long-tensed muscles. “I’ve had it, Captain. Unless there’s something else we absolutely have to talk about, I want to rest.”
    It was very tempting—put it off for another day or two, and hope somehow that it would never have to be done. But Mondrian would ask, the next time he called. “There is one more thing, Princess. About the Tolkov Stimulator. I told Leah Rainbow that the treatment gets very intense, for the person giving it as well as the one receiving it.” Flammarion fixed his eyes on the