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For all the good that does, Jeff remarked. Well done, Primes, not an ass in jeopardy. I’ll leave you to the fun of explaining it all to the admiral. But I’ll be listening, so don’t say anything I’ll have to apologize for.

  Granddad!

  CHAPTER

  FIVE

  “ADMIRAL, it was a concerted effort,” Rojer repeated, an edge on his voice now because he was growing weary of the barrage of naval doubts and, particularly, del Falco’s aggressive interrogation. He was sorry that, as the engineer of the three Talents, he had volunteered to answer any technical questions. “Any” had turned into an incredible “many.” And none of his answers pleased xenophobic Baldwin who was as close to sulking as a grown man should get. All three Talents had been particularly careful in answering his stabbing questions since his suspicions were so clearly “heard” in his public mind. “Given the height of the queen,” Rojer explained patiently, “the positions of her manipulative limbs and her optics, the upper panel was the logical main control, while she received status information from the lower one. The three of us merely fiddled with variables until we hit the right combination. I think it was Flavia who actually got the lights turned on.”

  “The queen’s upper limbs have triangular-shaped palps,” Flavia said, her voice falling into a “rote” pattern as she repeated her part of the explanation, “so that was the form of pressure I used.”

  “Why did you call a decontam drill at that time, Commander Kloo?” Baldwin demanded, abruptly switching to the other “culprit,” the duty officer.

  “Sir, if you will remember, you yourself suggested that we start emergency drills on the Refugee, due to the fact that the life-support system was only just on line,” Semirame said in an earnest tone, leaning slightly toward him, not quite apologetically but with an air of gentle reminder. Actually, he gives so many orders, he’ll never remember he didn’t. A drill is s.o.p., especially with a new installation. If he hadn’t ordered it, he should have.

  I don’t know about you and Rojer, Thian, Flavia said with considerable vexation in her voice, but I find their attitudes suspicious, disagreeable, ungrateful and positively spiteful. What difference does it really make who found out how to turn on the power in that wretched old ship? It’s never going anywhere. But it IS now powered up and I do not like being accused of “going behind their backs for personal glory,” or “overstepping” the parameters of our “assigned functions.” We kept their personnel safe and we made the ship just that bit more safe when we turned on its lightning system. We’ve explained and explained and diagrammed as much as we know, so I think it’s time to leave this merry-go-round.

  With no brass ring. And I concur with your analysis, Flavia, Thian replied. I’m fed up with such a catechism. We have finished our “assigned functions.” Therefore we can leave. Rame, will our stalking out in indignation put you in jeopardy?

  Don’t know how you’ve stood it as long as you have. As I was busy overseeing a decontam drill and nowhere near the site of your crime, they can’t even pin dereliction of duty on me. ’Sides, del Falco’s not after me. I’m crew. He’s after you because you’re not.

  Flavia, do you wish to make the statement aloud or should I?

  You’d better do it, Thian, Flavia replied. I might lose my temper.

  Thian and Roger exchanged surprised looks.

  “Mr. Lyon!” del Falco said, obviously having had to repeat the call to attention, for he was scowling with annoyance. Both Mr. Lyons regarded him.

  He asked you why you chose that precise moment to try out your theory, Rame supplied.

  Thian rose, the signal for both Flavia and Rojer to follow his example.

  “We chose that moment because the queens’ chambers were empty and we would not be jeopardizing anyone’s safety in case we hit the wrong buttons,” Thian said. “Now you can turn the panels on and off at your discretion. The ship is thoroughly and safely explored, independently lit and supplied with oxygen, so our assignment has been completed. Earth Prime has just informed me that we must return immediately to the Blundell Cube. It has been our pleasure to assist in this project for the Navy on Mars Phobos Moon Base, Admiral, Commander Baldwin, Commander Kloo, Glmtml, and sirs.” Thian bowed to the panel of Humans and Mrdinis that had been interrogating them for the past three hours; then he strode from the room.

  The courtesies that Rojer and Flavia gave their inquisitors were as polite but briefer and then they were in the corridor.

  Let’s blow this joint, Thian said.

  They all heard the commotion inside and ’ported to their quarters, where they collected their possessions in deft sweeps of closets and drawers.

  Where away? Rojer asked Thian.

  Blundell, of course, Thian replied as if there could be no doubt. There’s a large enough carrier on the transport deck.

  They met there moments later, Flavia looking attractively flushed by their dramatic and precipitous exit.

  And we won’t even have to use the Base generators, Thian said, chuckling, last to enter the carrier. He pulled the lid firmly shut. Okay?

  At Rojer’s mirthful shout and Flavia’s giggle of acknowledgment, their minds merged and they propelled themselves off the Moon Base and down to the headquarters of Federated Teleport and Telepath on Earth.

  You’re a cheeky lot, said Jeff Raven, but he, too, was chuckling. Report to my office so you can repudiate the blast I’m getting from Admiral del Falco.

  The man is not only ungrateful, Flavia said firmly, but unmannerly. He never so much as thanked us for solving his problem for him.

  ’Port right up to my office, kids, I’ve cleared the way for you, Jeff said as the lid of the carrier was opened by the head expediter of Blundell facility.

  “Boss wants you pronto,” but he was grinning broadly.

  Is the word out all over the world yet? Rojer asked Thian on a very thin line.

  No, nor will it be, Jeff answered, having no trouble at all insinuating himself into his grandsons’ link. Hurry up. The admiral’s just getting to the part about gross insubordination, exceeding orders, and I suspect mutiny will figure in there soon.

  “Sorry,” Thian said to the expediter and ’ported himself as ordered, Rojer and Flavia a nanosecond behind him.

  Knowing Jeff Raven’s office well, all three made sure to arrive at a point out of range of the occupant on the screen. Admiral del Falco, Commander Baldwin visible on his right, was waxing eloquent about the “antics” of these “unruly, undisciplined and unprincipled Talents.”

  “I thought you kept more control on your people, Raven. You told us they were well trained, skilled and capable of the assignment. They walked out of a half-finished debriefing with many questions unanswered. I don’t mind telling you that I, Commander Baldwin here, and…” He turned to his left and his scowl deepened before he gave a snort of displeasure and faced directly into the com unit again. “We will not recommend that those three receive assignments from any Navy unit again.”

  “Oh, really?” Jeff said. “How odd. Because I’ve had twenty urgent requests,” and he lifted a pile of message flimsies from his desk into plain view of the Admiral, “…from naval exploration groups, Squadrons C and D, now refitting at Clarf, and from Captains Osullivan, Ashiant, Cheseman, Quacho, Prl, a priority urgent one from Captain Spktm of the KLTS and another top security assignment which I don’t believe you are cleared to know.”

  Hey, Granddad, that’s a low blow, Thian said, chuckling.

  Hit ’em again, harder, Rojer suggested, delighted.

  Admiral del Falco glared and his impassive face settled into an even more threatening blandness. “They may change their minds when they see the report I shall insist be attached to their NE-440 forms.”

  “Really? That they prevented serious injury by rescuing seventy-five crew members, Human and Mrdini, during the course of your exploration of Refugee which was completed in less than the scheduled time? That they were also able to discover and turn on the ship’s independent po
wer system? That, by the way, was not in their assignment’s parameters but Talents pride themselves on doing more than they are required to do. Part of the dedication of our personnel, Admiral. And don’t go filling out NE-440 forms on FT&T personnel: a waste of time as they’re not under your jurisdiction. Thank you for your perceptions on this mission and good luck with your operational enemy ship.” With a peremptory wave of his hand, Jeff blanked the screen. “And that makes the Phobos Moon Base low man on FT&T job priorities.” He rose from his chair, still taller than his grandsons, vigorous and obviously amused by recent events. “I don’t think they gave you anything to eat during that three-hour grilling, did they? Name your pleasure,” he added, gesturing for them to take seats in the lounge area of his spacious office.

  “My guts wouldn’t’ve let me eat any more of their food anyhow,” Rojer said and, turning his head to the dispenser, called out the elements of a sustaining meal. Jeff chuckled at the choice, then urged Flavia to send her order.

  Thian realized that his stomach was unknotting as well and shortly had as comprehensive a spread of dishes as his brother.

  “Hope you haven’t taken a dislike to Navy life, Flavia,” Jeff said when he had ordered a salad and all were sitting about the beautiful Altairian fruitwood table, now laden with succulent comestibles.

  “No, sir. I had no trouble with the lifestyle, sir. Both Thian and Rojer have told me a little bit…” She shot Rojer an anxious glance until she realized he was applying himself diligently to his meal and only half listening. “…about the services they performed. I’d have no apprehensions of serving as a Talent on a ship. Taking an objective viewpoint, I did feel that Admiral del Falco’s internal conflicts and ambitions were the source of much of his behavioral pattern.”

  “Well said,” Jeff muttered with a laugh and roguish grin at his grandsons.

  “Were you considering another naval assignment for me, sir?” she asked.

  Watching Flavia delicately consuming a pasta dish, managing a neat twine of strands of hot cheese around her fork, Thian could well imagine the impression she’d make on any crew. Maybe he’d read more into Granddad’s choice of her as a mission member than existed. Except he knew Jeff Raven wanted his grandchildren to marry into Talented families to produce yet another generation of gifted children.

  “Several situations have come up for T-1s so I’ll spread the lot of them on the table,” Jeff said. “Squadron C’s been brought back for refitting and resupply, as well as a change of personnel. C’s been out longer than D.”

  “Then they’re going to follow the other Hive ships to their destination?” Thian was excited as well as relieved. He hadn’t liked the idea of that ship loose and preying on an unsuspecting planet.

  “That’s what I hear,” and implicit in Jeff Raven’s voice was the caution that what he had heard might be altered. “Squadron A replaces elements of C and D and will continue the search with augmentation and would very much like you back, Thian, especially Captain Spktm. Squadron B will now consist of four human and four ’Dini ships; if you’d consider that assignment, Rojer, you’d have no prejudice, believe me.” Jeff glanced reassuringly at Rojer. “The KTTS is one of them but the ship has a new captain, officers and crew. Captain Quacho’s finally been relieved at Xh-33, but the Arapahoe will need refitting. There’s to be some other reshuffling of units in B, but I don’t know what. The Squadron’s been ordered on a mission to survey the M-5 planets the Hiver ships bypassed. The xenobiologist lobby is rabid to get to those damaged planets, as much to see what went wrong as to see if anything can be salvaged from Hiver occupation. I’m also not sending any T-1 on these long cruises without a personal support team, and with such augmented squadrons, I’d be happier to have two T-1s, or a T-1 and a good T-2 as backup. There are also some shorter-term exploratory cruises in the Xh-33 quadrant of space, if you don’t care for the longer journeys. Having Talents aboard has been of great assistance. Don’t know why I didn’t think of it before, except that FT&T has been mainly planet-based. Think about your options. And there are always dirtside openings if you want a complete change.” Then Jeff grinned. “One more matter, just before del Falco got on to me, I had word from Heinlein Base that the queen’s been energized.” He grinned, cocking one eyebrow, his deep blue eyes twinkling. “I don’t know if it’s the food you sent over from the Refugee or what, but Roddie reports that she’s minutely re-examined every single one of the Great Sphere larvae that were sent there and she’s done something to more of the eggs she herself laid—in between having a good munch-out on three of the nine containers. The others she hasn’t opened.”

  Flavia gave a little sigh of regret. “Maybe it was truly unkind to raise her hopes when we never intended to let her escape.”

  “I don’t think the Hive psyche has evolved sufficiently to recognize kindness,” Jeff said gently to Flavia.

  “They’ve sure shown none,” Rojer said, remembering the destruction of the queen pods by their own species at Xh-33.

  “Isn’t it a good thing that she’s active?” Thian said to Flavia. “Better for her.”

  “Samples of what’s in those food containers have been sent to the Heinlein Labs for analysis, haven’t they?” Jeff asked.

  “Sure have,” Rojer said. “There were more than enough containers with the same markings to allow us to ’port one of each to every biology and xenob group active in Hiver study. That didn’t even make a noticeable dint in the amount still in store in the cargo holds.”

  “Good thinking,” Jeff said, nodding approvingly.

  “Wasn’t me, sir. Roddie suggested it. He thought her own sort of food might contain basic elements she isn’t getting in the diet they’ve provided her.”

  Thian grinned broadly. “Now wouldn’t the right food cause the queen to activate?”

  Jeff’s grin was just as broad, with just the slightest hint of malicious delight about it. “I think that will certainly be the official position and supported by the resident xenobs.”

  “Granddad,” Rojer began, “backtrack a bit, would you? You mentioned M-5 type planets where the Hivers didn’t make colonies work?”

  “Ah yes, you wouldn’t be up to date on that, would you?” Jeff said, tossing his napkin to the table before pushing his chair away. Cocking his knee against the edge of the table, he leaned back. “We’d a T-2, Kincaid Dano. Name’s not familiar? No matter. It was fortunate that he was with Squadron C. I’d only just initiated the program of Talents on long-cruise missions. When the Hive ship C was chasing didn’t investigate any of the M-5 systems they were passing, the High Council asked me if probes similar to the ones Rojer used couldn’t be deployed to investigate. Clearly those two Spheres were looking for a place to colonize, so why did they keep passing likely systems by? We shipped Dano probes. He’d enough other low Talents on board to help him ’port them on a parabolic course. In and out. Rather interesting details emerged. Of the four planets investigated, two had obviously been colonized by Hivers because there were the ruins of the sort of installations the Xh-33 has.”

  “Ruins?” Thian asked.

  “Ruins. Hive ruins. Including the same sort of space garbage as around Xh-33 and, in one case, an orbiting sphere ship. Another planet is ecologically on the point of ruin, presumably because the Hiver extermination policy eliminated something vital to its ecosystem. The point is that there are more M-5 type worlds out there that the Hivers never bothered with. Why? is one of the questions asked. Do they have records of all the systems their species have colonized? Another question is, obviously, can one of the Alliance species use any of these abandoned worlds? And there’re more out there—as we’ve always known there were—to be investigated. C Squadron is being recalled. While the expanded Squadron A picks up where they left off, Squadron B will do evaluations of the abandoned colony worlds…”

  “And knock out the inhabited one the way we did the Xh-33?” asked Thian, with a certain eagerness in his voice.

  Jeff gave him a l
ong look. “I’ve no specific directions as yet. I’d rather one of us didn’t start another battle. The Navy feels that that’s its prerogative.” Then he grinned. “Even if certain Talents do seem to lend a helping hand when least expected. However, I’ve had my wrists slapped by the High Council, so orders are to be followed this time.”

  Each one felt him gently prod their minds.

  “Granddad,” and Thian waggled a finger at Earth Prime.

  “Sorry,” Jeff said, lifting his hands in a gesture of compliance, “force of habit.” His grin had not a vestige of apology in it.

  “That means, sir, that the Squadrons will continue to hunt down the remaining Hive ships?” Flavia asked.

  “I repeat, that’s the current,” and he lightly emphasized the word, “plan. These chasings off into unexplored regions of space keep lasting longer than anyone anticipated…”

  “A lot that’s happened couldn’t be anticipated,” Thian said, thinking of the Great Sphere and the dead star that had once shone on the Hive homeworld.

  “You can say that again,” Rojer murmured, remembering the unexpected events in which he had taken part. “Where are your ’Dinis, Thian?” he asked suddenly.

  Thian shot him a glance, adding a mental touch blended of compassion, affection, pride and relief that the question had been asked. “Hibernation. They should be out in another week.”

  “Oh!”

  “Mur and Dip would like a chance to see you, if that’s all right with you, Roj.” Thian turned to the Earth Prime. “That is, if Granddad hasn’t shipped us off to the different ends of the galaxy.”

  “Not in the next two weeks,” Jeff said affably. “Your parents have expressed a wish for your company,” and his eyes twinkled as his mobile face suggested he couldn’t understand why they would, “and you all require leave after running those naval hazards.” He turned to Flavia. “My wife and I would be delighted to have you stay with us at Callisto, Flavia. Damia has also extended an invitation to you to return to Aurigae with the boys if you’d prefer.”