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"No. It would not be the same, would it?"
"I guess not. Anything else I can help with?" Rissa shook her head; Sparline
smiled and left.
The door, closing, sounded to Rissa like the end of something.
She moved to pour herself another cap of brandy, drank half of it, and then
sat on the bed, taking the rest a tongue-taste at a time. After a while the
thought came that it had been more than half her lifetime since last she had
cried.
After all, a few stray, silent tears did not count-did they?
ALL afternoon Rissa did. not leave her room. For nearly an hour she exercised,
loosening and stretching her muscles. She read parts of her notes and made a
few additions. She watched through the window as sunlight shifted and changed
the look of what she saw. She poured more brandy but set it aside; when she
next remembered it and sipped, the strong spirit was no longer to her taste.
No matter-it would keep.
She thought of things she had done and not done, and wondered which she might
regret if she allowed herself that feeling. In that light she reviewed her
first meeting with dal Nardo-and then again. Finally, she said aloud, "No. If
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it could be done again for the first time, all would be the same."
With that conclusion came peace. She sat to write a coded letter to Erika. To
Frieda, really, she knew-but as she wrote, it was Erika's face, Erika's
reactions that she visualized. She sealed the letter and sat quietly, watching
twilight approach.
\c\b" 140 "
\b
\cLIESEL and Sparline shared dinner with her. After she gave Sparline her
letter, for enclosure with the next batch of Earth-bound messages, she spoke
little and listened only vaguely to what was said. Finally, after the meal,
Liesel jogged her elbow. "Rissa? Are you asleep sitting up?"
Shaking her head, "No-preoccupied, I suppose. I am sorry."
"Well. I asked, just now, your plans for tomorrow."
"Exercise, of course, and rest. And-I had almost forgotten-collect my fee from
Alsen Bleeker."
"Yes-and you'll need an escort. You can fly an aircar?"
"I have not for some time, and these are somewhat different from Erika's, but
I believe I can manage. Why?"
"Then you won't need a pilot; that's all. And what with Sparline and I being
busy, we'd be hard put to find you one."
"Who goes with me, then?"
"Do you have any preference, yourself?"
"Perhaps Ernol, who practice-fought so well with me today?"
"Hmm-you want an armed person. Ernol's adequate with weapons, but not the
expert that some others are."
"It will not matter. A man of Hulzein Lodge, visibly armed-there should be no
trouble.''
Liesel nodded. "All right, I'll have him notified. He can spot Bleeker's
building for you-it's on the edge of town so you won't need to know the
traffic patterns, this trip. Now-what time?"
"To leave here? An hour before mid-morning should do."
"Then that's settled. Now the next thing-at the duel you're entitled to have
your two seconds and three more of our people. Preferences?" Rissa shook her
head. "Well, then- your seconds are
Hawkman if he can get there, or Sparline if he can't, and one person of
Hawkman's choice-he hasn't said who. I'd like to join you, but I can't. Two
reasons-it's against custom for the prime head of this Lodge to appear for
\c\b" 141 "
\b
\ca connection not of blood or marriage. Also-one of us has to be here at our
control center, and especially now. So-who else?"
She thought. "Sparline, if that is proper, even if Hawkman comes as my second.
Ernol again, I
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%20View%2002%20-%20Young%20Rissa%20v1.0.txt think. You choose the rest."
Sparline turned to her mother. "The big man-what's his name?-who stunned a
charging bushstomper with his fist. He's not fast, but if it came up necessary
to intervene, he's big enough to hold dal Nardo."
"That's Splieg," said Liesel. "Good choice. And-how about Lebeter, the little
knife artist?"
"But I thought," said Rissa, "that we must all be unarmed."
Sparline laughed. ''Liesel, you think of everything! Rissa- he \iwill\i be
unarmed, but dal
Nardo won't quite believe so."
"Come to think of it," said Liesel, "neither would I." She laughed. "Rissa,
Sparline told me of your plan to turn dal Nardo's claque scheme against him. I
like it-and if there's a place for
Lebeter, he's another arrow to that same bow."
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Rissa nodded. "I see the advantage of a teamwork of minds. Now when the time
comes, I shall not feel so alone."
Liesel reached to grasp her shoulder. "Except for the fight itself-nobody can
do \ithat\i for you-you won't be. And if you fail, I promise-Hulzein Lodge
promises-dal Nardo won't outlive you much."
Rissa looked at her. "Since I would not be here to see it, that prospect
should not concern me.
But-but it \idoes-\inot that he would die, but that you would care enough to
see that he did." She shook her head, blinking; no one would see tears from
her again that day. "I will do without a liqueur tonight and go to my room. To
meditate, perhaps, and clear my mind. Thank you both, and good night."
But in her room she saw the brandy she had poured earlier, and sat holding it,
looking out at the night. When the flask cap was empty, she filled it again.
The peace of meditation escaped her;
her thoughts roiled and would not be quiet.
Finally, preparing for bed, she resorted to the stopgap
\c\b" 142 "
\b
\cmethod of pushing her several turmoils into mental compartments and closing
them firmly. Then she lay down and soon slept.
SHE woke unconvinced either of her own reality or her situation's.
Mechanically she prepared for the day. After breakfast -served in her room,
for she wished to talk with none-she sat and waited quietly until her
departure time. Then she went downstairs and outside, to the aircar. Ernol,
waiting beside it, greeted her. She saw the handgun at his belt.
"Good morning, Ernol. I hope you do not mind going to the city?"
"No. Makes a nice change. But why me? Lots of people here can outpoint me with
guns." They climbed into the air-car; she inspected the controls.
"I doubt the gun will be needed-what kind is it, anyway? And I prefer your
company to that of a stranger.''
"Well, thanks. I'd ... wondered." He touched the weapon. "This here? Nothing
fancy-projectile type, like they've been making a long time, but this model
throws more and faster than most.
Expanding slug-really messy when it hits."
"Then I also \ihope\i it will not be needed. But our mission is supposedly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]