<p>When we were alone he was anything
but courteous to me, having
assured himself by not-too-subtle
questioning that I was a spurious admiral.
There was no doubt I was
still in charge, but our relationship
was anything but formal.</p>
<p>"This tripe and nonsense," I told
him, "is the bait that will snag our
fish. A trap for Pepe and his partner
in crime."</p>
<p>"Who is this mysterious billionaire?"</p>
<p>"Me," I said. "I've always wanted
to be rich."</p>
<p>"But this ship, the space yacht,
where is it?"</p>
<p>"Being built now in the naval
shipyard at Udrydde. We're almost
ready to go there now, soon as this
batch of instructions goes out."</p>
<p>Captain Steng dropped the releases
onto the table, then carefully
wiped his hands off to remove any
possible infection. He was trying to
be fair and considerate of my views,
and not succeeding in the slightest.</p>
<p>"It doesn't make sense," he growled.
"How can you be sure this killer
will ever read one of these things.
And if he does—why should he be
interested? It looks to me as if you
are wasting time while he slips
through your fingers. The alarm
should be out and every ship notified.
The Navy alerted and patrols
set on all spacelanes—"</p>
<p>"Which he could easily avoid by
going around, or better yet not even
bother about, since he can lick any
ship we have. That's not the answer,"
I told him. "This Pepe is
smart and as tricky as a fixed gambling
machine. That's his strength—and
his weakness as well. Characters
like that never think it possible
for someone else to outthink them.
Which is what <i>I'm</i> going to do."</p>
<p>"Modest, aren't you," Steng said.</p>
<p>"I try not to be," I told him.
"False modesty is the refuge of the
incompetent. I'm going to catch this
thug and I'll tell you how I'll do it.
He's going to hit again soon, and
wherever he hits there will be some
kind of a periodical with my plant
in it. Whatever else he is after, he
is going to take all of the magazines
and papers he can find. Partly to satisfy
his own ego, but mostly to keep
track of the things he is interested
in. Such as ship sailings."</p>
<p>"You're just guessing—you don't
know all this."</p>
<p>His automatic assumption of my
incompetence was beginning to get
me annoyed. I bridled my temper
and tried one last time.</p>
<p>"Yes, I'm guessing—an informed
guess—but I do know some facts as
well. <i>Ogget's Dream</i> was cleaned out
of all reading matter, that was one
of the first things I checked. We
can't stop the battleship from attacking
again, but we can see to it that
the time after that she sails into a
trap."</p>
<p>"I don't know," the captain said,
"it sounds to me like...."</p>
<p>I never heard what it sounded like,
which is all right since he was getting
under my skin and might have been
tempted to pull my pseudo-rank. The
alarm sirens cut his sentence off and
we foot-raced to the communications
room.</p>
<p>Captain Steng won by a nose, it
was his ship and he knew all the
shortcuts. The psiman was holding
out a transcription, but he summed
it up in one sentence. He looked at
me while he talked and his face was
hard and cold.</p>
<p>"They hit again, knocked out a
Navy supply satellite, thirty-four
men dead."</p>
<p>"If your plan doesn't work, <i>admiral</i>,"
the captain whispered hoarsely
in my ear, "I'll personally see that
you're flayed alive!"</p>
<p>"If my plan doesn't work, <i>captain</i>—there
won't be enough of my skin
left to pick up with a tweezer. Now
if you please, I'd like to get to
Udrydde and pick up my ship as
soon as possible."</p>
<p>The easy-going hatred and contempt
of all my associates had annoyed
me, thrown me off balance. I
was thinking with anger now, not
with logic. Forcing a bit of control,
I ordered my thoughts, checking off
a mental list.</p>
<p>"Belay that last command," I
shouted, getting back into my old
space-dog mood. "Get a call through
first and find out if any of our plants
were picked up during the raid."</p>
<p>While the psiman unfocused his
eyes and mumbled under his breath
I riffled some papers, relaxed and
cool. The ratings and officers waited
tensely, and made some slight attempt
to conceal their hatred of me.
It took about ten minutes to get an
answer.</p>
<p>"Affirmative," the psiman said. "A
store ship docked there twenty hours
before the attack. Among other
things, it left newspapers containing
the article."</p>
<p>"Very good," I said calmly. "Send
a general order to suspend all future
activity with the planted releases.
Send it by psimen only, no
mention on any other Naval signaling
equipment, there's a good chance
now it might be 'overheard'."</p>
<p>I strolled out slowly, in command
of the situation. Keeping my face
turned away so they couldn't see the
cold sweat.</p>
<hr style='width: 45%;' />
<p>It was a fast run to Udrydde
where my billionaire's yacht, the
<i>Eldorado</i>, was waiting. The dockyard
commander showed me the ship, and
made a noble effort to control his
curiosity. I took a sadistic revenge
on the Navy by not telling him a
word about my mission. After
checking out the controls and special
apparatus with the technicians, I
cleared the ship. There was a tape
in the automatic navigator that
would put me on the course mentioned
in all the articles, just a press
of a button and I would be on my
way. I pressed the button.</p>
<p>It was a beautiful ship, and the
dockyard had been lavish with their
attention to detail. From bow to
rear tubes she was plated in pure
gold. There are other metals with a
higher albedo, but none that give a
richer effect. All the fittings, inside
and out, were either machine-turned
or plated. All this work could not
have been done in the time allotted,
the Navy must have adapted a luxury
yacht to my needs.</p>
<p>Everything was ready. Either Pepe
would make his move—or I would
sail on to my billionaire's paradise
planet. If that happened, it would be
best if I stayed there.</p>
<p>Now that I was in space, past the
point of no return, all the doubts
that I had dismissed fought for attention.
The plan that had seemed so
clear and logical now began to look
like a patched and crazy makeshift.</p>
<p>"Hold on there, sailor," I said to
myself. Using my best admiral's
voice. "Nothing has changed. It's
still the best and <i>only</i> plan possible
under the circumstances."</p>
<p>Was it? Could I be sure that Pepe,
flying his mountain of a ship and
eating Navy rations, would be interested
in some of the comforts and
luxuries of life? Or if the luxuries
didn't catch his eye, would he be
interested in the planetary homesteading
gear? I had loaded the cards
with all the things he might want,
and planted the information where
he could get it. He had the bait now—but
would he grab the hook?</p>
<p>I couldn't tell. And I could work
myself into a neurotic state if I kept
running through the worry cycle. It
took an effort to concentrate on anything
else, but it had to be made. The
next four days passed very slowly.</p>
<p>When the alarm blew off, all I felt
was an intense sensation of relief. I
might be dead and blasted to dust in
the next few minutes, but that didn't
seem to make much difference.</p>
<p>Pepe had swallowed the bait.
There was only one ship in the galaxy
that could knock back a blip that
big at such a distance. It was closing
fast, using the raw energy of the
battleship engines for a headlong approach.
My ship bucked a bit as the
tug-beams locked on at maximum distance.
The radio bleeped at me for
attention at the same time. I waited
as long as I dared, then flipped it on.
The voice boomed out.</p>
<p>"... That you are under the guns
of a warship! Don't attempt to run,
signal, take evasive action, or in any
other way...."</p>
<p>"Who are you—and what the
devil do you want?" I spluttered into
the mike. I had my scanner on, so
they could see me, but my own screen
stayed dark. They weren't sending
any picture. In a way it made my act
easier, I just played to an unseen
audience. They could see the rich cut
of my clothes, the luxurious cabin
behind me. Of course they couldn't
see my hands.</p>
<p>"It doesn't matter who we are,"
the radio boomed again. "Just obey
orders if you care to live. Stay away
from the controls until we have tied
on, then do exactly as I say."</p>
<p>There were two distant clangs as
magnetic grapples hit the hull. A
little later the ship lurched, drawn
home against the battleship. I let my
eyes roll in fear, looking around for
a way to escape—and taking a peek
at the outside scanners. The yacht
was flush against the space-filling
bulk of the other ship. I pressed the
button that sent the torch-wielding
robot on his way.</p>
<hr style='width: 45%;' />
<p>"Now let me tell you something,"
I snapped into the mike, wiping away
the worried billionaire expression.
"First I'll repeat your own warning—obey
orders if you want to live. I'll
show you why——"</p>
<p>When I threw the big switch a
carefully worked out sequence took
place. First, of course, the hull was
magnetized and the bombs fused. A
light blinked as the scanner in the
cabin turned off, and the one in the
generator room came on. I checked
the monitor screen to make sure, then
started into the spacesuit. It had to
be done fast, at the same time it was
necessary to talk naturally. They must
still think of me as sitting in the control
room.</p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/005.png" width-obs="600" height-obs="505" alt="" title="" /></div>
<p>"That's the ship's generators you're
looking at," I said. "Ninety-eight per
cent of their output is now feeding
into coils that make an electromagnet
of this ship's hull. You will find it
very hard to separate us. And I would
advise you not to try."</p>
<p>The suit was on, and I kept the
running chatter up through the mike
in the helmet, relaying to the ship's
transmitter. The scene in the monitor
receiver changed.</p>
<p>"You are now looking at a hydrogen
bomb that is primed and aware
of the magnetic field holding our
ships together. It will, of course, go
off if you try to pull away."</p>
<p>I grabbed up the monitor receiver
and ran towards the air lock.</p>
<p>"This is a different bomb now," I
said, keeping one eye on the screen
and the other on the slowly opening
outer door. "This one has receptors
on the hull. Attempt to destroy any
part of this ship, or even gain entry
to it, and this one will detonate."</p>
<p>I was in space now, leaping across
to the gigantic wall of the other ship.</p>
<p>"What do you want?" These were
the first words Pepe had spoken since
his first threats.</p>
<p>"I want to talk to you, arrange a
deal. Something that would be profitable
for both of us. But let me first
show you the rest of the bombs, so
you won't get any strange ideas about
co-operating."</p>
<p>Of course I <i>had</i> to show him the
rest of the bombs, there was no getting
out of it. The scanners in the
ship were following a planned program.
I made light talk about all my
massive armament that would carry
us both to perdition, while I climbed
through the hole in the battleship's
hull. There was no armor or warning
devices at this spot, it had been
chosen carefully from the blueprints.</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah ... I take your word
for it, you're a flying bomb. So stop
with this roving reporter bit and tell
me what you have in mind."</p>
<p>This time I didn't answer him,
because I was running and panting
like a dog, and had the mike turned
off. Just ahead, if the blueprints were
right, was the door to the control
room. Pepe should be there.</p>
<p>I stepped through, gun out, and
pointed it at the back of his head.
Angelina stood next to him, looking
at the screen.</p>
<p>"The game's over," I said. "Stand
up slowly and keep your hands in
sight."</p>
<p>"What do you mean," he said
angrily, looking at the screen in
front of him. The girl caught wise
first. She spun around and pointed.</p>
<p>"He's <i>here</i>!"</p>
<p>They both stared, gaped at me,
caught off guard and completely unprepared.</p>
<p>"You're under arrest, crime-king,"
I told him. "And your girl friend."</p>
<p>Angelina rolled her eyes up and
slid slowly to the floor. Real or
faked, I didn't care. I kept the gun
on Pepe's pudgy form while he
picked her up and carried her to an
acceleration couch against the wall.</p>
<p>"What ... what will happen
now?" He quavered the question.
His pouchy jaws shook and I swear
there were tears in his eyes. I was not
impressed by his acting since I could
clearly remember the dead men floating
in space. He stumbled over to a
chair, half dropping into it.</p>
<p>"Will they do anything to me?"
Angelina asked. Her eyes were open
now.</p>
<p>"I have no idea of what will happen
to you," I told her truthfully.
"That is up to the courts to decide."</p>
<p>"But he <i>made</i> me do all those
things," she wailed. She was young,
dark and beautiful, the tears did
nothing to spoil this.</p>
<p>Pepe dropped his face into his
hands and his shoulders shook. I
flicked the gun his way and snapped
at him.</p>
<p>"Sit up, Pepe. I find it very hard
to believe that you are crying. There
are some Naval ships on the way
now, the automatic alarm was triggered
about a minute ago. I'm sure
they'll be glad to see the man
who...."</p>
<p>"Don't let them take me, please!"
Angelina was on her feet now, her
back pressed to the wall. "They'll put
me in prison, do things to my mind!"
She shrunk away as she spoke, stumbling
along the wall. I looked back
at Pepe, not wanting to have my
eyes off him for an instant.</p>
<p>"There's nothing I can do," I told
her. I glanced her way and a small
door was swinging open and she was
gone.</p>
<p>"Don't try to run," I shouted after
her, "it can't do any good!"</p>
<p>Pepe made a strangling noise and
I looked back to him quickly. He
was sitting up now and his face was
dry of tears. In fact he was laughing,
not crying.</p>
<p>"So she caught you, too, Mr.
Wise-cop, poor little Angelina with
the soft eyes." He broke down again,
shaking with laughter.</p>
<p>"What do you mean," I growled.</p>
<p>"Don't you catch yet? The story
she told you was true—except she
twisted it around a bit. The whole
plan, building the battleship, then
stealing it, was <i>hers</i>. She pulled me
into it, played me like an accordion.
I fell in love with her, hating myself
and happy at the same time.
Well—I'm glad now it's over. At
least I gave her a chance to get
away, I owe her that much. Though
I thought I would explode when she
went into that innocence act!"</p>
<p>The cold feeling was now a ball
of ice that threatened to paralyze me.
"You're lying," I said hoarsely, and
even I didn't believe it.</p>
<p>"Sorry. That's the way it is. Your
brain-boys will pick my skull to
pieces and find out the truth anyway.
There's no point in lying now."</p>
<p>"We'll search the ship, she can't
hide for long."</p>
<p>"She won't have to," Pepe said.
"There's a fast scout we picked up,
stowed in one of the holds. That
must be it leaving now." We could
feel the vibration, distantly through
the floor.</p>
<p>"The Navy will get her," I told
him, with far more conviction than
I felt.</p>
<p>"Maybe," he said, suddenly
slumped and tired, no longer laughing.
"Maybe they will. But I gave
her her chance. It is all over for me
now, but she knows that I loved her
to the end." He bared his teeth in
sudden pain. "Not that she will
care in the slightest."</p>
<p>I kept the gun on him and neither
of us moved while the Navy ships
pulled up and their boots stamped
outside. I had captured my battleship
and the raids were over. And I
couldn't be blamed if the girl had
slipped away. If she evaded the
Navy ships, that was their fault, not
mine.</p>
<p>I had my victory all right.</p>
<p>Then why did it taste like ashes
in my mouth?</p>
<p>It's a big galaxy, but it wasn't
going to be big enough to hide Angelina
now. I can be conned once—but
only once. The next time we
met things were going to be <i>very</i>
different.</p>
<p class="theend">THE END</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />