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"Standing by a parsec or two out there say three-four weeks, said Birrel, after running over the
logistical problems in his mind.  Any longer time than that would make necessary a supply-stop on the
way back to Vega later."
"Three to four weeks, repeated Ferdias thoughtfully,  It should be enough to put the alliance proposal
across. If necessary, you could stretch that out a little?"
Birrel shook his head irritatedly. This was the sort of thing you always came up against when people tried
to make political considerations override military and logistical ones.
"Sure I could stretch it out, he said.  But we'd be in a low state of supply if we stretched it, even for a
few extra days, and that would make it tough for us, if we got into a fight."
"Oh, forget that. There's not going to be any fight, Ferdias said impatiently.  We'll say four weeks,
definite. If all goes well, you won't have to go back to Vega then we'll have a base here and you can
come back and re-supply right here."
Birrel hated sketchy planning, it had a habit of coming back and hitting a commander in the face, but he
knew Ferdias well enough to know that he would have to make the best of that. He did ask,  What
about the escort for the transports? Remember, Solleremos doesn't exactly love us right now. But if I
detach enough force from the Fifth to make an adequate escort all the way to Lyra space, I'll weaken my
squadron seriously."
"I thought of that, said Ferdias.  An escort force from the Second will come in far enough to convoy the
transports back your detachment will only have to see them on the first leg of the way."
More possible hitches, Birrel thought, but he did not raise objection now, for they had reached the
farmhouse and Lyllin and Joe Garstang were sitting on the porch.
"Relax, Ferdias said as Garstang scrambled to his feet.  Jay and I have some things to go over. And I
need a drink."
"I'll get you one, Birrel said, nodding to Lyllin also to stay seated.
She gave him a look from unfathomable eyes, but said nothing. She and Garstang smell what's in the
wind, Birrel thought, anybody would with Ferdias himself coming here secretly, and she doesn't like
it. Well, I don't like it either, none of us do.
He followed Ferdias into the lamplit living-room, and went on back to the kitchen for a bottle. He came
back with it to find Ferdias looking around the room.
"Charming, in a way, said Ferdias. He touched the rocking chair, looked at the wooden walls, and
glanced into the big, old photograph albums lying on the table.
Birrel thought, as he went back to the kitchen for glasses, I'd better get those albums back to the old
lady before we leave here, I promised I would.
He brought back the glasses. Ferdias had sat down and his hands were grasping his knees in a familiar
gesture.
"Here's the way we'll lay it out, he said.  The commemoration is day after tomorrow. All right, the Fifth
can pull out right after it. I'll have left before then, of course, and, as soon as you've cleared Earth, I'll
have the formal offer of alliance messaged to the UW from Lyra Council. You'll proceed with the Fifth on
out of this system to wait, after detaching the transports."
Birrel, as he poured out the drinks, was listening carefully. This was going to be a sticky enough job and
he could not afford to fog up any details. But, as he stood listening, he became aware of a curious thing
happening to him.
He was shaking a little. A feeling had come up in him that he did not even recognize at first, but it was so
blindly hot and strong that it seemed to grasp his whole mind and body, leaving his will no control at all.
Standing there gripped by that overmastering emotion.
Birrel heard himself speaking, yet it seemed to him that his lips spoke without any command at all from
his mind. He heard himself saying,  I'm not going to have any part in it, Ferdias."
He had never astonished Ferdias before. He did so this time. Ferdias stared blankly, stopping in
mid-sentence.
"You what?"
Birrel carefully set down the half-filled glass.  Your grab for Earth. I'm having no part in it. None."
And now, as he spoke the words, Birrel knew what it was, that overpowering feeling. It was an anger so
deep that it completely possessed him. All the time out there, in the twilight, that he had been talking of
logistics and ships and routes, he had been trying to ignore that anger, to thrust it down into his
subconscious and forget it. He could not keep it down any longer, it had suddenly broken through and
taken hold of him and he was shaking with it.
Ferdias had leaped to his feet. His blank astonishment had been replaced by the look with which he
always faced a challenge.
"What's the matter with you, Jay? I've explained that this alliance isn't a grab "
"You explained to me before, Birrel interrupted harshly.  Back at Vega Four, remember? You said,  I
don't want Earth, all I want is to keep Solleremos from grabbing it."
Ferdias nodded, with a sort of dangerous calmness.  Yes, I said that."
"Was it true, Ferdias? Or was that just talk for my benefit, so I'd come on this mission full of noble ideas
about how we were protecting Earth, not threatening it?"
"Listen to me, Jay... Ferdias began, but Birrel went on.
"Just as you're talking to me now about friendly alliances and how it's all for the good of Earth when,
what you really mean is, that now Sollerernos has been repulsed, we can grab it for ourselves."
Ferdias almost never lost his temper. But his iron control over it slipped a bit now, and he said, violently,
 What's all this talk about truth and lies and intentions? Do you suppose that the game for stars is played
according to Sunday school rules?"
"Play it any way you want to, said Birrel.  I don't mind your lying, if you want stars that badly. But I
object to your making a liar out of me. And you've made me one, for the first time in my life. Ever since I
got to Earth, I've been telling everyone we had no hidden intentions, telling them that all we wanted to do
was help them. All right, I refuse to be a liar any more, if you go ahead and do this, I'll have no part in it." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]