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Hennison smiled and spread his hands. "Well, now we're none of us offended,
are we, by needing to reach this understanding? Still friends?" One by one the
others smiled and nodded. "Then let's do our unloading and get in the car and
go find some drinks." And as they enteredSearch he said, "I have a sister
who's Monogamist. Backslides a lot, though, she does. Not that I'm suggesting
anything."
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Jay met the man's eyes. "Of course not." Then the work proceeded.
The population of Harper's Touchdown was barely out of six figures; the
spaceport, such as it was, was administered directly by Colony Headquarters.
Jay and Raelle were assigned a small suite transient quarters in the Admin
Building itself, then joined Kaile and Hennison in the building's lounge.
As they sat, Hennison poured beer from a large pitcher. "Whatever you're used
to drinking, you have to try our local product first."
Jay sipped it. "Very good," he said and Raelle agreed. The four talked of the
disparate Earths they knew. Jay and Raelle found few acquaintances in common
with the other two, and those casual. Jay did not mention his parents, or the
Frantiszeks.
A squat, muscular man approached the table. "Reyez Turco," Andrina said
quickly, lowvoiced. "Captain ofStar Dragon , the ship out there." And in a
moment Turco, one hand on the back of an empty chair, introduced himself.
His voice was husky. "You're the Courier people?" Names exchanged, they shook
hands and Turco sat. In his fist the beer glass was almost hidden. Without
speaking he looked from one to the other, his large wideset eyes shifting
beneath shaggy brows. The black stubble that covered his rounded skull grew
low on his forehead; along with his thick neck and hulking shoulders it almost
gave him a brutish look. But the eyes. Jay decided, and the wide, sensitive
mouth, contradicted that effect.
And finally he spoke again. "You're how long out from Earth?"
Jay answered. "Six days, a little over."
Turco gulped his beer; Hennison refilled the glass. "And I'm almost two
years. Not all in one hop, you'd know not with the Krieger power systems. And
I've had stopovers. I shipped for Eden As Amended; round trip, I thought. But
there I found Haakon Aarnstaad and his oldMuspelheim or Bust , stranded with
cargo for Death Warmed Over. Long thought lost, that ship and captain Skip
Factor no more than eighty at best, and he'd been out& oh, I forget how long.
But all it was, his Skip Unit failed and he limped in on plain drive and
override, slow and eating time."
Turco tapped his glass on the table, swirling its contents. "So Death Warmed
Over was never any prize; maybe they needed Haakon's shipment to stay alive. I
had room; we transshipped the cargo ontoDragon instead of the scheduled return
load."
Hennison spoke. "What aboutMuspelheim and its people?"
"We worked on the ship my engineers did not much luck. Haakon took it I
offered him a lift, and did take on as many of his crew as there was room
for but he said no, that now it wasEarth or bust. Next century, he may get
there."
Raelle frowned. "Captain, this is all very interesting and moving. But how
does it tie into how long you and we have been away from Earth?"
Turco smiled like an angel, but his eyes held a fixed stare. "At Death Warmed
Over we fought plague; when we were done, my ship wasn't crowded any more."
Raelle tried to speak; Turco waved her silent. "I and the colony together
couldn't scrounge up the fuel to get me direct to Earth. But here, I could get
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to. And here's where I I found that Earth's not there any more."
"What ?" For a moment, Jay stood.
"MyEarth, I mean." Slowly, Turco nodded. "A shock, that was. No way of
knowing, you see only a few Krieger ships out when we left, and none due back
yet. I guess my Earth lagged behind some others, a few years. Anyway, off we
lifted with good oldDragon Skipping near two thousand, no mere sixty or
eighty. We" ve got the Galaxy, I thought! But then I get to here '" The huge
shoulders slumped. "And find I've lost my world."
"Captain Turco " Hesitantly, Raelle spoke. "It may not be that bad. Sometimes
there's very little difference there aren't any rules; it's unpredictable, so
far. Maybe you'll be lucky."
Turco sipped from an empty glass. "Maybe maybe not. It's four hops I'll have
had, not a mere two. But it's thewaiting , now that I know what to worry
about." He shook his head. "Fuel" s low here, too. Lots of traffic lately; the
stockpile's wiped out. And I landed near to empty it's more than a month,
nearer two, to synthesize what I'll need. And then at least three more to get
home, whatever that turns out to be." The man's face clenched into strain
patterns. "Fighting plague, chancing death that was easier!"
Jay said, " I know, Captain. And if I could help, I would. But we can't go
find out for you even if we reached the same Earth you will, we couldn't come
backhere , the same. You see, sir? Sometimes questions just don't have good
answers."
From under lowered brows, Turco looked at him. "Maybe. But that doesn't mean
I stop asking." He stood. "Thank you for the company. Good evening." And with
his quick, massive stride, he left them.
Turco's story cast a pall over the group. After a period of silence, Hennison
said, "Is anyone else hungry? The kitchen's quite good here." Relieved, Jay
nodded; the others agreed, and when the waiter delivered a fresh pitcher of
beer they ordered food.
Dining raised Jay's spirits the meal lived up to Hennison's
recommendation and the others seemed more cheerful also. Afterward, over
liqueurs, Hennison told of variant Earths reported by previous Couriers. None
of them. Jay thought, sounded alarmingly different.
Then Andrina Kaile said, "Something I always ask Couriers I guess I'm just
nosy, so don't answer if you'd rather not iswhy . Why leave the Earth you
know, when you can't get back to it?" She shrugged. "A wouldn't have, if I'd
known the risk."
Raelle was silent; Jay thought carefully, then said, "Let's just say I lost
something and hope to find it again."
Hennison nodded. "A good enough reason so long as thereis a fair hope. And
you, Raelle?"
Jay did not expect her to answer, but after a pause she spoke. "I haven't
even told Jay yet and I won't, until Iknow . But this much, yes I haven't lost
anything. But there's something I never had and always wanted.That's what I'm
looking for." Puzzled, Jay watched her, but she smiled and shook her head. She
touched his hand, and said to the others, "I'm afraid I'm tired early. Our
shifts onSearch weren't geared to your days here."
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