[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
thoughtfully. "That was just your way of getting me to hang around Jopat
and and play their game for a while."
"Yes. Some situations, Miss Oster, are not really soluble by plot alone. This
is a lesson that should be well learned by those who seek to direct the
activities of others. No scheme we or you might have formulated could have
overcome the stubborn determination of the Guardsmen and brought them home
willingly. That situation had to be resolved by allowing the persons involved
to pursue their natural inclinations. Our formulation was thus one of
selection of a person or persons to inject into the situation to bring about
the desired resolution. Thus we saw to it you became involved in the
Guardsmen's game and allowed events to take their course."
"Nice of you."
"While you are not an overly modest person, Miss Oster," the director
continued, "I wonder if you realize the powerfully catalytic effect you tend
to have in all matters in which you . . ."
Gweanvin yawned. That was the way of desk-riders like
Lustempo jabber-jabber-jabber! Well, maybe they needed to talk a lot as a
substitute for action. Old Lustempo's praise of her, which was still droning
on in her ear, was really patting himself and his Bureau colleagues on the
back for being so clever in sending her to Jopat.
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Well . . . It had been pretty bright of them, at that.
She yawned again, keyed herself to rouse and say "thank you" when Lustempo
finally unwound, and dozed off.
The Frontliners
1
"Rayeal Promton, I presume."
The voice was an assured feminine purr behind Gweanvin Oster. She twisted her
head to look up at the smiling woman, then rose from her chair at the work
console.
"Yes, I'm Rayeal Promton," Gweanvin said, "and you must be Marvis Jans, girl
security agent."
The woman nodded. "How did you identity me so quickly?" she asked.
"Because I was expecting you. What's being done here on Narva, and more
specifically here in Gordeen
Consolidated Systems Lab, calls for the presence of the Federation's sharpest
security agent. That's you.
And you wouldn't come here and not take a look at your genetic sister. Of
course, now that I've had a close look at you, I see that your nose is like
mine . . . based on permanent bone instead of cartilage."
"And just what is being done in this building, Rayeal?" Marvis Jans asked
softly.
Gweanvin laughed. "Is this a friendly visit or a security interview? Okay, so
I've guessed a lot more about this project than my job requires me to know.
Does that surprise you?"
"No." Marvis smiled. "A mind like yours is wasted on circuit growth
technology, Rayeal. You should be a frontliner like myself. It's far more
challenging work."
"I don't know," murmured Gweanvin. "I've thought about it, but sabotage,
spying, counter-spying and other such derring-do strikes me as awfully
masculine."
"Humpf! I like that!"
Gweanvin giggled. "No aspirations on your femininity intended, Miss Jans.
Maybe I'd be more willing to swash about with a zerburst pistol on my hip if
my hips were as curvy as yours." She paused, giving the older woman's figure
an admiring once-over. "Gosh, how gorgeous you are! I hope I'm that
well-stacked when I grow up."
"Thank you, dear." Marvis let her pleasure show. "You are twenty-seven
standard years old, aren't you?"
"Yes. And you're about thirty-four."
"Right. If you develop at the same rate I did you'll start budding very soon,
Rayeal."
"I've already started," Gweanvin grinned, "and not a minute too soon to suit
me. I'm tired of looking like a boy."
"I wish you were a boy," Marvis remarked wryly.
"I'll bet you do," snickered Gweanvin. Then she asked more seriously, "Any
clue of where one might be?"
"A male of our species? No, not a clue."
Gweanvin considered the undertones of that brusque reply. "That bugs you,
doesn't it?" she asked.
"When your urges become as strong as mine . . ." She shrugged and turned away.
"Isn't there any coffee in this joint?"
"Sure. Over here."
Gweanvin led the way to the spenser and drew steaming mugs for Marvis and
herself. She motioned her visitor into a chair and seated herself nearby.
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"Why not talk about it?" she asked. "Your search for a male is no secret from
me."
"Aha! Spying on a Federation security agent, hah?"
"Oh, don't be such a warrior!" snorted Gweanvin. "Of course I've been spying
on you, and you've probably known it all the time. Or certain friends of mine
have, but don't fret. They're security people, too, and haven't told me any
deep Federation secrets. They've merely kept me informed on your male-hunt."
Marvis sipped her coffee. "I was kidding you, dear. Of course I know what
you've been up to. I haven't tried to keep my hunt all that secret
anyway because there may be a male somewhere as eager to find me as I am to
find him. I wanted a bit of publicity."
"But nobody turned up?"
"Oh, a lot of guys turned up, but not one of us. Some looked like good bets
but cases of delayed maturity are not unheard of among ordinary homo sapiens;
that's all any of them turned out to be." She studied Gweanvin's face
questioningly. "Just how much did your friends tell you about my search?"
"Well, they told how you finagled a permit to go into the Federation's central
personnel files and run a computer check for individuals with genetic charts
that match your own. My name was the only one thrown out and you already knew [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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thoughtfully. "That was just your way of getting me to hang around Jopat
and and play their game for a while."
"Yes. Some situations, Miss Oster, are not really soluble by plot alone. This
is a lesson that should be well learned by those who seek to direct the
activities of others. No scheme we or you might have formulated could have
overcome the stubborn determination of the Guardsmen and brought them home
willingly. That situation had to be resolved by allowing the persons involved
to pursue their natural inclinations. Our formulation was thus one of
selection of a person or persons to inject into the situation to bring about
the desired resolution. Thus we saw to it you became involved in the
Guardsmen's game and allowed events to take their course."
"Nice of you."
"While you are not an overly modest person, Miss Oster," the director
continued, "I wonder if you realize the powerfully catalytic effect you tend
to have in all matters in which you . . ."
Gweanvin yawned. That was the way of desk-riders like
Lustempo jabber-jabber-jabber! Well, maybe they needed to talk a lot as a
substitute for action. Old Lustempo's praise of her, which was still droning
on in her ear, was really patting himself and his Bureau colleagues on the
back for being so clever in sending her to Jopat.
Page 232
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Well . . . It had been pretty bright of them, at that.
She yawned again, keyed herself to rouse and say "thank you" when Lustempo
finally unwound, and dozed off.
The Frontliners
1
"Rayeal Promton, I presume."
The voice was an assured feminine purr behind Gweanvin Oster. She twisted her
head to look up at the smiling woman, then rose from her chair at the work
console.
"Yes, I'm Rayeal Promton," Gweanvin said, "and you must be Marvis Jans, girl
security agent."
The woman nodded. "How did you identity me so quickly?" she asked.
"Because I was expecting you. What's being done here on Narva, and more
specifically here in Gordeen
Consolidated Systems Lab, calls for the presence of the Federation's sharpest
security agent. That's you.
And you wouldn't come here and not take a look at your genetic sister. Of
course, now that I've had a close look at you, I see that your nose is like
mine . . . based on permanent bone instead of cartilage."
"And just what is being done in this building, Rayeal?" Marvis Jans asked
softly.
Gweanvin laughed. "Is this a friendly visit or a security interview? Okay, so
I've guessed a lot more about this project than my job requires me to know.
Does that surprise you?"
"No." Marvis smiled. "A mind like yours is wasted on circuit growth
technology, Rayeal. You should be a frontliner like myself. It's far more
challenging work."
"I don't know," murmured Gweanvin. "I've thought about it, but sabotage,
spying, counter-spying and other such derring-do strikes me as awfully
masculine."
"Humpf! I like that!"
Gweanvin giggled. "No aspirations on your femininity intended, Miss Jans.
Maybe I'd be more willing to swash about with a zerburst pistol on my hip if
my hips were as curvy as yours." She paused, giving the older woman's figure
an admiring once-over. "Gosh, how gorgeous you are! I hope I'm that
well-stacked when I grow up."
"Thank you, dear." Marvis let her pleasure show. "You are twenty-seven
standard years old, aren't you?"
"Yes. And you're about thirty-four."
"Right. If you develop at the same rate I did you'll start budding very soon,
Rayeal."
"I've already started," Gweanvin grinned, "and not a minute too soon to suit
me. I'm tired of looking like a boy."
"I wish you were a boy," Marvis remarked wryly.
"I'll bet you do," snickered Gweanvin. Then she asked more seriously, "Any
clue of where one might be?"
"A male of our species? No, not a clue."
Gweanvin considered the undertones of that brusque reply. "That bugs you,
doesn't it?" she asked.
"When your urges become as strong as mine . . ." She shrugged and turned away.
"Isn't there any coffee in this joint?"
"Sure. Over here."
Gweanvin led the way to the spenser and drew steaming mugs for Marvis and
herself. She motioned her visitor into a chair and seated herself nearby.
Page 233
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Why not talk about it?" she asked. "Your search for a male is no secret from
me."
"Aha! Spying on a Federation security agent, hah?"
"Oh, don't be such a warrior!" snorted Gweanvin. "Of course I've been spying
on you, and you've probably known it all the time. Or certain friends of mine
have, but don't fret. They're security people, too, and haven't told me any
deep Federation secrets. They've merely kept me informed on your male-hunt."
Marvis sipped her coffee. "I was kidding you, dear. Of course I know what
you've been up to. I haven't tried to keep my hunt all that secret
anyway because there may be a male somewhere as eager to find me as I am to
find him. I wanted a bit of publicity."
"But nobody turned up?"
"Oh, a lot of guys turned up, but not one of us. Some looked like good bets
but cases of delayed maturity are not unheard of among ordinary homo sapiens;
that's all any of them turned out to be." She studied Gweanvin's face
questioningly. "Just how much did your friends tell you about my search?"
"Well, they told how you finagled a permit to go into the Federation's central
personnel files and run a computer check for individuals with genetic charts
that match your own. My name was the only one thrown out and you already knew [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]