Nineteen

“What kind of secret war conference is this?” Inskipp howled. “Is everyone listening to it? That was your wife on the eaves-dropping circuit, diGriz—wasn’t it?”

“Sounded very much like her,” I said a little too heartily. “I guess you ought to have the security arrangements checked out. But you’ll have to take care of that yourself because I have to go look at some other galaxies and that is a time-consuming business. You’ll get my report soonest, gentlemen.”

I exited with Incuba a few steps behind me. Angelina was waiting, in the corridor. Eyes glowing like a female lioness, fingernails hooked like claws. She seared my skin with one sizzling glare then turned her destroying gaze on Incuba.

“Do you plan to wear that bathrobe for this arduous trip?” she asked, voice close to absolute zero. Incuba looked Angelina up and down, her expression unchanged although her nostrils flared ever so lightly as though she had sniffed something bad.

“Probably not. But whatever I wear it will certainly be more practical—and a good deal more attractive than that.”

Before the warfare escalated I took the coward’s way out and dropped a mini smoke grenade. It banged and puffed and took their attention off their differences for an instant. I spoke quickly.

“Ladies, we leave in one half an hour so please be ready. I am off to the lab now to set things up with Professor Coypu and I hope that you will join me there.”

Angelina joined me now, grabbing my arm with talons sunk deep, marching me off down the corridor, hissing words into my ear—then biting it for emphasis.

“One pass at that tramp, one look, one touch of your hand on hers and you are a dead man, Dirty Old Jim diGriz.”

“What happened to innocent-until-proven-guilty?” I groaned, rubbing the aching earlobe. “I love you and none other. Now, can we drop this and get on with the war. And get Coypu to set up our investigation.”

“You have only one choice of a possible galaxy,” Coypu said, after I had explained the situation.

“What do you mean?” I was shocked. “Billions, an infinite number you said.”

“I did. That many exist. But we can get access for a large object, such as a spaceship, to only six. After that the energy demand is too great to open a screen more than two meters in diameter. You’re not going to get many aliens through a hole that big.”

“Well, that’s at least six universes. So why do you say only one?”

“Because in the other five this laboratory exists and I have observed myself or other humans in it. In the sixth, which I call Space Six, there is no laboratory or Corps base. The screen opens into interstellar space.”

“Then that is the one we must try,” a golden voice said, and Incuba tripped in through the door. She was fetchingly garbed in tight shipsuit, kinky black boots and other interesting things that I knew better than to notice since Angelina was right behind her. I turned my gaze to Coypu; uglier but safer.

“Then that is the one we must try,” I told him.

“I thought you might say that. I have the parallelilizer screen projected outside this laboratory building. It is one hundred meters in diameter. I suggest you get a spacer with a smaller diameter and I will instruct you from there on.”

“Great idea. A Lancer scoutship will just do the job.”

I exited with my loyal crew right after me. I signed for the scoutship and did all the preflight checks with Angelina’s assistance. Incuba stayed out of the control room, which made life easier to live.

“I’ve always wanted to see another universe,” I said brightly.

“Shut up and fly this thing.”

I sighed and got Coypu on the radio.

“Fly forty-six degrees from your present position,” he said. “You will see a circular ring of lights.”

“Got it.”

“Then go through it. And I suggest you make a careful navigation fix on the other side and drop a radio beacon as well.”

“Very helpful of you. We would like to get back someday.”

The spacer slipped through the ring, which vanished behind us. In the rear scopes I could see a disk of blackness occulting the stars.

“Position recorded, beacon launched,” Angelina said.

“You are wonderful. I note from the recordings that there is a nice G2 star over there about fifty light years away. And the radio tells me that it was emitting radio signals some fifty years ago. Shall we go look?”

“Yes. And that’s all you will be looking at!”

“My love!” I took her hands in mine. “I have eyes only for you.” Then I saw that she was smiling, then laughing and we clinched a bit. “You have been leading me on?” I accused.

“A little bit. I thought it would be fun to go on this trip and it seemed a good reason. Also I will flay you with broken glass if you go anywhere near that Morality Corps chicken.”

“No fear. I am too busy saving the galaxy once again.”

When we came out of warpdrive Incuba joined us at the controls. “There are two inhabited planets about that sun?” she asked.

“That is what the instruments and the radio tell us. We are taking a look-see at the nearest.”

It was a quick jump by warpdrive and then we were dropping down into the atmosphere. Blue sky, white clouds, a very pleasant place. The radio was blaring out very sinister music and occasional bursts of some incomprehensible language. None of us felt like talking. What, or who, inhabited this planet was of utmost importance. Lower and lower until the landscape was clear below us.

“Houses,” Angelina said, sounding very unhappy. “And plowed fields. Looks very much like home…”

“No it doesn’t,” I shouted, turning up the magnification.

“Beautiful!” Angelina sighed, and it was. At least at this moment. Something with far too many legs was pulling a plow. Steering the plow was a very repulsive alien who would have been right at home with our present enemies.

“An alien universe!” I laughed as I spoke. “They can come here and make friends and live happily ever after. Let’s go back with the good news.”

“Let us investigate the other planet,” Incuba said quietly. “And as many more as we have to determine if humans exist here as well.”

Angelina gave her a cold look and I sighed.

“Sure. That’s what we must do. Look around and make sure it is all creepies. Of course it will be.”

Old big mouth. We zipped over to the second inhabited planet and looked down upon mills and mines, cities and countryside. Inhabited by the most human looking humans I have ever seen.

“Maybe they are alien inside,” I said, grasping at a last straw.

“Should we cut one open and find out?” Angelina asked, seriously.

“The cutting open of other creatures, human or alien, is forbidden by the Morality Corps…”

Incuba’s words were cut off by a blast of static from the radio and shouted words in a strange language. At the same moment a number of readouts flickered and I looked at the viewscreen. And drew back.

“We have company,” I said. “Shall we leave?”

“I wouldn’t do anything in a hurry,” Angelina cozened.

For outside, very close indeed, was a very nasty black warship. Some of the guns had gaping muzzles big enough to drive our small ship into. And I’m sure that it was not by chance that they were pointing at us. I reached for the thrust controls just as I felt a number of strong tractor beams latch onto our ship.

“I think I will flit over and talk to them,”1 said, rising and going to the suit locker. “Just watch the shop until I get back.”

“I’m going with you,” Angelina said firmly.

“Not this time, light of my life. And that is a command. If I don’t get back try and get a report through about what we have seen.”

With this noble exit line I exited, suited up and floated over to the dreadnought where a port obligingly opened for me. I walked in, head up, and was cheered a bit to see that the reception party were all human. Hard-eyed types in tight black uniforms.