“I think they’d find them quite… passable,” Hunt told her. Murray translated. She looked pleased and transferred her attention to the other nipple.

“Ayultha says it was the old regime that caused all the problems,” Murray went on, “and JEVEX had nothing to do with it. He wants the Ganymeans out and the system restored. But then, all of the cults have got some reason for wanting JEVEX back. With all those junkies out there, they can’t lose. They know when they’re onto a good thing.”

“So who are the ones with green sickles?” Hunt asked.

“Axis of Light: another of the same-except their guiding genius thinks he’s a computer. Basically they’re all as bad, but the leaders carve up the territory by getting everyone hyped up over details that don’t matter-you know, like whether you make the sign with this hand or that hand, or whether some book said a line this way or that way, and that kind of garbage. But it isn’t exactly something I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about.”

“I imagine not.”

An off-key chiming sound came from the room system. Nixie acknowledged it, and what sounded like two laughing female voices replied. Leaving her handiwork displayed, she got up and went into the hall to open the door. Murray raised his eyebrows. “You’ll have quite an escort,” he told Hunt, draining his glass and standing. “That sounds like Osaya plus one of the others. They’re curious to meet the Terran.”

“I’m not complaining,” Hunt said, rising to follow. “And thanks again for the help. I’ve got to hand it to the U.S. Cavalry again, eh-you showed up just in time.”

Murray handed him a card, printed in Jevlenese. “This has our address and call code. Stop by again when there’s more time to talk.”

“You can count on it.” Hunt went through to the hall, where the three girls were waiting. Osaya turned out to be six feet tall, with a skirt not more than twelve inches long. Her companion was a redhead in pants that went transparent to light at certain angles, causing devastating things to happen as she walked.

“My God,” Hunt muttered. “I’ll never explain this. I hope Chris isn’t around when we get there.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Hunt and his three escorts reached the Planetary Administration Center after a fifteen-minute walk through more streets and arcades and across a pedestrian flyover spanning a moving beltway that carried freight. The base of the PAC complex merged into the general plan of the lower city, but as was clear from the fact that the Shapieron at Geerbaine was visible from higher up, its upper parts formed a tower facing west over the city.

The entrance they came to was a transparent wall and set of doors opening from a wide pedestrian precinct lined by stores and what looked like office units, rows of display cases, and at the far end a battery of stairs and escalators going up to the concourse of a transportation terminal. The doors opened at their approach, and inside was a desk with a Jevlenese reception clerk. A couple of guards were standing a few yards back in the lobby area opening through to the interior. To Hunt’s relief after some of the things he had seen and heard since arriving, the guards were smartly turned out and seemed alert. So someone, at least, seemed to know what he or she was doing. They were unarmed as far as Hunt could see, but both were wearing lightweight headbands, throatmike-earpiece combinations, and wrist units that Hunt recognized as Ganymean communications accessories into the Shapieron’s computer system, ZORAC-the direct neural-coupling technology of the Thuriens was from a later era.

Initially, the interest of the guards was focused more on Hunt’s companions than on Hunt. But then the clerk, probably prompted by ZORAC, who would have recognized Hunt via the visual pickups in the headbands, gesticulated and said something in Jevlenese to the other two, followed by “You are Doctor Hunt, who gets missed? All look everyplace Shiban. Ganymeans very…” He traced circles vaguely in the air with his hand.

Hunt nodded. “I’m Hunt. I’m okay.”

“Use, please.” The clerk reached below the desk and produced another communications kit. Hunt fitted the items into place, and a voice spoke that he hadn’t heard for a long time.

“Hello, Vic. Welcome to our world, and all that-but you don’t seem to have been doing a bad job of finding yourself a welcoming committee already. Pretty fast operator, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

It spoke in his ear, not his head. A sudden feeling of being back among familiar things came over him. Perhaps, in some ways, the Shapieron Ganymeans were closer to Earthpeople than to Thuriens. “ZORAC, you haven’t changed,” he replied. “This isn’t what it looks like. And even if it were, it wouldn’t be any of your business.”

“Glad to see you’re in one piece, anyhow.”

The reception clerk was coming through coherently now that ZORAC was on-line to translate. “Dr. Hunt, we’re sure pleased to see you. We’ve put alerts out all over. The Ganymeans have been getting worried.”

“Did everyone else make it okay?” Hunt asked.

“They’re all here.”

“We passed an accident on the way from Geerbaine,” Hunt said. “A part of a bridge collapsed.”

“Yes. A senior officer of the Shiban police was killed. There was a lot of confusion.”

“Also, there was a Terran party in a bus, off the same ship as us. They were in a precarious situation when we left.”

“The school group?”

“That’s them. The two Terrans who met us stayed behind to sort it out. Do you have any news on what happened?”

“They’re all okay. Koberg and Lebansky got back a few minutes ago.” Hunt nodded and emitted a thankful sigh. The clerk inclined his head to indicate the three girls, who were by this time talking to the guards. “Er, where did they come from?” he inquired, dropping his voice discreetly.

“They were collecting for charity at the airport.”

“Sure. Give me a call,” Osaya was saying to one of them.

“I’m off at seven. How about then?”

“Anytime. And I love the Terran uniform…” ZORAC was still supplying the background translation.

Just then, another figure appeared through some doors on the far side of the lobby area and came across. He was about fortyish, with a medium, athletic build, black-haired and clean-shaven, and wearing a white shirt and gray slacks. As he got closer, Hunt recognized his face as the American that Lebansky had talked to on the screen inside the minibus. The American grinned easily and extended a hand.

“Dr. Hunt, from UNSA?”

“Yes.”

“Hi. The name’s Del Cullen. Glad you’re okay.” Cullen eyed the three girls curiously. “I see you’ve been making friends already.”

“Well, you didn’t send the mayor with a red carpet. One must exercise initiative.”

The girls waved as Hunt turned with Cullen to go into the building. “Come and see us again, Vic,” Nixie sang after him. “Call if you don’t remember the way.”

“I might surprise you,” Hunt called back. “And thanks again.”

Cullen and Hunt began walking back across the lobby. “English?” Cullen said.

“Yes-from London originally. How about you?”

“East Coast. Baltimore.”

“How do you fit in here?”

Cullen’s voice fell to a level that was not for carrying. “Well, I try to impress some concept of security into these people. It’s an uphill battle at times, but we’re getting there slowly.”

“Which people do you mean-Jevlenese or Ganymeans?”

“Both. I was sent here to help Garuth set the system up. He’s learning fast, but you know how it is with Ganymeans: running an intelligence operation isn’t their line. They didn’t have any eyes or ears out in the city-just tended to sit inside PAC and believe whatever the Jevs told them. We’re starting to use Jevlenese outside, now. They can be okay if you know how to select the right ones.”