SIX

Distress Call

Krinata eyed Jindigar nervously, thinking that Zinzik had accused the Dushau of not reporting colonizable planets. But one commercially useless planet known by one individual didn't make a conspiracy to strangle the Allegiancy.

Jindigar misinterpreted her silence. "Or I'd be glad to drop you off at any planet you name, before I try to rescue any of the others. I owe you that, and more."

"You don't owe me," she said. "I was just thinking your planet sounds like what I've been looking for."

"I expected you'd feel that way. There's a lot I don't know about this planet, though. Survey was never completed. There are tremendous risks."

"None greater than being executed for treason to the Crown because of a loyal attempt to prevent a mistake. How do we find these other friends of yours?"

He turned to a large wallscreen decorated in moving swirls of light. "Arlai, put up the itinerary I compiled."

The screen filled with symbols Krinata couldn't read. Then in one comer, a list of planets appeared: Onerir, Cassr, Khol, Razum Two. Atridm, Canbera. Beside each one was a list of names. Cassrians, Lehiroh, Holot, human, and Treptian, Under each name, there was a location.

"You want to go back to Onerir? Why!"

"I must, Krinata. The bodies of Kamminth's—"

"Jindigar," interrupted Arlai softly. "I have a confession. The bodies of all your zunre are aboard. I acted without instruction, but..."

Jindigar's face lightened.

"You're not angry with me?" asked Arlai.

"I remember changing your status controls. Your initiative is not wholly at odds with graytime status. But, were you detected?"

"I doubt it." Arlai's simulacrum ghosted over the symbolic display, and he seemed hesitant. "I left records indicating the bodies were taken by Trinarvil, with Seum and Dinai having been cremated without autopsy. If they suspect me, they might be able to detect the forgeries, but I don't think they'll believe a Sentient could do such a thing."

Krinata's heart was relieved Zinzik could make no grotesque examples of those Dushau bodies. She was beginning to suspect he'd stop at nothing to feed his mob following.

Jindigar frowned. "If we move fast enough, we may be clear before anyone thinks to inspect the records." He launched into a technical discussion of the transit time between the planets on his list, and Arlai's best estimate of the urgency of the situation on each planet.

Krinata listened with growing dismay. Following Onerir's lead, it seemed every planet of the Allegiancy was rounding up Dushau sympathizers for brutal questioning, brief public trial, and mass execution. She couldn't believe it. Such things were surely against the law.

When she threw that question into a momentary silence, Arlai answered, "Just as we were leaving Onerir, I picked up a newsflash that, for the purposes of this emergency, the Dukes of the Allegiancy were empowered to write new laws to handle the expected masses of traitors who must be tried and disposed of. So far as I know, the Dukes have acted well within the Emperor's guidelines for such laws. But way out here, I can only get smeared fringe beams. I've been tempted to snatch up passing capsules to sample the latest news."

"Don't do that yet," said Jindigar while Krinata was swallowing her shock at yet another impossible ability. "You couldn't handle a modern detuned capsule without leaving traces. While we're in orbit at Cassr, maybe you can learn how to do it. It could be a useful skill for us."

"I think you underestimate me."

"I don't. You've been constrained from maintaining such skills by your Allegiancy programming. There've been some spectacular advances lately." They stared at each other for long moments, but then Arlai lowered his eyes.

"I'll let you know after I've investigated." With a mischievous smile, he added, "Care to lay a bet?"

Jindigar smiled back, silently expressing a fondness for Arlai while saying, "I never bet against Sentients. But I'm not willing to bet all our lives that you're right."

Arlai put his hands on his hips in a businesslike pose, and said gravely, "I'll check it out thoroughly. But I'm going to tap the beams as we move in. Things are happening fast out there now."

"Right," agreed Jindigar, planting himself firmly on the platform beside his whule. "Now, if we're going to penetrate Cassr traffic control, Truth will need a temporary identity. She looks Dushau, but old enough to have been sold off long ago." He turned to Krinata, speculation lighting his indigo eyes. "Would you be willing to go aground as a Pesht merchant, working for Zavaronne Importers? Most Cassrians can't tell humans apart, much less their bloodlines from a vague resemblance. Arlai can dress you for the part..."

Her heart leaped to her throat. She'd listened calmly to plans to rescue prisoners of the Crown, and never visualized how it might be done. Absurdly, the only thought that came to mind was that she'd be breaking the law.

"You're right." Jindigar nodded. "There's no reason to send you into such danger. I've no business even asking." He turned back to Arlai. ''You can fit me out to pass as a Skhe merchant captain. Trassle exports pharmacogenetics. I could be looking for him because he owes me a cargo."

"You can't go into a city!" blurted Krinata.

"It has to be done."

He's depressed! Suicidal! But she couldn't think of a reasonable argument. "All right, I'll go."

Puzzled, he stared at her silently. Then he seemed to shove aside his curiosity. "Krinata, you can't go in my place. I only wanted you to deal with the authorities, to divert attention from me. so there'd be less chance I'd be recognized. But Trassle can be a very suspicious Cassrian, and he has a female and young to protect."

Cassrians with family could be paranoid, she knew. "Arlai, can you estimate the probabilities of success if only one of us goes, or if both of us go?"

The screen cleared and figures glowed. 'If both of you go, and take Imp, there should be only one third the risk. Skhe always have piol under foot, and Zavaronne is known to favor Skhe spacehands. No Cassrian would look twice at such a group, especially because I can provide you with a cargo of Camidani shielded intronic parts."

"Where would you get intronics?" asked Krinata. They were Sentient components, and the Camidani shielding made them useful on the high-radiation planets such as Cassr.

"I don't have much in stock," admitted Arlai. "But all you'll need is a sample and a manifest which I can create."

She examined her feelings. She couldn't refuse to go, however much she felt out of her depth. "Well, I always wanted to be a spaceship captain. What's my ship's name?"

"Think of a good, old Pesht name," said Jindigar.

"Bettina," said Krinata. Thousands of Pesht ships were called Bettina. It had been the name of the first colony ship to Pesht from Terra. "Roving Bettina."

"A good choice," said Arlai. "I'll get to work immediately. When do we start for Cassr?"

"Now," said Jindigar quietly. For a moment, Krinata saw a grave shadow darken his expression. Then he stood, cinching his yellow tunic in with a cord belt. "Come, Krinata. You must be checked out on your ship's controls. You have a lot to learn in the next three days."

She spent most of that time in Truth's control room. Jindigar gave Arlai permission to obey certain classes of commands from her. He wasn't giving her his ship, but if he were killed, Arlai would take her to safety.

Gradually, the Truth's logo disappeared from the Truth's interior bulkheads and accessories, replaced by the Zavaronne emblem in black and red. She assumed the same new emblem now graced the exterior as well as their broadcast identification beam. It was eerie watching the character of the ship change around them. Arlai's efficiency was awesome, and his imagination unparalleled among Sentients. By the time they entered the well-traveled shipping lanes, she felt she was actually on a family-owned tramp freighter.