Null–A Three

CHAPTER 18

When, moments later, he was able to get the attention of his alter ego, Gosseyn Two said mentally across those vast distances: “I’ve been aware of your sensations, and they’re similar to what we get from that alien ship when our defenses are momentarily penetrated. Your problem is you’re out there, unprotected.”

Because of the enormous interstellar barrier between him and the enemy, it was a startling analysis. But it was surely the most likely possibility. The alien ship’s efforts at mental control could not reach through the electronic defenses of the Dzan vessel or of Enro’s warships.

But, somehow, those incredibly accurate instruments had retained contact with Gosseyn Three. And, though they were probably not aware of it, he was, for them, the most important human being: the individual who, inadvertently, was responsible for their entire ship, with all its personnel, being transmitted from their own galaxy to this one.

But they suspected something. Because, though he was multi-light-years distant from them, they were electronically aware of him, and, with their refined instruments, were somehow trying to grab him.

The instant thought in his mind, now that he was considering it, was: why not let them succeed?

He asked the question of Gosseyn Two: “… What would I do, if I went aboard their ship?”

“Well—” the distant thought of Gosseyn Two was accompanied by a grim smile—“one thing that would, at very least, be delayed would be the re-building of the Institute of General Semantics on earth.”

There was at least one answer for that. Gosseyn stated it mentally: “When Dan Lyttle gets off duty from his hotel job at midnight, he’s coming over here to sleep.” He concluded that message, “I think I can safely leave him in charge if I go aboard the alien ship—which I really think I should do, provided I first get rid of a potential trouble maker here on earth.”

The answer seemed to be a resigned acceptance: “You’re a braver man than I am. What about the boy?” Gosseyn had been intent. Now, he glanced around. And was slightly startled to realize that Enin had disappeared… That strange look in his face; he’s up to something—

Mentally, he said, “I think I can leave him here with Dan temporarily. I doubt if he should go back aboard at this time.” He smiled. “His General Semantics reeducation is not yet completed. And right now I’d better sign off, and see where he went…”

—A big man in his shirt sleeves. That was the source of the threatening voice.

—Gosseyn’s swift search for Enin had taken him down the long, grubby hallway to the caretaker’s quarters. And there was that unworthy on the floor, babbling information to a boy who had—it developed—“burned” him several times before the reality penetrated that only a confession would save him from the special ability of this demon kid…

The name that finally came from him—Gorrold—turned out to be an individual of Blayney’s list of top two hundred cursing back room supporters.

And Gosseyn, who had thereupon gone straight to the man’s office, now stood slightly baffled, gazing at the chunky Gorrold body and insolent face. Because it would be wrong to twenty-decimal a person., so flimsily dressed, to that frozen world… back there.

As he thought of other possibilities, Gosseyn spoke glibly, “President Blayney asked me to talk to you. Perhaps, we could go somewhere, and have lunch, or a drink?”

At very least, going out—for anything—would require Gorrold to put on a coat.

But the smoldering gray eyes merely stared at him from a grim, heavy face. “I have drinks right here.” However, the man made no move to get the “drinks.” Simply sat there behind his gleaming desk in his shirt sleeves, smiling sarcastically. It was an expensive looking shirt, but not warm enough for icy weather.

“I’m going to deduce,” Gosseyn continued, “that you will understand when I say that it’s to be a private conversation; not to be held in someone’s office where we might be overheard.”

“If,” replied Gorrold, “the president wants to give me special instructions, he can just pick up the phone, as he’s done a hundred times; and when I recognize his voice, I’ll say, ‘Yes, Mr. President, consider the job done.’ ”

With that, the face lost any semblance of a smile. “So I don’t get this private message, with the messenger being someone I’ve never seen before.”

Gosseyn’s seeking gaze had suddenly spied the man’s coat—at least it had the same cloth color as the trousers he wore. The coat lay across what he guessed was the private bar table of this office in the far corner.

With that discovery made, he felt better, and stood up. “Evidently, you don’t appreciate what I’ve just said: that conversations might be overheard. So I’ll simply report back to the president that you would rather not hear his private communication, and he can take it from there. All right?”

Gorrold accompanied him to the door, opened it, and called to his secretary, “Miss Drees, let this gentleman out.”

The way Gosseyn passed him to go through required Gorrold to step back partly out of sight behind the door. At that exact instant Gosseyn transmitted him to the ice world.

Gosseyn grasped the door knob firmly, and said as if speaking to Gorrold: “See you again, sir.” Almost simultaneously, his gaze flicked over to the coat lying on the bar. With his extra-brain he made his special mental photographic copy. And moments later transmitted it also to the location on that distant world of ice.

Whereupon, he closed the door gently behind him. And, moments later, walked past the secretary to and through the partly open outer door.

As he headed for the distant exit, he was unwarily thinking something to which he should not have given a moment’s attention: it was a vague hope that Mr. Gorrold had his help so well trained that there would be no chance of Miss Drees entering her boss’ office without being called.

His vague feeling was that it would be better for the re-building of the Institute of General Semantics if there was never any connection suspected between the visit of Gilbert Gosseyn and the disappearance of Gorrold.

Unwary moment. At that exact instant the sensation in his head became a whirling blackness.