The Rock Rats

CHAPTER 57

It was maddening. All day long Lars Fuchs paced his one-room apartment like a caged tiger, to the door, turn around, to the far wall where the wallscreen stood blank and mute. Again and again: the door, then past the bed where he and Amanda had slept together, made love together…

He wanted to scream. He wanted to pound the walls, smash down the flimsy door and run through the dusty tunnels until someone shot him down and put an end to it all.

He recalled the phrase the Americans used: cruel and unusual punishment. To be put under house arrest, to be locked in the room that had for so many years been his home, to know that his wife was millions of kilometers away and preparing to marry the man who had ruined his life—better to be dead, better to be out of this endless torture.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the bureau and saw a man he hardly recognized, clothes wrinkled and sweat-stained, hair unkempt, jowly face unshaved. He stopped pacing and stared at the image in the mirror: a man steeped in self-pity, wallowing in defeat.

No, he said to himself. I won’t let it end this way. They’ve taken everything from me, but they won’t take my self-respect. No one can do that except I myself.

He tore off his sweaty clothes and stepped into the shower. When the spray turned on automatically, he thought about his water allotment, but then he decided, To hell with it; a condemned man has the right to a decent wash. But as the steamy mist enveloped him he thought of the times when he and Amanda had squeezed into the narrow stall together. It took all his strength to keep from crying.

Freshly dressed and shaved, he asked the phone to call George Ambrose. Less than a quarter-hour later, Big George rapped once on his door and slid it back.

“Hullo, Lars,” the big Aussie said, looking slightly shamefaced. “You wanted to see me?”

Fuchs saw that an armed guard stood out in the tunnel; even with his breathing mask on he recognized the guard as Oscar Jimenez.

“Step in, by all means,” Fuchs said, trying to sound brave. “I welcome a break in the monotony.”

George slid the door shut again and stood uneasily by it. “I di’n’t think how the hours must drag for you, havin’ to stay in here.”

“The only communication I’ve had from outside was a notice from Humphries’s lawyers that Amanda is suing for a divorce.”

“Aw, cripes, Lars,” George said, crestfallen, “I’m sorry about that.”

“I didn’t contest it,” Fuchs went on, almost enjoying the obvious guilt on George’s bearded face. “What difference does it make? I’m going to be executed soon, am I not?”

George’s expression turned even gloomier. “Well, we’re settin’ up a trial for you. You’re gonna need to have somebody to act as your defense counsel.”

“I don’t want a trial.” Fuchs was surprised to hear himself say it.

“Neither do I, mate, but we’ve gotta have it.”

“You don’t understand, George. I waive my right to a trial… as long as my crew is exonerated and allowed to go free. I take full responsibility for everything.”

“Let your crew go?” George scratched at his beard thoughtfully.

“I gave the orders. They didn’t know that my orders would kill the people on Vesta.”

“You take full responsibility?”

“Absolutely.”

“And you admit you killed the construction team on Vesta? Deliberately?”

“I’d do it again,” Fuchs said fervently, “if the same situation arose.”

George blew out a huge breath. “Guess we won’t need a trial, then.”

“You’ll let my crew go free?”

“I’ll hafta run it past the rest of the council, but, yeah, I don’t see any point in holdin’ them if you’re willing to take all the blame.”

“I take all the blame,” Fuchs said.

“Okay, then,” said George. “I guess the only question left is whether you want a blindfold or not.”

Martin Humphries didn’t wait for Dorik Harbin to arrive at Selene. He ordered an HSS spacecraft to fly him to a rendezvous with the vessel Harbin was on. He grimaced when he thought about the expense, but he wanted to see this mercenary soldier, this hired killer, without Verwoerd involved.

Even though he had studied Harbin’s personnel file to the last detail, Humphries was still surprised when he finally met the man. He’s like some prowling jungle cat, Humphries thought as soon as he entered Harbin’s compartment. Even in the stark cramped shipboard cubicle, Harbin reminded him of a panther, restless energy pent beneath a sleekly muscled hide.

He was definitely handsome, in a rugged, almost cruel way. Harbin had shaved off his beard and put on a long-sleeved shirt and khaki slacks for his meeting with Humphries. The clothes were creased so sharply they might as well have been a military uniform. Humphries felt decidedly civilian in his casual turtleneck pullover and whipcord trousers.

They shook hands and murmured polite greetings to one another. Harbin invited Humphries to sit on the cubicle’s sole chair, a plastic recliner, then sat on the edge of the bunk, rigid as if at attention. Even sitting down he looks as if he’s ready to leap at his prey, Humphries thought.

“I brought you a gift,” Humphries said genially, pointing to the compartment’s blank wallscreen. “Authorization for any, uh … medications you might need.”

“You mean drugs,” Harbin said.

“Yes. Recreational, stimulants—anything you want, my pharmacists at Selene will produce them for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it,” said Humphries.

Then there was silence. Harbin simply sat there, appraising Humphries with his spooky ice-blue eyes. I’ve got to be very careful with this man, Humphries realized. He’s like a vial of nitroglycerine: handle him the wrong way and he’ll explode.

At last Humphries cleared his throat and said, “I wanted to meet you personally, to congratulate you on a job well done.”

Harbin said nothing.

“You’ve earned a sizable bonus.”

“Thank you.”

“That business about sending copies of your logs to several friends on Earth,” Humphries went on, “was very clever. It shows a lot of intelligence on your part.”

Harbin’s expression changed minutely. A hint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

“Very clever,” Humphries continued. “But really unnecessary. You have nothing to fear from me. I’m grateful to you, and I don’t turn on the people who do their jobs well. Ask Grigor. Ask anyone.”

Harbin seemed to think it over for a moment. Then, “I was being cautious.”

“I understand. In a way, I even agree with you. If I’d been in your position, I probably would have done the same thing, more or less.”

“You mentioned a bonus.”

“One million international dollars, paid to any bank you name.”

Harbin didn’t move a millimeter, but he seemed somehow to stiffen, like an animal that suddenly senses danger.

“I had expected more,” he said.

“Really? I think a million is very generous.”

“Diane said there would be more.”

There! Humphries cheered silently. He’s brought up her name.

“Diane? Diane Verwoerd?”

“Your personal assistant, yes.”

“She has no authority to make you an offer that I haven’t approved,” Humphries said sternly.

“But she told me…” Harbin’s voice trailed off in confusion.

Humphries made himself smile understandingly. “Diane sometimes exceeds her authority.” With a sly wink, he went on, “That’s the trouble with a woman. If they share your bed they start behaving as if they own you.”

“Share your bed?”

“Didn’t you know? She didn’t tell you? For god’s sake, the woman’s carrying my baby.”

Harbin rose slowly to his feet. “Carrying… your baby?”

Trying to keep from showing fear, Humphries sat where he was and said innocently, “We just found out about it a few days ago. She’s pregnant, all right. We’ve been sending the happy news to all our friends. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you.”