Infinity Beach - Jack McDevitt [102]
“It is,” said Kim.
The cart scanned the bags. “Where would you like me to put them?”
“Where are the owners?”
“My last information is, they were headed for Happy Harry’s.”
“Happy Harry’s?”
“A cocktail lounge.”
“On Sky Harbor?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks,” she said. “You can leave it right here.”
“In the tunnel?”
“Yes. It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.” When she was alone she called Solly. “More coming,” she said, looking at the name tags. “Wentworth, Little Deer, Moritami, Henderson. They stopped at a bar.”
“They could be here any time,” Solly said. “We have to get rolling, or forget it.”
“Webley’s still back there. You want to take him along?”
“Do you think he’d want to come?”
“Not likely.”
“Then do something.”
“I was about to.” Webley was a familiar type. He belonged to the relatively small subgroup of researchers who believed with all their hearts that no one had ever seen more clearly into the interior of the atom, or whatever, than they had. That nothing in life was of more importance than their corner of scientific knowledge and the recognition by others of their place in it. Like children, they believed that they were the center of the cosmos. That fact outweighed everything else, and also constituted their prime weakness.
He opened to her knock and gazed at her as if trying to remember who she was and what she was doing in his doorway.
“Professor Webley,” she said. “We’re scheduled to run some engineering tests during the next hour or so. It’s going to get loud, and there’ll be a fair amount of vibration.”
“Oh? They never had to do that before.”
“You probably never arrived this early before.”
“Oh yes, madame, as a matter of fact, I have.”
“Whatever. We’re going to have to go through the basic engine shakedown, and it makes a terrible racket. I was going to head up to the Domino to get away from it.” She inhaled slightly, tilted her head, and summoned the most captivating smile she could manage. “I’d enjoy your company if you’d care to come.”
“Really, Dr. Brandywine, I don’t think—”
“I’d like very much to hear what you’re currently working on.”
Webley’s brow creased. “I thank you for your interest, but I really am a bit pressed just now.” He gazed at her as if she were a recalcitrant child, and then he wished her good day and closed the door.
She bowed slightly, turned, and left. “So much for my charm,” she told Solly a minute later.
He grinned. “The temptress strikes out, huh?”
“I guess so. He looked annoyed.”
“Ham,” he told the AI, “start the mains. Prepare for departure.”
“Confirm,” said Ham, in a female voice.
Kim frowned. They did not want to kidnap this guy.
“The six o’clock shuttle is in,” Solly said, responding to her unasked question. “If Moritami and the others are on it, they’ll be here any—” He stopped and pointed at one of the displays. Three men and a woman had appeared at the far end of the approach tunnel. “Speak of the devil—”
“Solly, what do we do?”
“We need something that’ll burn,” he said.
“Burn? Why?”
“Ask questions later. What have we got that’s flammable?”
Starships weren’t good places to look for combustibles. Clothes, panels, furniture. Everything was fireproof.
“Hold on a second,” he said. He got up and went into the mission control center. She heard him open the panel to the kitchen. Two minutes later she smelled smoke.
“Toast,” he grinned. “Twenty pieces. Now, go down and stand outside Webley’s room. When things start to happen, help him leave.”
God, this was going to be one of Solly’s finest moments. She started back down the passageway as a Klaxon began to sound. The intercom switched on. “This is the captain. There’s no reason to panic, but we have a fire in the forward compartments. All passengers please leave the ship immediately. This is the captain. I say again, we are not in immediate danger. Do not panic—”
Webley’s door opened and he put his head into the corridor, looked both ways, saw Kim