Infinity Beach - Jack McDevitt [163]
She described the assault at the lake and her subsequent flight.
“Curious,” said Woodbridge when she’d finished. “Why did Tolliver go out there? Why would he want you and Tripley along?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“And why did this thing suddenly go berserk? I mean, apparently it was there all these years, right? What was going on?” He frowned at her. “Kim, is there something you’re not telling me?”
He tried to dissect her with that Mephistophelian gaze. But she hardened herself and thought how easily she now resorted to deceiving people. “No,” she said. “I’m as baffled as you are.”
“This shroud, I’m informed no trace of it was found.”
“Good.”
“It strikes me that it has a resemblance to the creature you described from the Hammersmith.”
“I’m sure it’s the same kind of beast, Canon.”
“Have we reason to believe there are any others about?”
“Not that I know of.”
He looked sternly down at her. “Good. Let’s hope not. In the meantime, the local authorities are waiting to talk with you. Be careful what you say to them. No connections to the Hunter. Or to the Hammersmith. No other-world stuff. Okay? You were meeting friends, and other than that you don’t know what it was or why it attacked.”
“Canon, why don’t you just call them off?”
“Can’t,” he said. “People would think we were hiding something. You’ll be safe, Kim. I have confidence that you won’t tell them anything you don’t want them to know.” He smiled and blinked off.
An attendant came in with breakfast, accompanied by a nurse. “Dr. Brandywine,” she said, “there are some people here from the police to see you—”
“Repairing the tunnel’s going to cost half a million.” Matt Flexner was exasperated. “They’ll be rerouting traffic for the next year. You’re not very popular right now with the transportation people. Or with the taxpayers.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said. “It was the best I could do under the circumstances.” Aside from the broken bones, she’d suffered internal injuries and some burns, and would have bled to death had it not been for the quick work of Air Rescue, and the good fortune that they’d been able to get to her from the western end of the tunnel.
“Kim, we can do without the sarcasm. Since you’re an Institute representative, we’re taking the heat now.”
“Matt,” she said, “try to understand: I was running for my life. The Institute’s views weren’t uppermost in my mind.”
He softened. “I know. The problem is that they told you to stay out of the tunnel. But I’m glad you came through it okay.”
“I’m delighted to hear it.”
He nodded. “I guess I deserved that.”
“Yes, you did.”
He had a stack of images of the shroud, culled from the media. “What exactly was that thing anyhow?”
“It’s probably a designer life-form. It was apparently a passenger on the Hunter.”
His eyes widened. “How can that be?”
Matt wasn’t somebody you’d necessarily rely on in a crunch, but he knew how to keep his mouth shut. She needed to be able to talk to somebody. Especially if she was going to arrange to have the Valiant analyzed.
She was still debating what to do with it after she fished it out of the lake. Take it home and put it in the den? Keep its existence quiet while she tried to learn as much about it as she could? Any other course of action would lose the Valiant immediately. “Matt,” she said, “I’ll tell you everything I know. But first I want a quid pro quo.”
“Okay.” He folded his arms, as if someone were about to question his honor. “Name it.”
“You don’t say anything to anybody about what I’m about to tell you without my prior approval. Absolute blackout on this.”
“First tell me what it’s about.”
“No. I won’t tell you anything without the agreement.”
The muscles around his jaw worked, but he remained silent. “Okay,” he said finally. “What have you got?”
“A starship,” she said. “A microship. From somewhere else.”
His eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”
“Have you ever known me to kid around?” She’d never seen him look so confused. “They’re telling me I’ll