Universe Twister - Keith Laumer [125]
"By the way," he said. "How did you . . . ah . . . know I was here about the, ah, prince's order?"
Sprawnroyal blinked at him. "Who else would be wearing one of the tight-beam signalers we made up for him?"
"Of course, how could I forget a thing like that?" O'Leary swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet. His knees wobbled but held.
"I just need a little fog to clear the exercise out of my head," he said. "I mean some head, to for the clear . . . some clead. I mean the head—"
Sprawnroyal's hand grabbed for Lafayette's elbow. "Yeah. Take it easy, Slim. How's about some hot chow, hey? Good for what ails ya."
"Chow," Lafayette creaked. "Yes, by all means."
"Come on—if you're sure you can walk O.K." The little man handed him a bathrobe, led the way along a twisting corridor apparently cut from living rock and carpeted in pale nylon, into a low-ceilinged wood-paneled room with a long bar at one side backed by huge copper-bound kegs. At tables spread with checkered cloths other small, sturdily built men sat talking volubly over large coffee mugs. Several of them waved or nodded to O'Leary's guide as he steered him across to a table beside a curtained window beyond which rain swirled and beat against the glass. A jaw-aching aroma of fresh-ground coffee and fresh-baked bread filled the air. A plump little waitress with a turned-up nose, no taller than Lafayette's middle button, bustled over and slid cups in front of them, gave O'Leary a wink, and poised a pencil over her pad.
"What'll it be, boys? Hotcakes? Steak and eggs? Strawberries and cream? Toast and jam and honey-butter?"
"Right," O'Leary said eagerly. "And a big glass of milk."
"Sounds good, Gert," Sprawnroyal said. "Me, too."
"Coming up."
Sprawnroyal rubbed his hands together, grinning. "Well, this is more like it, eh, Slim? Nothing like a snack to brighten the outlook."
"It's a distinct improvement over that." O'Leary indicated the dreary downpour outside. "There's just one little point that bothers me: where am I?"
"I don't get you, Slim. You're right here, at the Ajax Specialty Works, Melange Branch, having a midmorning snack in the Yggdrasil Room."
"Oh, in a factory. Well, that's a relief. Don't laugh, but I had the silly idea I was inside a cliff."
"Yeah, sure. But it wasn't always a cliff, understand. When the branch was first set up, it was under level ground. But there was the usual geological activity, and the plain subsided on us. But we got used to the split-level layout. And the view ain't bad."
"Geological activity?" Lafayette frowned. "You mean an earthquake?"
"Naw, just a spell of mountain-building. Happens every now and then, you know. Next time, this place may wind up under half a mile of seawater, you can't tell."
"O.K., move the elbows," Gert called, arriving with a laden tray. Lafayette managed to restrain himself until she had laid out the food; then he pitched in with a will.
"Say, Slim," Sprawnroyal said with his mouth full. "How long you been on the prince's payroll?"
"Ah . . . not long," Lafayette said, chewing. "In fact, you might say no time at all."
"Say, just between the two of us—how's the old boy's credit rating holding up?"
"His credit?" Lafayette jammed his mouth full of hotcake and made incoherent sounds.
"The Customer Service man held up a hand. "Not that we're worried, you understand," he said worriedly, "but he still owes us a bundle on the Glass Tree job."
Lafayette paused with his fork halfway to his mouth.
"Glass Tree job?" he mused. "Where have I heard of that before?"
"Say, Slim, you're really out of it."
"I've got an idea, Mr. Sprawnroyal," O'Leary said. "Why don't you just pretend that I haven't the faintest idea what's been happening, and just sort of fill me in? It will speed my recovery."
"Call me Roy. Well, where to start? We first hear from his Highness a few years back, when he drops around looking for a job. That was while he was still a commoner. He's got a few ideas, you know, so we put him to work in R & D. After a couple months the boss has to let him go. He's got the