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the station. Finding
Ruskin s ship took a while longer, but eventually that was accomplished, as
well. Ruskin was closer to the sun presently than Ganz, and a little closer
to the station. It was now or never, if
Ganz was going to take the safe course and remove Ruskin from the picture.
 Well, Jeaves-copy, what do you think? Ganz asked the shipboard cogitative
system.
The system sounded surprised.  I thought we had agreed upon forbearance.
 It was possible that you had reconsidered, Ganz said, almost wistfully.
 To destroy him now would be relatively easy. Even a simple fusion charge
might suffice. But once he s close to the station, it will become much harder.
And once he s arrived at the station  Ganz sighed.
The system didn t answer. It didn t have to. They both knew that Ganz had
ample tools for a one-on-one elimination; and this time, knowing in
advance Ruskin s little defenses, Ganz wouldn t fail. But there was
always that desire to guarantee he wouldn t fail. The stigma of having
failed once, even if it wasn t he fault he had he pride as a hrisi
.
 Have you been able to reach your brother? Ganz asked.
 It is too early. We must be patient, the system answered.
 Communication in this medium is very difficult. All kinds of interference.
Remember, I m trying to be discreet.
 Well, don t be so discreet you forget to do your job.
The system waited through a moment of dignified silence.  You do
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your job, and I ll do mine, it said finally.
Ganz did not answer immediately. He had other thoughts to mull over. When Ganz
spoke again, it was to request a com-link to the research station
lost somewhere out there in the blazing mists of the sun. It took time,
but finally the system established data-contact not with the station, however,
but with another ship, in a converging orbit. A message scrolled
across the bottom of Ganz s viewscreen:
 ALLIANCE WARSHIP TO ARRIVING VESSEL: PLEASE STATE NAME, REGISTRY,
ORBIT, AND
PURPOSE.
Startled, Ganz said to the Jeaves-copy,  Reply:  This is T. S.
Unity
, bringing relief Starmuse observer from Triune Science Committee. Request
clearance or escort &  
((
Willard, you ve remembered a great deal already. You must act in faith:
when you need the pieces, they will be there. The wheels are
turning, Willard; the wheels are turning
.))
He shivered at the image: a trillion little wheels spinning inside his
skull complex chain molecules folding and rotating and linking and
separating altering him and plotting and threatening to take whatever he
thought he knew and replace it with something else. But Dax was right; if he
didn t act in faith, they might as well leave right now.
 There s an approaching patrol ship asking for identification, sir, the
console said.
Ruskin looked up. They would soon be within rendezvous range of the station.
 Yes. Thank you. Tell them it s Willard Ruskin from Kantano s World.
Uh Associative Frontiers Institute.
Tell them that, too.
 Very good, sir. But they want to know the name and registry of the ship.
Name of the ship? Ruskin realized suddenly that he had never thought to name
the ship.
He d merely taken a registration number. How could he have been so forgetful?
A ship ought to have a name. He looked around; his friends were watching him
quietly, waiting for him to finish the communication.
 Willard, are you all there? Tamika asked finally.
He took a breath.  Yes. Well, all here or not, we need a name, don t we?
System, give our name as
A. S. Enigma
. And store that in permanent registry file. That s your name.
 Very good, sir, the system said. A moment later, it added,  We
are cleared and will proceed under escort to the station. Would you like me
to handle that part?
Ruskin blinked, mesmerized by the view of the sun, closer and more
massive-looking now than ever before. Glowing the color of lifeblood. Like
the blood that pulsed in his own heart and brain, teeming with life of
its own.  Yes, he said absently.  Yes, why don t you go ahead and do that?
The station was a reflecting silver sphere against the glowing
plasma of the solar photosphere. It was immersed in the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]