Second Foundation 11. Stowaway

It was a little over a month before the summer could be give tongue to to confide on started. Started, that is, to the completion that Homir Munn had written his terminal financial report of the fiscal year, meetn to it that the substitute librarian supplied by the Govern ment was sufficiently aw atomic number 18 of the subtleties of the post fail years firearm had been so starr unsatisfactory and arranged to pass his little cruiser the Unimara named later on a tender and mysterious episode of twenty capacious time bypast weighn stunned of its winter cobwebbery.He odd Terminus in a sullen distemper. No one was at the port to see him off. That would not have been pictorial since no one ever had in the past. He knew very well that it was important to have this trip in no way different from any he had made in the past, yet he felt drenched in a unsung resentment. He, Homir Munn, was risking his neck in derring-doery of the most come forthrageous sort, and yet he unexpended alone.At least, so he thought.And it was becaexercising he thought wrongly, that the following day was one of confusion, both on the Unimara and in Dr. Dargonlls suburban crime syndicate.It hit Dr. D arells home first, in point of time, with the medium of Poli, the maid, whose months vacation was now quite a issue of the past. She flew down the stairs in a postpone and stutter.The good doctor met her and she tried vainly to put emotion into dustup simply ended by thrusting a sheet of piece of music and a cubical object at him.He besidesk them unwillingly and verbalize Whats wrong, Poli?Shes foregone, doctor.Whos gone?ArcadiaWhat do you mean, gone? Gone where? What are you talking almost?And she stamped her foot I dont cut. Shes gone, and in that respects a suitcase and some frock gone with her and in that respects that letter. Why dont you read it, instead of skillful standing thither? Oh, you menDr. Darell shrugged and opened the envelope. The letter was not long, and except for the angular signature, Arkady, was in the ornate and flowing handwriting of Arcadias transcriber.Dear FatherIt would have been simply too heartbreaking to say good-by to you in person. I might have cried like a little girl and you would have been ashamed of me. So Im writing a letter instead to read you how much III leave off you, still while Im having this perfectly wonderful summer vacation with Uncle Homir. III take good care of myself and it wont be long before Im home again. Meanwhile, Im leave you some foreshorteng thats each(a) my own. You can have it now.Your loving daughter,Arkady.He read it through several times with an expression that grew blanker each time. He said stiffly, pee you read this, Poli?Poli was instantly on the defensive. I certainly cant be infernal for that, doctor. The envelope has Poli written on the forbiddenside, and I had no way of grave there was a letter for you on the inside. Im no snoop, doctor, and in the years I ve been with-Darell held up a placating hand, Very well, Poli. Its not important. I right wanted to make sure you belowstood what had happened.He was considering rapidly. It was no use telling her to leave alone the matter. With regard to the enemy, for fuck off was a meaningless(prenominal) denomination and the advice, insofar as it made the matter more important, would have had an enemy effect.He said instead, Shes a queer little girl, you sack out. Very romantic. of all time since we arranged to have her go off on a property trip this summer, shes been quite excited.And just why has no one told me to the highest degree this space trip?It was arranged while you were international, and we forgot Its nothing more heterogeneous than that.Polis original emotions now concentrated themselves into a single, overwhelming indignation, Simple, is it? The poor birdie has gone off with one suitcase, with extinct a decent stitch of clothes to her, and alone at that. How long will s he be away? forthwith I wont have you worrying near it, Poli. There will be plenty of clothes for her on the ship. Its been all arranged. Will you tell Mr. Anthor, that I want to see him? Oh, and first is this the object that Arcadia has left for me? He turned it over in his hand.Poli tossed her head. Im sure I dont know. The letter was on authorize of it and thats every bit I can tell you. Forget to tell me, indeed. If her mother were alive-Darell, waved her away. Please call Mr. Anthor.***Anthors viewpoint on the matter differed radically from that of Arcadias father. He punctuated his initial remarks with clenched fists and tom hair, and from there, passed on to bitterness. swell place, what are you waiting for? What are we both waiting for? Get the spaceport on the spectator pump and have them contact the Unimara.Softly, Pelleas, shes my daughter.But its not your Galaxy.Now, wait. Shes an intelligent girl, Pelleas, and shes thought this thing out carefully. We had better f ollow her thoughts while this thing is fresh. Do you know what this thing is?No. Why should it matter what it is?Because its a sound-receiver.That thing?Its homemade, nevertheless it will work. Ive tested it. Dont you see? Its her way of telling us that shes been a party to our conversations of policy. She knows where Homir Munn is sledding away and why. Shes decided it would be exciting to go along.Oh, Great Space, groaned the younger man. Another question for the Second presentation to pick.Except that theres no reason why the Second Foundation should, a priori, suspect a fourteen-year-old girl of being a danger unless we do anything to attract upkeep to her, such as calling back a ship out of space for no reason other than to take her off. Do you forget with whom were breeding? How narrow the margin is that separates us from discovery? How helpless we are thereafter?But we cant have everything depend on an insane child.Shes not insane, and we have no choice. She need not h ave written the letter, but she did it to keep us from dismissal to the police after a helpless child. Her letter suggests that we convert the entire matter into a friendly disco biscuit on the part of Munn to take an old friends daughter off for a short vacation. And why not? Hes been my friend for nearly twenty years. Hes cognize her since she was three, when I brought her back from Trantor. Its a perfectIy lifelike thing, and, in fact, ought to decrease suspicion. A spy does not carry a fourteen-year-old niece rough with him.So. And what will Munn do when he finds her?Dr. Darell heaved his eyebrows once. I cant say but I presume shell dole out him.But the house was somehow very lonely at night and Dr. Darell found that the fate of the Galaxy made remarkably little variation while his daughters mad little life was in danger.The excitement on the Unimara, if involving fewer people, was considerably more intense.***In the luggage compartment, Arcadia found herself, in the first place, aided by experience, and in the second, hampered by the reverse.Thus, she met the initial speedup with equanimity and the more subtle nausea that accompanied the inside-outness of the first commence through hyperspace with stoicism. Both had been experienced on space hops before, and she was tense for them. She knew overly that luggage compartments were included in the ships ventilation-system and that they could even be bathed in wall-light. This last, however, she excluded as being too unconscionably unromantic. She remained in the dark, as a mapper should, breathing very softly, and listening to the little miscellany of noises that surrounded Homir Munn.They were unnoticeable noises, the kind made by a man alone. The shuffling of shoes, the uprise of fabric against admixture, the soughing of an upholstered chair seat re speaking under weight, the sharp riff of a control unit, or the soft slap of a ornamentation over a photoelectric cell.Yet, eventually, it w as the lack of experience that caught up with Arcadia. In the book films and on the videos, the stowaway seemed to have such an infinite capacity for obscurity. Of course, there was always the danger of dislodging something which would fall with a crash, or of sneezing in videos you were almost sure to sneeze it was an accepted matter. She knew all this, and was careful. There was also the realization that thirst and hunger might be encountered. For this, she was prepared with circumscribe cans out of the pantry. But yet things remained that the films never mentioned, and it dawned upon Arcadia with a shock that, despite the best intentions in the world, she could stay hidden in the closet for save a limited time.And on a one-man sports-cruiser, such as the Unimara, living space consisted, essentially, of a single room, so that there wasnt even the risky possibility of sneaking out of the compartment while Munn was engaged elsewhere.She waited madly for the sounds of sleep to a rise. If still she knew whether he snored. At least she knew where the bunk was and she could jazz the rolling protest of one when she heard it. There was a long breath and then a yawn. She waited through a gathering silence, punctuated by the bunks soft protest against a changed position or a shifted leg.The brink of the luggage compartment opened easily at the pressure of her finger, and her craning neck-There was a definite human sound that broke off sharply.Arcadia solidified. Silence clam up silenceShe tried to poke her eyes outside the door without contemptible her head and failed. The head followed the eyes.Homir Munn was awake, of course reading in hit the sack, bathed in the soft, unspreading bed light, staring into the darkness with wide eyes, and groping one hand stealthily under the pillow.Arcadias head moved sharply back of itself. Then, the light went out but and Munns voice said with shaky sharpness, Ive got a blaster, and Im shooting, by the Galaxy-And Arcadi a wailed, Its only me. Dont shoot.Remarkable what a fragile flower romance is. A ordnance with a nervous operator behind it can spoil the unit of measurement thing.The light was back on all over the ship and Munn was faculty member session up in bed. The somewhat grizzled hair on his thin chest and the sparse one-day growth on his chin lent him an entirely fallacious appearance of disreputability.Arcadia stepped out, yanking at her metallene jacket which was supposed to be guaranteed wrinkleproof. later on a wild moment in which he almost jumped out of bed, but remembered, and instead yanked the sheet up to his shoulders, Munn gargled, W wha what-He was all told incomprehensible.Arcadia said meekly, Would you excuse me for a minute? Ive got to wash my hands. She knew the geography of the vessel, and slipped away quickly. When she returned, with her courage oozing back, Homir Munn was standing before her with a faded bathrobe on the outside and a brilliant fury on the inside.W hat the black holes of Space are you d doing aboard this ship? H how did you get on here? What do you th think Im supposed to do with you? Whats going on here?He might have asked questions indefinitely, but Arcadia interrupt sweetly, I just wanted to come along, Uncle Homir.Why? Im not going anywhere?Youre going to Kalgan for information slightly the Second Foundation.And Munn let out a wild howl and collapsed tout ensemble. For one horrified moment, Arcadia thought he would have hysterics or beat his head against the wall. He was still belongings the blaster and her stomach grew ice-cold as she watched it.Watch out ascertain it easy - was all she could think of to say.But he struggled back to congeneric normality and threw the blaster on to the bunk with a force that should have set it off and blown a hole through the ships hull.How did you get on? he asked slowly, as though gripping each raillery with his teeth very carefully to prevent it from trembling before permit it out.It was easy. I just came into the hangar with my suitcase, and said, Mr. Munns baggage and the man in take down just waved his thumb without even looking up.Ill have to take you back, you know, said Homir, and there was a sudden wild glee within him at the thought. By Space, this wasnt his fault.You cant, said Arcadia, calmly, it would attract attention.What?You know. The whole purpose of your going to Kalgan was because it was natural for you to go and ask for permission to look into the Mules records. And youve got to be so natural that youre to attract no attention at all. If you go back with a girl stowaway, it might even get into the tele-news reports.Where did you g get those notions about Kalgan? These uh childish- He was far too flippant for conviction, of course, even to one who knew less than did Arcadia.I heard, she couldnt avoid pride completely, with a sound-recorder. I know all about it so youve got to let me come along.What about your father? He played a quick t rump. For all he knows, youre kidnapped dead.I left a note, she said, overtrumping, and he probably knows he mustnt make a fuss, or anything. Youll probably get a space-gram from him.To Munn the only explanation was sorcery, because the receiving signal sounded wildly two seconds after she undone.She said Thats my father, I bet, and it was.The message wasnt long and it was address to Arcadia. It said Thank you for your lovely present, which Im sure you put to good use. arrive a good time.You see, she said, thats instructions.Homir grew used to her. After a while, he was rejoicing she was there. Eventually, he wondered how he would have made it without her. She prattIed She was excited Most of all, she was completely unconcerned. She knew the Second Foundation was the enemy, yet it didnt bother her. She knew that on Kalgan, he was to deal with a hostile officialdom, but she could hardly wait.Maybe it came of being fourteen.At any rate, the week-long trip now meant conversation or else than introspection. To be sure, it wasnt a very enlightening conversation, since it concerned, almost entirely, the girls notions on the subject of how best to treat the Lord of Kalgan. Amusing and nonsensical, and yet delivered with weighty deliberation.Homir found himself actually resourceful of smiling as he listened and wondered out of just which gem of historical fiction she got her twisted notion of the great universe.It was the evening before the last jump. Kalgan was a bright star in the scarcely-twinkling emptiness of the outer reaches of the Galaxy. The ships mash made it a sparkling blob of barely-perceptible diameter.Arcadia sat cross-legged in the good chair. She was wearing a pair of slacks and a none-too-roomy fit out that belonged to Homir. Her own more feminine wardrobe had been washed and ironed for the landing.She said, Im going to write historical novels, you know. She was quite happy about the trip. Uncle Homir didnt the least mind listening to her and it made conversation so much more beautiful when you could talk to a really intelligent person who was serious about what you said.She continued Ive read books and books about all the great men of Foundation history. You know, like Seldon, Hardin, Mallow, Devers and all the rest. Ive even read most of what youve written about the Mule, except that it isnt much fun to read those parts where the Foundation loses. Wouldnt you rather read a history where they skipped the silly, tragic parts?Yes, I would, Munn advised her, gravely. But it wouldnt be a fair history, would it, Arkady? Youd never get academic respect, unless you give the whole story.Oh, poof. Who cares about academic respect? She found him delightful. He hadnt missed calling her Arkady for days. My novels are going to be interesting and are going to sell and be famous. Whats the use of writing books unless you sell them and create well-known? I dont want just some old professors to know me. Its got to be everybody.Her e yes darkened with pleasure at the thought and she wriggled into a more comfortable position. In fact, as soon as I can get father to let me, Im going to visit Trantor, sos I can get background material on the First Empire, you know. I was born on Trantor did you know that?He did, but he said, You were? and put just the right amount of amazement into his voice. He was rewarded with something between a beam and a simper.Uh-huh. My grandmother you know, Bayta Darell, youve heard of her was on Trantor once with my grandfather. In fact, thats where they stopped the Mule, when all the Galaxy was at his feet and my father and mother went there also when they were first married. I was born there. I even lived there till mother died, only I was just three then, and I dont remember much about it. Were you ever on Trantor, Uncle Homir?No, cant say I was. He leaned back against the cold bulkhead and listened idly. Kalgan was very close, and he felt his qualm flooding back.Isnt it just the most romantic world? My father says that under Stannel V, it had more people than any ten worlds nowadays. He says it was just one big world of metals one big city that was the capital of all the Galaxy. Hes shown me pictures that he took on Trantor. Its all in ruins now, but its still stupendous. Id just love to see it again. In fact HomirYes?Why dont we go there, when were finished with Kalgan?Some of the fright hurtled back into his face. What? Now dont start on that. This is business, not pleasure. Remember that.But it is business she squeaked. There might be undreamt amounts of information on Trantor, dont you think so?No, I dont.*** He go to his feet Now untangle yourself from the computer. Weve got to make the last jump, and then you turn in. hotshot good thing about landing, anyway he was about feed up with trying to sleep on an overcoat on the metal floor.The calculations were not difficult. The Space Route Handbook was quite explicit on the Foundation-Kalgan route. There was the momentary twitch of the timeless passage through hyperspace and the final light-year dropped away.The sun of Kalgan was a sun now large, bright, and yellow-white invisible behind the portholes that had automatically closed on the sun-lit side.Kalgan was only a nights sleep away.