Ultima Thule
Page 15
planets. Whatever we thinkof some of the things Paine does, our task is to get him."
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Ronny Bronston pushed the door open and went through. Tog Lee Chang Chuwas sitting at a desk, nonchalant and petitely beautiful as usual,comfortably seated in easy-chairs were two young men by their attireprobably citizens of United Planets and possibly even Earthlings.
"Hello, Ronny," Tog said softly. "Meet Frederic Lippman and Pedro Nazare,both Section G operatives. This is my colleague, Ronald Bronston,gentlemen. Fredric and Pedro were just leaving, Ronny."
The two agents got up to shake hands.
Ronny said, "You can't be in that much of a hurry. What's your assignment,boys?"
Lippman, an earnest type, and by his appearance not more than twenty-fiveor so years of age, began to answer, but Nazare said hurriedly, "Actually,it's a confidential assignment. We're working directly out of theOctagon."
Lippman said, frowning, "It's not that confidential, Tog. Bronston's anagent, too. What's your assignment, Ronny?"
Ronny said very slowly, "I'm beginning to suspect that it's the same asyours and various pieces are beginning to fall into place."
Lippman was taken aback. "You mean you're looking for Tommy Paine?" Hiseyes went to his associate. "How could that be, Tog? I didn't know morethan one of us were on this job. Why, that means if Bronston here findshim first, I won't get my permanent appointment."
Ronny looked at Tog Lee Chang Chu who was sitting demurely, hands in lap,and a resigned expression on her face. He said, "Nor if you find himfirst, will I. Look here, Tog, how many men does Sid Jakes have out onthis assignment?"
"I wouldn't know," she said mildly.
He snapped, "A few dozen or so? Or possibly a few hundred?"
"It seems unlikely there could be that many," she said mildly. She lookedat the other two agents. "I think you two had better run along. Take mysuggestion I made earlier."
"Wait a minute," Ronny snapped. "You mean that they go to Catalina? That'sridiculous."
Tog Lee Chang Chu looked at Pedro Nazare and he turned and started for thedoor followed by Fredric Lippman who was still scowling his puzzlement.
"Wait a minute!" Ronny snapped. "I tell you it's ridiculous. And whyfollow her suggestions? She's just my assistant."
Pedro Nazare said, "Come on, Fred, let's get going, we'll have to pack."But Lippman wasn't having any.
"His assistant?" he said to Tog Lee Chang Chu.
Tog Lee Chang Chu's face changed expression in sudden decision. She openedher bag and brought forth a Section G identification wallet and flicked itopen. The badge was gold. "I suggest you hurry," she said to the twoagents.
They left, and Tog turned back to Ronny, her eyebrows raisedquestioningly.
Ronny sank down into one of the chairs recently occupied by the other twoagents and tried to unravel thoughts. He said finally, "I suppose myquestion should be, why do Ross Metaxa and Sid Jakes send an agent ofsupervisor rank to act as assistant to a probationary agent? But that'snot what I'm asking yet. First, Lippman just called his buddy Tog. Howcome?"
Tog took her seat again, rueful resignation on her face. "You should befiguring it out on your own by this time, Ronny."
He looked at her belligerently. "I'm too stupid, eh?" The anger wasgrowing within him.
"Tog," she said. "It's a nickname, or possibly you might call it a title.Tog. T-O-G. The Other Guy. My name is Lee Chang Chu, and I'm of supervisorgrade presently working at developing new Section G operatives.Considering the continuing rapid growth of UP, and the continuing crisesthat come up in UP activities, developing new operatives is one of thedepartment's most pressing jobs. Each new agent, on his first assignment,is always paired with an experienced old-timer."
"I see," he said flatly. "Your principal job being to needle the fledging,eh?"
She lowered her eyes. "I wouldn't exactly word it that way," she said. Shewas obviously unrepentant.
He said, "You must get a lot of laughs out of it. If I say, it seems to medemocracy is a good thing, you give me an argument about the superiorityof rule by an elite. If I say anarchism is ridiculous, you dredge up anopinion that it's man's highest ethic. You must laugh yourself to sleep atnights. You and Metaxa and Jakes and every other agent in Section G.Everybody is in on the Tog gag but the sucker."
"Sometimes there are amusing elements to the work," Lee Chang conceded,demurely.
"Just one more thing I'd like to ask," Ronny rapped. "This firstassignment, agents are given. Is it always to look for Tommy Paine?"
She looked up at him, said nothing, but her eyes were questioning.
"Don't worry," he snapped. "I've already found out who Paine is."
"Ah?" She was suddenly interested. "Then I'm glad I ordered that otherprobationary agent to leave. Evidently, he hasn't. Obviously, I didn'twant the two of you comparing notes."
"No, that would never do," he said bitterly. "Well, this is the end of theassignment so far as you and I are concerned. I'm heading back for Earth."
"Of course," she said.
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He had time on the way to think it all over, and over and over again, anda great deal of it simply didn't make sense. He had enough information tobe disillusioned, sick at heart. To have crumbled an idealistic edificethat had taken a lifetime to build. A lifetime? At least three. His fatherand his grandfather before him had had the dream. He'd been weaned on theidealistic purposes of the United Planets and man's fated growth into thestars.
He was a third-generation dreamer of participating in the glory. Hisgrandfather had been a citizen of Earth and gave up a commercial positionto take a job that amounted to little more than a janitor in an obscuredepartment of Interplanetary Financial Clearing. He wanted to get into thebig job, into space, but never made it. Ronny's father managed to work upto the point where he was a supervisor in Interplanetary Medical Exchange,in the tabulating department. He, too, had wanted into space, and nevermade it. Ronny had loved them both. In a way fulfilling his own dreams hadbeen a debt he owed them, because at the same time he was fulfillingtheirs.
And now this. All that had been gold, was suddenly gilted lead. The dreamhad become contemptuous nightmare.
Finally back in Greater Washington, he went immediately from theshuttleport to the Octagon. His Bureau of Investigation badge was enoughto see him through the guide-guards and all the way through to the officeof Irene Kasansky.
She looked up at him quickly. "Hi," she said. "Ronny Bronston, isn't it?"
"That's right. I want to see Commissioner Metaxa."
She scowled. "I can't work you in now. How about Sid Jakes?"
He said, "Jakes is in charge of the Tommy Paine routine, isn't he?"
She shot a sharper look up at him. "That's right," she said warily.
"All right," Ronny said. "I'll see Jakes."
Her deft right hand slipped open a drawer in her desk. "You'd better leaveyour gun here," she said. "I've known probationary agents to get excited,in my time."
He looked at her.
And she looked back, her gaze level.
Ronny Bronston shrugged, slipped the Model H from under his armpit andtossed it into the drawer.
Irene Kasansky went back to her work. "You know the way," she said.
This time Ronny Bronston pushed open the door to Sid Jakes' office withoutknocking. The Section G supervisor was poring over reports on his desk. Helooked up and grinned his Sid Jakes' grin.
"Ronny!" he said. "Welcome back. You know, you're one of the quickest menever to return from a Tommy Paine assignment. I was talking to Lee Changonly a day or so ago. She said you were on your way."
Ronny grunted, his anger growing within him. He lowered himself into oneof the room's heavy chairs, and glared at the other.
Sid Jakes chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "Before we go anyfurther, just to check, who is Tommy Paine?"
Ronny snapped, "Y
ou are."
The supervisor's eyebrows went up.
Ronny said, "You and Ross Metaxa and Lee Chang Chu--and all the rest ofSection G. Section G is Tommy Paine."
"Good man!" Sid Jakes chortled. He flicked a switch on his order box."Irene," he said, "how about clearing me through to the commissioner? Iwant to take Ronny in for his finals."
Irene snapped back something and Sid Jakes switched off and turned toRonny happily.