“My wife is out there.” She had to be. The alternative was unbearable.
“I’d better get the Commander.”
I lay back, weary and aching.
The Precinct Commander hurried in. “Thank heaven you’re well.” He held out his hand in a politician’s handshake. “Stay with us until morning if you like, or we can escort you out now. What would you like?”
“Find my wife.”
“We’ll try. As you know, this isn’t the Garden of Eden.” He waited a moment. “As for tonight ...?”
I sighed. Until I knew Annie’s fate I would have no peace, but I couldn’t find her trail. The transpops wouldn’t help; they banded together against all outsiders.
There was nothing I could do for her; I saw that now. And my cadets awaited. When all was said and done, I had duty.
Hon, I loved you. I’m sorry I was so weak.
I’d hoped Annie’s picture, her shy smile, might pierce their sullen hostility. But she was nothing to them, or to the police. No one cherished her but I.
I and—
I looked up, lips dry. “Take me to the Midtown Sheraton.”
The Precinct Commander turned to De Broek. “Call up a heli. Drop him at his hotel.”
I got to my feet, carefully. “My duffel’s still at the clinic. We’ll stop to get it.”
We landed inside the clinic fence. De Broek jumped out to fetch my gear.
A figure ran toward us from the gate. “Is that you, sir?” Adam Tenere swung up on the step, hair disheveled. “Thank Lord God! I didn’t know what to do, I called Mr. Tolliver and—” He ground to a halt, saluted. “Midshipman Tenere reporting!”
His eyes widened as he took in my bloody shirt, my bandaged hand. “Sir, are you—I know you told me to stay at the hotel but I was so ...
I snarled, “Finish a bloody sentence!”
“I was so worried for you,” he said in a small voice.
I looked away, cleared my throat. “Forgive me. it’s been a ... trying night.”
De Broek loped back to the heli, my duffel slung over his shoulder. Adam gave way.
De Broek climbed in. “Is this joey coming along?”
“It seems so.” I slid over. “Let’s go.”
While we flew over the darkened city, I let Adam help me change into a clean shirt. Nonetheless, my appearance tested the urbanity of the jaded skytel clerks. Jacketless, bandaged, I limped through the penthouse lobby. Well, it couldn’t be helped. I settled into my tub for a long soak.
With fresh gauze on my abrasions I emerged feeling almost myself, though desperately tired. “Hand me the caller, Adam.” I eased myself into a chair.
I waited for my connection. “This is Captain Seafort. Get Admiral Duhaney, flank.”
“Captain Helgar has the watch, sir. The Admiral’s in his apartment, asleep.”
“Wake him.”
I wasn’t sure if the gasp came from Adam or the lieutenant.
“I can’t, except for impending fleet action. I’ll give you Captain Helgar.”
Helgar was senior to me and would bottle my call until morning. Precious hours wasted. I snarled, “I said Duhaney, not Helgar! Get him on the line or I’ll have your job, if not your skin! NOW!”
The line clicked. I gripped the caller, wondering if I’d just thrown away what was left of my career. Duhaney had reason enough to cashier me even without this latest provocation. Restlessly, I tapped the chair arm.
Half a minute. Then, “Duhaney.” His voice was groggy.
“Nick Seafort.”
“I know. Lieutenant Sprey nearly wet his pants. This had better be important.”
I blurted, “Sir, I’m in trouble and need help.”
His tone changed immediately. “What is it, Seafort?”
“My wife.” Quickly I explained about Annie. “I walked off my job without authorization, to try to find her. Lieutenant Tolliver’s covering the base.”
“What can we do to help?”
“First, authorize my absence. I’m AWOL, and I don’t want it in the holos. I can’t expect my cadets to toe the line if I don’t.”
“Done. Christ, Seafort, she’s your wife. Of course you went after her.” He paused for thought. “Why not tell the holozines?
With her picture on the public news screens, someone might spot her.”
“Sir, it’s worse out there than you think. A newsflash would set off a manhunt. Someone might hold her for ransom, or kill her.” If she weren’t already dead.
“Very well, it’s your choice. What else?”
“I need help finding her. I have someone in mind, but staff transfers are frozen. Will you—”
“Anyone you want. Tell BuPers.”
I gulped. “Sir, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Stroke Senator Boland, once in a while. Is that too much, Captain?”
A silence. “I’m sorry, sir.”
He snorted. “Whatever you did, he hasn’t mentioned his son again. You pulled a fast one, I’m sure of it. Someday I’ll find out how.”
“I’ll tell you now, if you ask.”
A chuckle. “No, I’m sure you followed orders, in your own style. I prefer not to know the details. Can I go back to sleep now, Nick?”
“Yes, sir, of course.”
His voice softened. “About your wife, you have my best wishes. And my prayers.”
“Thank you, sir.” I forced out the words.
“Good ni—”
“Admiral!”
His tone was startled. “Yes?”
I gripped the caller, took a long breath. “Something you should know, before you leave me in charge of Academy.” Sergeant Darwin T. Swopes stood in the aisle, his eyes somber. I raised my eyes to his.
“Get on with it.”
I said, “Captain Higbee, in BuPers. I didn’t like the replacement he chose for Lieutenant Sleak, so I told him I had influence, that I would destroy him if he didn’t cooperate.” I held the caller to my cheek, waited for the explosion.
He sighed. “They trained you too well, Nick Seafort.”
“I don’t understand, sir.”
He hesitated, as if groping for words. “Try to see it as two Navies, son. The one they told you about, the Navy you’re in. It protects the star lanes and mobilizes its resources to fight fish. The other one, that I’m a part of, fights for appropriations and commissions new warships. What they told you about honor, and truth, and integrity, that’s valid for your Navy. It’s never applied to mine. We’re political, lad. Always have been, always will be. We admit Senators’ sons, keep the bureaucrats content, requisition the supplies and arm the warships so you and your heroes can do the fighting.”
“Sir, I—”
“Let me finish. That’s the way it is in Washington, in London, in the corridors of the U.N. If you want equipment, you fight for it, or pay what has to be paid. If you want someone on staff, you pull him in with whatever it takes. Higbee complained to me three days ago. I told him to stay out of my hair. I figured if you had the balls to browbeat him, you’d get your staff. If you didn’t, you shouldn’t have been put in charge of Academy in the first place.”
The silence stretched. He added, “Nick, you don’t need to join my Navy, I just want you to know about it. Do what you have to, and don’t punish yourself with guilt. It’s how the system works.”
“Aye aye, sir.” It was all I could say.
“Good night.” He rang off.
“Satisfactory, Cadet.”
My head snapped up. “What, Sarge?”
Adam gaped. “I didn’t say anything, sir.”
“Not you. Mr.—” I bit off the rest. I’d made fool enough of myself for one day. “Adam, before you go to bed, call Naval Liaison. I want a groundcar and a heli standing by. And another jacket; I only brought one. Have them see to it.”
“Aye aye, sir. It’s four in the morning, sir, I don’t know if they’ll—”
“Someone will answer. The Navy never sleeps.”
Alone, I undressed, lay on the bed, turned down the lights, dreading my next task. After a moment I took the caller once more, rang through to Admiralty. “BuPers, please.” I waited while the connection was made. My heart beat faster.
“BuPers. Lieutenant Dervis, duty officer.”
My voice rang with confidence. “This is Captain Nicholas E. Seafort, calling at the order of Fleet Admiral Duhaney. Triple A Priority, Immediate Action. I need a man transferred groundside from U.N.S. Waterloo; she’s in home system. Start a shuttle out to him within the hour. I want him at Von Walthers by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Who’s your man?”
My heart was pounding. Through unwilling lips I said, “His name is Eddie Boss. Seaman first class.”
Chapter 14
I STIRRED RESTLESSLY IN the shuttleport caller booth. “I know what I’m doing, Edgar.”
“He has no reason to trust you, sir, or want to help.”
“I’ll handle it. Meanwhile, you’re in charge. I’ve got the Admiral’s stamp on that.”
“No matter to me, sir. I already had your okay.”
Tolliver was right. Acting under orders, he was relieved of responsibility.
“The special cadets. Arnweil, Kyle Drew, and Stritz.”
“Yes, sir?”
“You may be aware ... I sighed. No reason not to admit it, especially to Tolliver. “I have no idea what to do with them.”
“I’ll keep them busy running errands, but the plan was for them to be with you.”
“Not where I’m going.”
“You’re due at the Wellington ceremonies next week. Why not take them along? Give them something to look forward to.”
“Are you out of your mind? Raw cadets with the Navy brass, at a commissioning?”
“Why not?”
“Because ... because—”
“You said that.”
“I’ll think about it.” A woman approached the booth, stared meaningfully at the caller. I waved her away.
“Yes, sir. Pity I can’t tell them now, so they’ll know they’re not just your errand boys.”
All cadets are errand boys.” I paused. “Very well, tell them.”
“As you wish, sir. I trust you’ll go armed this time?”
“Yes.” With a pistol, perhaps. No more. The object was to seek help, not fight a war with the transpops. “Is your report done?”
“I’m waiting for an answer from United Suit and Tank.”
“Has Jeff Thorne come down?”
“Due this afternoon. I’m sending a middy to meet him in London.”
“Very well. Give him my best. I’ll see him when—when this is over.”
“Godspeed, sir.” We rang off.
I replaced the caller, limped to the counter. Adam jumped up from his seat to join me.
“Gate twelve is this way, sir.”
“I can read,” I growled.
“Yes, sir. If your foot’s bothering you I can fetch him.”
“I’m no invalid.” Everyone had treated me as one, from the moment I’d taken command. Sending Adam to meet me at Earthport Station, as if I couldn’t find my own way. He’d nearly made me an invalid himself.
I limped another few steps, past an empty waiting area. I sighed. “Very well, I’ll wait here. You’ll have no trouble recognizing him. He’s no taller than you, but twice your bulk. If you have any doubt, just call out his name.” I took a seat in the passenger lounge.
“Aye aye, sir. Shall I get you a holozine?”
“Go!” I didn’t need a blanket or a pillow, either. Certainly not a bloody nursemaid.
I brooded. In a few minutes I’d have to look again on Eddie Boss. The young seaman’s sneering face rose before my eyes. Arms that could snap a spine. His scornful gap-toothed smile. His—
I sighed again. Eddie had done wrong, but he was no monster. Plucked from the streets of Lower New York as part of an ill-advised transpop resettlement project, he’d been abandoned on Challenger with Annie and me. If I closed my eyes I could recall his huge hand reaching out to touch mine with awe, after I’d sworn to teach him to read.
I conjured Eddie at my polished conference table, laboring to form the difficult words. And I thought of how, moments after he’d taken the oath as a seaman, he’d slammed Chris Dakko to the deck when the Uppie lad had refused his own oath. I could see him—
Enough. I wanted to see him no more.
—in Challenger’s mess, hesitant, squirming with embarrassment. Would I teach him Uppie speech, Uppie manners, so he wouldn’t have to die a scorned trannie?
We’d worked for weeks. Slowly, he’d mastered civilized diction, struggled to refine his unsophisticated ways. At last, he succeeded.
And then he’d brought me Annie, to do the same for her.
“Midshipman Tenere reporting, sir.”
I wrenched myself back to the shuttleport lounge. “Very well, Mr. Ten—”
The sailor came to attention, his seaman’s whites stiff and starched. His face was expressionless. “Seaman Boss reporting, sir.”
“As you were, both of you.” The midshipman relaxed; Eddie Boss did not.
“The shuttle was early, sir. It came in at—”
“Be silent, Middy. Hello, Mr. Boss.”
The muscular young sailor grunted. He maintained eyes front.
I temporized. “Mr. Boss, did they tell you why you were brought down?”
“No.” The response required a “sir,” but I wouldn’t make an issue of it.
“I asked for you. I need help.”
His face twisted. “Do I have a choice, Captain?”
Good question. I could order him to comply, but what use would his enforced assistance be? Anyway, could I order him to risk his life on my private errand? “Yes, you have a choice.”
“I choose no.”
Adam stirred indignantly. “You’re talking to a Captain!”
“I know who he be.” Eddie’s tone was surly.
The middy bristled. “Mind your manners, sailor! This is—”
“Mr. Tenere, leave us.” I knew the boy was only trying to do his job. It was a junior officer’s responsibility to keep discipline among the ranks.
“Aye aye, sir.” With a look of reproach the middy retreated beyond earshot.
“Mr. Boss—” I stopped, tasting bile. Whatever it took, I would do. “Annie is gone, Eddie. She walked out of a hospital. If she’s still alive, she’s on the streets. We have to find her.”
“I don’t. You do.”
I said softly, “Doesn’t she mean anything to you?”
“Annie Wells? The trannie bitch who married some Uppie Cap’n? She don’ mean nothin’ ta me!”
“Eddie!”
“She don’t. You neid—neither.”
My knees were unsteady. I sat abruptly. “Eddie, I can’t do it without you. Look what happened when I tried.” I raised a bandaged hand to the bruises on my face.
His grin was malicious. “I see it, I feel zarky.”
I took a deep breath. “Is it ... Is this about Centraltown? My sending you away?”
“Nah, you think ol’ Eddie care ’bout dat? ’Bout bein’ put on some big ship, headin’ God Hisself know where, away from alla res’, away from her?” He waved it away. “With a file says, take this joe outa system, his Cap’n don’ like him, so I get to mop frazzin decks alla way home?” He reverted to a parody of his most polished diction. “Think that matters to me, Captain Seafort, sir?” His face was dark.
“Eddie, when I found you with her, I was beside myself.” I stared through the window at the baggage carts. “I didn’t understand.” I forced myself to face him. “But now I do. It wasn’t the same, for you. You knew her long before I did. Trannie—trans-pop culture isn’t like mine. Sex is more casual, more for fun. What I saw as betrayal, you saw as—as—”
“It weren’t nothin’,” he whispered. “Not a damn thing, Cap’n. We be tribe, man. Tribe doin’ it allatime! Boys and girls, boys and boy
s, girls an—it don’ matter none, in tribe!”
“Eddie, help me.”
His faced hardened. “Nah. I ain’ goin’ trannie no mo’.”
“I’ll beg, if I must. Please.”
His mouth lit with a cruel smile. “Yeah, I like dat. Beg ol’ Eddie, see what he do.”
Annie, even this, I love you so. I slipped out of the chair, dropped to my knees, oblivious of the passing throng. My eyes bored into his. “Eddie, I beg you. Help me find—”
He yanked me to my feet. “Don’ do dat, Cap’n! Not for no man!” His eyes glistened. “Don’ crawl fo’ ol’ Eddie. Never!”
“Help me,” I whispered.
He turned aside, slammed his fist into the bulkhead. It shivered. “God, I wanted ta hate you!” he cried. “Allatime in dat ship, see yo’ face, smash it, but allatime it come back, allatime lookin’ at me, like when I ask you learn me read. Those eyes, sad, but somethin’ else, like you look at Annie, later. God damn, I wanta hate you!” His voice sank. Almost inaudibly, “I couldn’.”
“Oh, Eddie.”
For a moment his shoulders slumped. Then he straightened, spun around. “Not fo’ you! Fo’ her, ’cause she tribe! You unnerstan’?”
My heart leaped. “Whatever you say.”
He nodded. “Fo’ her.” He picked up his duffel, and we started for the corridor. Eddie’s fingers closed around my arm. “Fo’ her, mos’ly. Jus’ a little fo’ you.”
He couldn’t touch the Captain. If the young middy loping our way saw it, he could execute Eddie on the spot. Still, I smiled, gently pressed Eddie’s hand. “A little is enough.”
Eddie hoisted his bulk out of the heli. I followed to the clinic gate. “She walked out with some visitors, and disappeared.”
The sailor squinted at the squatter shacks, but said nothing.
“If we stay here at night, go out each morning—”
Eddie shook his head. “Nan. We don’ look here.”
“But this is—”
“She be here, she dead.” He spoke with authority.
“How can you know?”
“Mira!” His wave encompassed the stadium, the foul streets, the ragged children. “Them be Bronks. Crypsnbloods. Can’t you tell? Bronks get her, she gone. Don’ bother lookin’ no more.”
“She’s dead?” My tone was bleak.
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