Grimes 042 The Gateway to Never by A. Bertram Chandler

Author:A. Bertram Chandler [Chandler, A. Bertram]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Sci-Fi Short
Published: 2010-03-07T20:34:58.296000+00:00

XXIII

"Looks like you've been having trouble, Commodore," commented Billinghurst to Grimes as the pair of them stood by the Devil's Stewpot watching what seemed to be the majority of Macedon's passengers wallowing in the murky, bubbling, steaming water. "Sabotage?"

"Accident," replied Grimes. "Sobraon was lifting off, and one of her stern vanes snagged one of Rim Malemute's mooring wires."

"Accident? You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I've handled ships for long enough, Mr. Billinghurst, to know that accidents do happen."

"All the same, Commodore, it's suspicious," stated Billinghurst.

"How so?" asked Grimes, just to be awkward.

"As I recollect it, the idea was that you were to run a survey of the planet, officially looking for sites for the naval base, and actually looking for places where dreamy weed might be brought in. I don't suppose that you've even started to do that."

"How right you are."

"Meanwhile, you're living in the lap of luxury, and the taxpayer is picking up the tab for your hotel bills."

"The taxpayer forked out for your fare in Macedon, and will be picking up the tab for your hotel bills."

"That's different."

"How so?"

"Because, Commodore, in matters of this kind I'm a trained investigator. You're not. You can't do anything unless you've a ship under you. When Rim Malemute was accidently knocked out of the picture you were knocked out of it too. I did expect some cooperation from you in the way of transport, but now I'll have to manage as best I can by myself. Don't worry; I've done it before."

"I'm not worrying," said Grimes. He looked with some distaste at an enormously fat, naked man waddling down to the hot pool like a Terran hippopotamus. He asked, "Why don't you try the stewpot, Mr. Billinghurst?

You could afford to lose some weight."

"Because I've more important things to do, that's why. I'm not here on holiday."

"Neither am I, unfortunately."

"So you say."

"So I say. But tell me, just how do you intend to go about things? I realize that I'm just an amateur in these matters, so I'd like to know how a real professional operates."

Billinghurst lapped up the flattery. He said, "In any sort of detective work the human element is, in the final analysis, far more important than all the fancy gadgetry in the laboratories. One informer-voluntary or involuntary-is worth ten scientists. I have chosen to accompany me young, keen officers who are not unattractive to the opposite sex. Sub-Inspector Pahvani you, of course, already know. That is Sub-Inspector Ling just coming out of this absurdly named hot pool."

"Certainly a tasty dollop of trollop," remarked Grimes as the golden-skinned, black-haired, naked girl passed them.

"She is a very fine and capable young woman," said Billinghurst stiffly.

"Anyhow, I have young Pahvani and three other men, Miss Ling and two other women. All of them are provided with ample spending money. All of them are to pass themselves off as members of well-to-do families on Thule-they'd have to be well-to-do to afford the fares that TG Clippers charge and a quite long holiday here-enjoying a vacation.

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