Charles Sheffield - The Spheres of Heaven

“It’s been a long time.”

“Nearly twenty years.”

“But you haven’t lost the touch, Dan. You’re still the best in the system, and it’s a pleasure to see you operate. Charm them, stroke them, scare them, soothe them, tempt them — and watch how they love you as they take the bait. Do you realize you told that lady that it was the Yang diamond you loaned her, and also that it was not the Yang diamond?”

“You’ve been spying on me.” It was a simple statement of fact, not an accusation.

“Yes. I assume that wasn’t a real diamond you showed her.”

“Then you would be totally wrong. It was a genuine, first-class, defect-free natural diamond. When Leonora has it tested, as she surely will, she will learn that I told her the truth — and be suitably overcome with remorse for her lack of trust in me. The stone was even from the Hyperion mines, all one-quarter carat of it. A man has his operating expenses. But Chan, why would you do a thing like spying on an old friend?”

“Because, as you say, it’s been close to twenty years. People change. If you seemed different, in ways that matter, I would have saved your time and mine. I would have gone away and never knocked on your door. But you reeled that one in so smooth, it looked like anyone could do it.”

“What do you mean, `reeled in’? Leonora Coslett is a business associate.”

“And I saw you giving her the business.”

“Not at all. I am truly fond of the lady. I have, let us say, aspirations.”

“If she proves to be wealthy enough.”

“Now that is an unfair accusation.” Danny waved a hand. A chair folded out of one wall and a table from the top of the desk, while a tray of flasks and glasses appeared from one of the cabinets. “However, if you are done casting aspersions on my honesty and reputation, take a seat. This isn’t just social, from the look of it, but we can have a drink while you talk the talk.”

“Provided your drink isn’t like the food at the Inn Paradise.”

“Better known locally as Ptomaine Central . You ate there? I could have warned you. It accounts for your surly countenance.” Danny filled two glasses. “This will make up for it. Genuine imported Santory single-malt scotch, aged thirty days, from the Hokkaido deep cellars. Burn the hair right off your ass. Cheers!”

After a long pause, Danny went on in a strangled voice, “But what are you doing out here? Last word I got through the grapevine, you were Lord High Muckymuck to the Duke of Bosny.”

“I was. Good job, but I had an offer I couldn’t refuse. That’s why I’m here.”

Chan described his meeting with the Stellar Group, the appearance of the new Link point in the Geyser Swirl, the lost Stellar Group ships, and the upcoming human expedition. Danny Casement watched with shrewd brown eyes and listened intently. He did not speak until Chan, giving details of the expedition, added, “a big, powerful ship, but with your typical crew: military people and scientists.”

Danny snorted. “And you thought, what will anybody get out of a dim bunch like that? Nothing. So why not give the old brigade, hand-picked and perfectly matched, a chance to do what we once planned? It’s been twenty years, but if we can find the team and get it together, we have it made. It’s even better than last time, because we don’t have to scrape around to pay for a ship and crew. The government will provide us with a ship and a bunch of goons and gofers, for free.”

“As usual, you’re ahead of me. How does it sound?”

“Interesting. Another shot at the universe, the whole candy-bag, that sounds fine. Of course, compared with this ” — Danny’s wide-flung arms encompassed and dismissed the whole of Mars, quietly fading into futility as the once-open road to the stars remained blocked—” anything tends to look better than this. So it’s tempting to close your eyes and risk your ass and hat. But I see a couple of big catches. First, your Stellar Group buddies say, no violence. That’s all right when you’re dealing with them, they don’t do violence. But anyone else you meet might not agree. What are we supposed to do if some nasty comes at us with a meat-axe? Smile and get chopped?”

“That’s probably what the earlier Stellar Group teams did. But they’ve made it very clear that they don’t intend to go with us on this one. What they don’t know about won’t hurt them.”

“Fine. They certainly won’t hear it from me. All right, second problem. I don’t see any fun in going all the way to this Geyser Swirl place, just to be wiped out when we arrive. And everybody who has been there so far, near as I can tell, got themselves knocked off. Why will we be any different?”

“For one thing, we’ll defend ourselves, which the Tinkers and Pipe-Rillas and Angels wouldn’t do. And as far as the human team goes, we’re smarter. From everything that I’ve been able to find out, the man who led the human team was a rich idiot who couldn’t find his ass with both hands.”

“But the aliens aren’t fools. And they’re cautious.”

“We will be cautious, too. And we will have new information. After the two ships disappeared with Tinkers, Pipe-Rillas, and Angels on board, the Angels did a survey — remotely, of course — of the whole Geyser Swirl. We will have that survey, every last image and data byte, so we’ll know exactly where every star and planet and gas cloud is and what the possible dangers are. But look, before we get into details like that, I have to know. Are you in or are you out?”

“You ask me that, after seeing what it’s like here?” Danny’s thin eyebrows rose high on his wrinkled forehead. “After the big Q, the quarantine, everything on Mars headed straight down the toilet. Of course I’m in. I’m so far in you’d not get me out with forceps and a bucket of cold water. But you’ll need more than just me.”

“Sure. We need the whole team, or as close to it as we can get. We don’t have much time, either — the Hero’s Return leaves in less than two weeks. I’ve already started looking, but what do you hear about the gang?”

“Old news, mostly. Let’s see.” Danny leaned back on the rickety chair, closed his lips tight and puffed air behind them so that he looked even more like a chimpanzee, and held up his left hand, fist closed. After a few moments he lifted the index finger and went on, “Number one: Chrissie Winger. She’s your best bet, even though it’s a long journey. I saw a publicity release about Chrissie less than a year ago. She has her own magic show, big success, touring the Oort and making ’em gasp.”

“One of us will have to make the trip out and talk her into coming. What else?”

“Number two: Tully O’Toole. I heard from him maybe five years back. He was on Europa doing God-knows-what. As much the dreamer and the wild man as ever, but Tully the Rhymer still picks up a new language as easy as I pick up a glass.”

“Or a woman.”

“I told you, Leonora Coslett is a business associate.”

“I won’t argue. Who else?”

“Well, there’s Deb Bisson.” Danny glanced uncertainly at Chan Dalton. “She’s on Europa, too, easy enough to find. If you’re willing to risk it. I mean, you and she …”

“We’ll be fine. She and I got over that a long time ago.” Chan grimaced. “I hope.”

“Still a weapons master, is she?”

“That’s not the sort of thing you advertise. But could you imagine a Deb who wasn’t?”

“I could not. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’ll not be the one who visits her to find out.”

“I know, I guess I’m stuck with it. All right, four and five. What do you hear about Tarbush and the Bun?”