Robert Heinlein - The Cat Who Walked Through Walls

Brevet Captain Richard Campbell, XO

Comet Gretchen Henderson, JO

Sergeant Ezra Davidson

Corporal Ted Bronson aka W. W. Smith aka Lazarus Long aka Lafayette Hubert, M.D.-additional duty, medical officer

Manuel Davis, civilian special field operative

Lazarus insisted on being called 'Ted Bronson" when he was designated a corporal for this task force. It's an insiders' joke, I think; I was not let in on it.

Comet Henderson had been back on duty several months after having her baby boy. She was slender-solid and tan and beautiful and the combat ribbons on her pretty chest looked at home there. Sergeant Ezra always did look like a soldier, once he had legs, and his ribbons showed it, too. A good team.

Why was I breveted to captain? I asked that question right after Hazel swore me into the Corps-got a silly or reasonable answer depending on your bias. Because (said Hazel) in every history book in which this was mentioned, I had been second in charge. The histories did not name others, but they did not say that we acted alone, so she decided on more fire power and picked her team. (She decided. She picked. Not Lazarus. Not some THQ brain trust. That suited me.)

Gay Deceiver was manned by its first team, too-Hilda, commanding; Deety, XO and astrogator; Zeb Carter, chief pilot;

Jake Burroughs, copilot/irrelevancy gear-and Gay herself, conscious, sentient, and able to pilot herself... not true of any other irrelevancy craft except Dora (who was too big for this job).

The skipper of the car, Hilda, was under the command of the strike force team leader. I would have expected a hitch here ... but Hilda had proposed it. "Hazel, it's got to be that way. Everybody must know who's boss. When it hits the fan, we can't stop to chat."

A good team. We had not trained together but we were professionals and our CO made everything so clear that we didn't need drill. "Attention to orders. The purpose of this force is to capture items selected by Davis, and to return them and Davis to Tertius. There is no other purpose. If we have no casualties, fine. But if all of us are killed while Davis and his selections reach Tertius, our task is accomplished.

"This is the plan. Hilda places us at the north wall, star-boardside to, on the tick, after THQ advises that warp is ready to activate. Leave car in this order: Lipschitz, Campbell, Hen-derson, Davidson, Bronson, Davis. Place yourselves fore and aft in the bathrooms to exit in that order.

"The computer room is square. Lipschitz to southeast corner, Henderson to southwest corner, Campbell to northwest comer, Davidson to northeast comer. Diagonal pairs cover all four walls, so two such pairs doubly cover all walls. Bronson is bodyguard to Davis, no fixed post.

"As Davis works, filled boxes will be placed in car. Henderson and Davidson will move items to car as directed by Davis, and assisted inside by Deety. Car commander and pilots will remain ready to scram and will assist only by passing items back. Bronson will not repeat not move baggage; his sole task is bodyguard to Davis.

"When Davis tells me task is finished, we return to the car with all speed, in reverse order-Davis, Bronson, Davidson, Henderson, Campbell, Lipschitz. Hilda, you will give order to scram anytime after Davis and the stuff he came for is aboard, depending on tactical situation. If there is trouble, don't wait for anyone. Use your judgment, but your judgment must tell you to save Mannie and his items no matter who gets left behind.

"Questions?"

How long have I been doping off? My Sonychron was an early casualty. The team Hazel picked was- No, I said that. I think I did.

What happened to Tree-San?

The time tick selected was right after Hazel left the computer room on Saturday July fifth. The group picking the tick reasoned that if they were laying for us to arrive at the Raffles, then that antagonist (Time Lords?) would not be looking for us in the computer room. No way to do it earlier than that;

Hazel had reported that "Adam Selene" was in the computer room when she was there.

We cut it mighty sharp, almost too sharp; when Hazel was getting out of Gay, she stopped suddenly with me right behind her-waited briefly, then moved out.

She paused because she saw her own back, leaving the room.

I must get word to Aunt Til that Hazel and I can't make it home for supper.

My head aches and my eyes bother me.

I don't know how Pixel got aboard Gay. How that baby does get around!

Jubal Harshaw says, "The only constant thing in these shifting, fairy-chess worlds is human love." That's enough.

Pixel moved a little. It's been nice to have both feet for a few days.

"Richar'?"

"Yes, beloved?"

"Gretchen's baby. You his fame'."

"Huh?"

"She tol' me, mon's ago."

"I don't understand."

"Par'dox."

I started to question her about it; she was asleep again. The compress I had placed on her wound was seeping. But I didn't have anything more, so I didn't touch it.

Won't see Aunt Belden this trip. Too bad.

What happened to my files? Still in my other foot?

Hey! Tomorrow is the day "we're all dead" ifTolliver isn't.

The first hour went by with no incident whatever. Mannie worked steadily, changed arms once, started filling boxes. Gretchen and Ezra carried them to the car, passed them in, resumed their posts between trips. Most of this seemed to be programs that Mannie was bleeding off into his own cubes, using equipment he had fetched. I could not see. Then he started filling boxes more quickly, loading them with cylinders. Adam Selene's memories? I don't know. Maybe I watched too much.

Mannie straightened up, said, "Does it! Done!" I heard an answering, "Blert!"

And they hit us.

I was down at once, lower leg gone. I saw Mannie fall. I heard Hazel shout, "Bronson! Get him aboard! Henderson, Davidson-those last two boxes!" I missed the next, as I was firing. The whole east wall was open; I traversed it with my heater at full power. Somebody else was firing, on our side, I think.

Then it was quiet.

"Rich'r'?"

"Yes, dearest."

"'S been fun."

"Yes. love! All of it."

"Rich'r'... that light, end tunnel."

"Yes?"

"I'll wait... there."

"Honey, you're going to outlive me!"

"Look for me. I'll-"

When that wall opened, I think I saw what's-his-namc. Could the bloke who erased him write him back into the story? To clip us? Who was writing our story? Was he going to let us live?

Anyone who would kill a baby kitten is cruel, mean cruel. Whoever you are, I hate you. I despise you!

I dragged myself awake, realized that I had fallen asleep on watch! I had to pull myself together, because they might be back. Or, Glory Be! Gay Deceiver will be back. I couldn't figure out why Gay wasn't back. Trouble spiking the right time tick? Could be anything. But they won't just leave us here.

We saved Mannie and the stuff he picked out. We won. damn you all!

Had to see what weapons, ammo, were left. I didn't have anything more. My beam gun was exhausted, I knew. But my side arm? Don't remember firing it. All gone. Must look around.

"Dear?"

"Yes, Hazel?" (She's going to ask me for water and I haven't got any!)

"I'm sony people were eating." "What's that?"

"I had to kill him, dearest; he was assigned to kill you."

I placed the little cat on Hazel. Maybe he moved, maybe not-maybe both of them were dead. I managed to pull myself up onto my foot, by holding on to a computer rack, then let myself down again. Despite long practice in hopping at one-sixth gee I found that I was neither strong enough nor did I have good balance-and I was separated from my cane, for the first time in years. It was, I thought, in Gay's forward bathroom.

So I crawled, careful of my right leg. It was beginning to hurt. I found no weapons with charges. At painful last, I was back with Gwen and Pixel. Neither stirred. I couldn't be sure.