Джеффри Лорд: The Lords Of The Crimson River

«I agree,» he said. «Blackmailing you never entered my mind. I admit that our man was overzealous-«

«Overzealous!» exploded Leighton. His eyebrows and hair were bristling as if they were charged with electricity.

«That damned young puppy has made it impossible for me to trust-«

«What is all the fuss about, sir?» asked Blade. He hoped this pretense of innocence would fool Leighton, and perhaps diffuse the volatile situation.

Leighton sighed. «I suppose I'd better go back and tell Richard exactly what's happened. I imagine you've already given him your version, J. Now it's my turn. With your permission?» he added sarcastically.

J nodded. «Be my guest.»

Before long, Blade was so interested in Leighton's ideas about the computer's electrical field that he was forgetting to be angry over the scientist's bad manners to J. No doubt about it-Leighton had conceived a brilliant theory. If it worked out in practice, it might be the biggest breakthrough in the history of the Project.

Would it work out in practice, though? Or would it become another KALI computer? They couldn't be sure without a full-scale test, and J was apparently in no mood to permit that. He thought Leighton was trying to sneak a major change in the Project past him. Leighton thought J was trying to take over the scientific part of the Project.

There was enough right on both sides to make it hard for Blade to choose between them. If both men hadn't lost their tempers, they'd probably have already seen this for themselves. The damage was done, however. Now it was up to Blade to repair it.

For a moment he was tempted to tell Leighton about the Prime Minister's order to J. If the scientist knew J wasn't entirely his own master in this affair, he might calm down. Unfortunately, this wasn't Blade's secret to reveal. J wouldn't have even told Blade if they hadn't been so close for so long.

«How long before the KALI capsule is fixed?» Blade asked Leighton. «The last time I heard, it would be about another month.»

The scientist's face twisted as if he'd bitten into a rotten fruit. «Now it's about six weeks. We've found a few more parts which need replacing. We've already cannibalized everything we can from the spare capsule. So now everything new has to be hand-built…. «

«I see.» Blade looked at the sketches of the field-generator booth spread across Leighton's desk. «How long would it take to build and test one of these?»

Blade wished Leighton wouldn't grin so triumphantly. «About three weeks. The beauty of this is that we can use of-the-shelf components for most of it.»

«Provided that they give an adequate margin of safety, yes,» put in J.

Leighton's mood was so much improved that he ignored the remark and went on. «With this system we don't have to be nearly as precise outside the computer itself. The field strength can vary up to twenty-five percent and still be effective-and safe,» he added, as J opened his mouth.

«Then it seems to me Lord Leighton ought to go ahead with the field-generator booth,» said Blade. «He can have it ready in half the time it will take to repair the KALI capsule. It'll certainly be safer than using the KALI capsule in its present condition»-Leighton nodded-«and we can be careful this time around.»

«Exactly what do you mean by that?» said J. He sounded as if he was now suspicious of Blade's motives instead of Lord Leighton's.

Blade held up one of the sketches. It showed a stick figure wearing a heavy pack and bristling with enough weapons for three men. «It will be safer because I'll be so well equipped, though in this one His Lordship has me loaded up like a pack mule. I suggest we start with something a little simpler. Say shorts, footgear, a canteen, and some sort of easily hidden weapon.»

Leighton leaned back in his chair and made a steeple of his fingers. «That's a reasonable suggestion. We can use the same fabric we used for Richard's loincloths when we were using the capsule and the electrodes. It may not make the trip, but at least we know it isn't dangerous. If we can waterproof it, we can make a canteen. With extra layers, we can make sandals.»

«What about the weapons?» asked J. Blade was relieved to hear J sound merely curious now, instead of suspicious of anybody.

«That depends on what you want, Richard. If you can manage with a knife, we have more than enough Englor Alloy Two to make one.»

The nonconducting alloy from Englor had also been thoroughly tested. A loinguard made of it had survived Blade's trip to Kaldak and back. He nodded. «A knife will be easier to make and definitely easier to hide. Also, it won't make anyone in a pretechnological Dimension suspicious the way a gun would.» He thought for a moment, then added, «If you ever want to make a long-range weapon for me, try a crossbow instead of a gun.»

«One thing at a time,» said Leighton. «We've got the production of EA Two up to five pounds a week, but that's much less than what we'll need before long. We could triple it at once with enough money for-««If Richard survives this experiment, I'll support your request for more money,» said J.

«If I survive it, I think we won't have much trouble getting the money,» said Blade. «This is going to be a big step forward.»

«Are you both quite through telling me things I already know?» said J testily. Blade and Leighton looked at each other, then nodded. «Very well. Go ahead, Leighton, and good luck to both you and Richard.»

Blade caught up with J in the parking lot. The older man was standing with his bowler hat in one hand and his rolled-up umbrella in the other. He turned as he recognized Blade's step behind him.

«Ah, Richard. Thank you for playing peacemaker. I sometimes wonder if I'm getting too old for my job. Ten years ago I'd never have let someone like Leighton bait me into losing my temper.»

«There isn't anybody like Leighton, when it comes to a sharp tongue,» said Blade mildly. «Or if there is I never want to meet him. Besides, ten years ago we weren't involved in anything quite as important as the Project.»

«No, we weren't,» said J. «But I still shouldn't have lost my temper. And you shouldn't have agreed so enthusiastically to going along with Leighton's brainstorm. It's only going to encourage him to be careless-some other time, if not this one. Richard, I have to ask you. Do you think your judgment is slipping? I'd hardly blame you if it was, considering all that you've been through, but…» He let his voice trail off.

Blade nodded. He understood J's reason for the question. Apart from his personal affection for Blade, J was worried about his sense of self-preservation. The popular notion about secret agents being daredevils was a long way from the truth. They had to be brave, of course, and never hesitate to take necessary risks. They had to be equally firm against unnecessary ones, and good at telling the two apart. Field agents who didn't learn this were dangerous to themselves, their comrades, their informants, and the security of their organizations. Blade knew of cases where an agent's own people terminated him because he was too fond of unnecessary risks. Sometimes even an experienced agent like Blade started losing his grip, and if that was the case now, the sooner J knew the better.

Blade shrugged. «I'd probably be the last one to know if I was getting sloppy. Dimension X is a completely unpredictable environment, so it's hard to say what's an unnecessary risk. I don't really think I'm in trouble, though. Not yet. Besides, with Leighton's field-generator booth, my safety seems more certain than ever-not to mention the safety of some other Dimension X traveler, should such a candidate ever present himself.» Or herself, Blade thought. Sooner or later, there would be someone else besides Blade. The only question was, who?