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his broken nose where he'd slammed into the computer console on the fourth
moon-flight, and turned to face Michael.
"Not he, she. She planned it all very carefully." He nodded appreciatively. "She
went straight to the American Embassy and then got in touch with us. Basically,
she threatened to release the taped information she stole unless we agree to call
off the shot and admit on-site inspectors to all subsequent multiple launchings."
"That's all? Look, why not let her go ahead and blab to the press? What harm can
it do? What can she know? So we plan to launch six ships simultane-
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ously to celebrate the King's birthday. So what?" Longin was shaking his head
dolefully.
"It's not as simple as that, Michael. The release of the tapes we could absorb. The
problem is that she's convinced we've an ulterior motive concealed in the launch.
She should know if we do." Michael's smile disappeared.
"Why is that?"
"She works .. . worked ... in your department."
"My . . . ?" He stopped, then continued guardedly, "What does she think is this
'ulterior reason' behind the shot?"
Longin sat down behind his desk. "She is quite convinced from her inside
knowledge of material being loaded on board some of the ships, that we are
planning to establish a permanent military base on Mars and claim the whole
planet for the Republic."
Michael's grim smile turned to a look of honest bafflement. "That's the most
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nonsensical thing I ever heard. Doesn't she know the Imperial Edicts forbid
acquisition of territory except by vote of independent peoples? You say she works
in my department. I can't imagine what might motivate any of my people to
jeopardize the King's birthday."
"Not citizens, no. But you have a number of exchange students working for you,
do you not?"
"As part of our policy of sharing space science, yes."
"Any Americans?"
"The Americans, the Americans!" Michael threw up his hands. "That's all you
hear about, the American threat! Just because their newspaper columnists "
"Do you know those who have access to restricted files?" pressed Longin softly.
"Oh, John Huxley, Marshall McGregor, and Dana Canning . . ." He paused,
considered a moment. "You said 'she'? No, that's crazy, Henryk."
"Not as crazy as this situation we suddenly find ourselves in. I just finished
talking to the American ambassador. Her premise is absolutely mad, as we
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know, but she's thrown enough real facts at him to get him unsettled. And we
cannot do with prying this close to lift-off."
"No, of course not." Michael considered. "You don't really think the Americans
would actually try and stop the launch?" Longin leaned back in his chair and gave
an expressive shrug.
"Who knows?" His face was sad. "Americans are capable of anything all that
misdirected drive. They're even crazier than the French."
"You'd think we'd never helped them win then- independence from England,"
Michael added ruefully.
Longin nodded. "They never forgave us for that. Charity's never appreciated as
much as it's resented. They're suspicious of us because they don't understand us."
"You'd think they'd worry more about the Russian Federalists."
"They might," Longin agreed, "if the Russians ever get strong enough. But we
worry them more. According to their philosophy, our government should have
collapsed a hundred years ago." He sighed.
"Their ambassador pretends to understand, but of course he doesn't. I tried to
explain to him. 'You elect a President/ I said, 'and we elect a King.' And he
counters, 'But how can you give absolute power to a new person every five years?'
I asked him the same question and of course he gave me that cow-eyed pitying
look they all do whenever the subject comes up. Insists the American President
doesn't have anywhere near the same kind of power. So I list historical examples
for him and he gets all huffy and self-righteous.
"But he can cause real trouble. So that's why you've got to go over there and
convince that girl she's got her tape systems crossed. So much planning has gone
into this birthday present for the King too much for the ravings of some neurotic
adolescent to ruin it. We could take less orthodox steps to quiet her, but well,
you know that's just not our style. If we did that we'd be exactly the kind of folk
she seems to think we are."
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Yan spread his hands. "Mars colonization! Honestly! But why me, sir? Why not
someone from the Defense Ministry?"
"You know her, Michael. As a friend. None of her tirades included you. We know,
we taped them. Either she doesn't believe you're involved, which is unlikely, or
else she has a desire not to implicate you, which is better."
"Look, sir . . ." Michael squirmed uncomfortably.
*Tm an engineer. I have a fiancee, and I'm just not going to try and seduce some
misguided teenager."
"We're not asking you to be nearly so melodramatic about this, Michael. Of
course," the administrator murmured, "if you should happen to find the situation
developing along apolitical lines, it wouldn't be..."
"All right, all right! I'll talk to her. For the project, mind. And for the King, of
course."
"Naturally."
"How am I supposed to convince her the launch has nothing to do with Mars? I
can't show her secret files."
"No, you can't. You must convince her that the Imperial Republic of Poland has
embarked on the exploration of space for the good of all mankind and nothing
more, and that we have no intention of deviating from that principle with this
launch. Our very strength renders this unnecessary. Just show her the truth,
Michael
in a circumspect fashion, of course.
"Consider yourself fortunate. You have only a slightly hysterical young lady to
convince, while I am forced to contend with high-pressure Hartford and his
horde of foggy-headed foggy bottoms. I'd trade with you anytime."
Michael sighed. "Where do I meet her, and when?" "We'll set up something on
the grounds of the American Embassy." Longin's expression took on overtones of
disgust. "She's convinced if she leaves it she'll be cut down in the streets. Does she
think Warsaw is Chicago?"
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As arranged, she was waiting for him by the Japanese pool in the Embassy
garden. The bull-necked Marine at the gate eyed him hostilely, but passed him
through. As requested, there was no one with her.
No doubt she was bugged from head to foot, while he was probably walking under
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