Read Online Proteus in the Underworld by Charles Sheffield - Free Book Online
Authors: Charles Sheffield
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her carrier. There was a brief pause. Then the whole carrier lifted and moved into the Link portal. And finally the temporary portal closed, swallowing both the carrier and itself. There was nothing on the beach to reveal that either of them had ever been there.
Bey slid his outer door closed. That was what real money could do, as opposed to mere millionaire-class wealth. Trudy, bypassing the usual Link points, would have been transported instantly to Mars. Chances were she was already walking into Melford Castle, even as he headed to his living room.
He settled back into the chair where he had been sitting less than half an hour ago. His unfinished drink was waiting, its ice still only half-melted. Bey picked up the glass. The contents appealed greatly. He closed his eyes. He had been up all night and was beginning to feel it. He had earned a rest; and he had also earned the luxury of pondering a little bit on the curious behavior of Trudy Melford.
What did she really want? He was cynical enough to dismiss her compliments, and experienced enough to discount whatever oddities might be waiting on Mars. BEC kept a permanent staff to analyze just such future business potential. They could do anything that he could.
Well, almost anything. He smiled to himself. They couldn't say no to Trudy Melford.
He smelled Sondra before he saw her. A distinct, flowery perfume came wafting into his nostrils. He sensed that she was standing close to him.
He opened his eyes. And blinked.
He had told her to help herself to anything that she found, but her appearance went beyond eccentricity. She had found a short-sleeved purple shirt, long enough to cover her body only to mid-thigh. She had drawn it in tightly at the waist with a broad black belt, which made it even shorter. Her feet were bare, her long hair was carefully styled and piled on top of her head, and she was wearing make-up for the first time since he had met her.
Oddly enough, the combination worked perfectly. Bey nodded approval. "You didn't need to go to such trouble, you know, just for me."
Sondra gave him a withering glare. "Don't kid yourself. Where is she? Where did she go?"
"Trudy Melford?"
"Who else?"
"She already left. For Mars."
"Well, damnation." Sondra flopped into a chair opposite Bey. "All this for nothing. That bitch. Did you invite her to come and see you?"
"No."
"So what was she doing here?"
"Apparently not everyone who comes to Wolf Island waits for my invitation."
Irony was wasted. Sondra glowered at him. "What did she want?"
"To recruit me. To bribe me out of retirement. To get me to go to Mars and work for her."
"I knew it!" Sondra stood up again abrupdy. "That fancy form she was using, and those sexy clothes. She was stalking you, couldn't you tell? If I hadn't arrived when I did . . . I assume you told her to go to hell?"
"No. As a matter of fact I told her I would think seriously about her offer."
Sondra put her hands on her hips. "You did what ! You'd consider leaving here to work for her , for BEC and all its money?—when you won't even help one of your own relatives."
"We can talk about relatives later. Meanwhile"—Bey sighed and stood up also. Any hope of peace was gone. "I didn't think you came here to feud with Trudy Melford. I thought you came here to tell me about the wild form that was shipped from the Fugate Colony. Was I wrong?"
"No. I have all the records." Sondra clutched at her waist, and was briefly panic-stricken until she realized that the data device was still in her dress pocket. "I'll get them now and we'll go over them together."
"No!" Bey had to call after her—she was already racing off along the hallway, a flash of purple shirt and long bare legs. "You give them to me, and I'll review them. Then we'll go over them together."
He muttered to himself while he was waiting for her to return. What was the Office of Form Control coming to? Hadn't she been taught standard operating procedure? Everyone knew that
Bey slid his outer door closed. That was what real money could do, as opposed to mere millionaire-class wealth. Trudy, bypassing the usual Link points, would have been transported instantly to Mars. Chances were she was already walking into Melford Castle, even as he headed to his living room.
He settled back into the chair where he had been sitting less than half an hour ago. His unfinished drink was waiting, its ice still only half-melted. Bey picked up the glass. The contents appealed greatly. He closed his eyes. He had been up all night and was beginning to feel it. He had earned a rest; and he had also earned the luxury of pondering a little bit on the curious behavior of Trudy Melford.
What did she really want? He was cynical enough to dismiss her compliments, and experienced enough to discount whatever oddities might be waiting on Mars. BEC kept a permanent staff to analyze just such future business potential. They could do anything that he could.
Well, almost anything. He smiled to himself. They couldn't say no to Trudy Melford.
He smelled Sondra before he saw her. A distinct, flowery perfume came wafting into his nostrils. He sensed that she was standing close to him.
He opened his eyes. And blinked.
He had told her to help herself to anything that she found, but her appearance went beyond eccentricity. She had found a short-sleeved purple shirt, long enough to cover her body only to mid-thigh. She had drawn it in tightly at the waist with a broad black belt, which made it even shorter. Her feet were bare, her long hair was carefully styled and piled on top of her head, and she was wearing make-up for the first time since he had met her.
Oddly enough, the combination worked perfectly. Bey nodded approval. "You didn't need to go to such trouble, you know, just for me."
Sondra gave him a withering glare. "Don't kid yourself. Where is she? Where did she go?"
"Trudy Melford?"
"Who else?"
"She already left. For Mars."
"Well, damnation." Sondra flopped into a chair opposite Bey. "All this for nothing. That bitch. Did you invite her to come and see you?"
"No."
"So what was she doing here?"
"Apparently not everyone who comes to Wolf Island waits for my invitation."
Irony was wasted. Sondra glowered at him. "What did she want?"
"To recruit me. To bribe me out of retirement. To get me to go to Mars and work for her."
"I knew it!" Sondra stood up again abrupdy. "That fancy form she was using, and those sexy clothes. She was stalking you, couldn't you tell? If I hadn't arrived when I did . . . I assume you told her to go to hell?"
"No. As a matter of fact I told her I would think seriously about her offer."
Sondra put her hands on her hips. "You did what ! You'd consider leaving here to work for her , for BEC and all its money?—when you won't even help one of your own relatives."
"We can talk about relatives later. Meanwhile"—Bey sighed and stood up also. Any hope of peace was gone. "I didn't think you came here to feud with Trudy Melford. I thought you came here to tell me about the wild form that was shipped from the Fugate Colony. Was I wrong?"
"No. I have all the records." Sondra clutched at her waist, and was briefly panic-stricken until she realized that the data device was still in her dress pocket. "I'll get them now and we'll go over them together."
"No!" Bey had to call after her—she was already racing off along the hallway, a flash of purple shirt and long bare legs. "You give them to me, and I'll review them. Then we'll go over them together."
He muttered to himself while he was waiting for her to return. What was the Office of Form Control coming to? Hadn't she been taught standard operating procedure? Everyone knew that
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