Read Online Retief Unbound by Keith Laumer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Keith Laumer
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turned to wave.
"Your man—he's going
too?" Gulver blurted.
"He's not our man, properly
speaking," Retief said. He lives on Lovenbroy."
"Lovenbroy?" Gulver
choked. "But . . . the . . . I . . ."
"I know you said the students
were bound for d'Land," Retief said. "But I guess that was just
another aspect of the general confusion. The course plugged into the navigators
was to Lovenbroy. You'll be glad to know they're still headed there—even without
the baggage."
"Perhaps," Gulver said
grimly, "perhaps they'll manage without it."
"By the way," Retief
said. "There was another funny mix- up. There were some tractors—for
industrial use, you'll recall. I believe you co-operated with Croanie in arranging
the grant through MEDDLE. They were erroneously consigned to Lovenbroy, a
purely agricultural world. I saved you some embarrassment, I trust, Mr. Gulver,
by arranging to have them off-loaded at d'Land."
"D'Land! You've put the CSU's
in the hands of Boge's bitterest enemies. . . ?"
"But they're only tractors,
Mr. Gulver. Peaceful devices. Isn't that correct?"
"That's . . . correct."
Gulver sagged. Then he snapped erect. "Hold the ships!" he yelled.
"I'm cancelling the student exchange."
His voice was drowned by the rumble
as the first of the monster transports rose from the launch pit, followed a
moment later by the second. Retief watched them fade out of sight, then turned
to Gulver.
"They're off," he said.
"Let's hope they get a liberal education."
Retief lay on his back in deep
grass by a stream, eating grapes. A tall figure, appearing on the knoll above
him, waved.
"Retief!" Hank Arapoulous
bounded down the slope. "I heard you were here—and I've got news for you.
You won the final day's picking competition. Over two hundred bushels! That's a
record! Let's get on over to the garden, shall we? Sounds like the
celebration's about to start."
In the flower-crowded park among
the stripped vines, Retief and Arapoulous made their way to a laden table under
the lanterns. A tall girl dressed in a loose white garment, with long golden
hair, came up to Arapoulous.
"Delinda, this is
Retief—today's winner. And he's also the fellow that got those workers for
us."
Delinda smiled at Retief.
"I've heard about you, Mr. Retief. We weren't sure about the boys at
first; two thousand Bogans, and all confused about their baggage that went
astray. But they seemed to like the picking. . . ." She smiled again.
"That's not all; our gals
liked the boys," Hank said. "Even Bogans aren't so bad, minus their
irons. A lot of 'em will be staying on. But how come you didn't tell me you
were coming, Retief? I'd have laid on some kind of big welcome."
"I liked the welcome I got.
And I didn't have much notice. Mr. Magnan was a little upset when he got back.
It seems I exceeded my authority."
Arapoulous laughed. "I had a
feeling you were wheelin' pretty free, Retief. I hope you didn't get into any
trouble over it." "No trouble," Retief said. "A few people
were a little unhappy with me. It seems I'm not ready for important assignments
at Departmental level. I was shipped off here to the boondocks to get a little
more field experience."
"Delinda, look after
Retief," said Arapoulous. "I'll see you later. I've got to see to the
wine judging." He disappeared in the crowd.
"Congratulations on winning
the day," said Delinda. "I noticed you at work. You were wonderful.
I'm glad you're going to have the prize."
"Thanks. I noticed you too,
flitting around in that white nightie of yours. But why weren't you picking
grapes with the rest of us?"
"I had a special
assignment."
"Too bad. You should have had
a chance at the prize."
Delinda took Retief's hand. "I
wouldn't have anyway," she said. "I'm the prize."
AIDE MEMOIRE
. . . Supplementing broad knowledge
of affairs with such shrewd gambits as identification with significant local
groups, and the consequent deft manipulating of inter-group rivalries, Corps
officials on the scene played decisive
"Your man—he's going
too?" Gulver blurted.
"He's not our man, properly
speaking," Retief said. He lives on Lovenbroy."
"Lovenbroy?" Gulver
choked. "But . . . the . . . I . . ."
"I know you said the students
were bound for d'Land," Retief said. "But I guess that was just
another aspect of the general confusion. The course plugged into the navigators
was to Lovenbroy. You'll be glad to know they're still headed there—even without
the baggage."
"Perhaps," Gulver said
grimly, "perhaps they'll manage without it."
"By the way," Retief
said. "There was another funny mix- up. There were some tractors—for
industrial use, you'll recall. I believe you co-operated with Croanie in arranging
the grant through MEDDLE. They were erroneously consigned to Lovenbroy, a
purely agricultural world. I saved you some embarrassment, I trust, Mr. Gulver,
by arranging to have them off-loaded at d'Land."
"D'Land! You've put the CSU's
in the hands of Boge's bitterest enemies. . . ?"
"But they're only tractors,
Mr. Gulver. Peaceful devices. Isn't that correct?"
"That's . . . correct."
Gulver sagged. Then he snapped erect. "Hold the ships!" he yelled.
"I'm cancelling the student exchange."
His voice was drowned by the rumble
as the first of the monster transports rose from the launch pit, followed a
moment later by the second. Retief watched them fade out of sight, then turned
to Gulver.
"They're off," he said.
"Let's hope they get a liberal education."
Retief lay on his back in deep
grass by a stream, eating grapes. A tall figure, appearing on the knoll above
him, waved.
"Retief!" Hank Arapoulous
bounded down the slope. "I heard you were here—and I've got news for you.
You won the final day's picking competition. Over two hundred bushels! That's a
record! Let's get on over to the garden, shall we? Sounds like the
celebration's about to start."
In the flower-crowded park among
the stripped vines, Retief and Arapoulous made their way to a laden table under
the lanterns. A tall girl dressed in a loose white garment, with long golden
hair, came up to Arapoulous.
"Delinda, this is
Retief—today's winner. And he's also the fellow that got those workers for
us."
Delinda smiled at Retief.
"I've heard about you, Mr. Retief. We weren't sure about the boys at
first; two thousand Bogans, and all confused about their baggage that went
astray. But they seemed to like the picking. . . ." She smiled again.
"That's not all; our gals
liked the boys," Hank said. "Even Bogans aren't so bad, minus their
irons. A lot of 'em will be staying on. But how come you didn't tell me you
were coming, Retief? I'd have laid on some kind of big welcome."
"I liked the welcome I got.
And I didn't have much notice. Mr. Magnan was a little upset when he got back.
It seems I exceeded my authority."
Arapoulous laughed. "I had a
feeling you were wheelin' pretty free, Retief. I hope you didn't get into any
trouble over it." "No trouble," Retief said. "A few people
were a little unhappy with me. It seems I'm not ready for important assignments
at Departmental level. I was shipped off here to the boondocks to get a little
more field experience."
"Delinda, look after
Retief," said Arapoulous. "I'll see you later. I've got to see to the
wine judging." He disappeared in the crowd.
"Congratulations on winning
the day," said Delinda. "I noticed you at work. You were wonderful.
I'm glad you're going to have the prize."
"Thanks. I noticed you too,
flitting around in that white nightie of yours. But why weren't you picking
grapes with the rest of us?"
"I had a special
assignment."
"Too bad. You should have had
a chance at the prize."
Delinda took Retief's hand. "I
wouldn't have anyway," she said. "I'm the prize."
AIDE MEMOIRE
. . . Supplementing broad knowledge
of affairs with such shrewd gambits as identification with significant local
groups, and the consequent deft manipulating of inter-group rivalries, Corps
officials on the scene played decisive
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