Read Online Seed of Stars by Dan Morgan, John Kippax - Free Book Online

And if he had done that, then Mia would suffer as no human being should ever be made to suffer, in strict accordance with Corps regulations.
    "Sir?"
    Piet started. "Yes?"
    Carvalho was regarding him curiously. "Shall we begin, sir?"
    Piet stifled his boiling rage with an effort "Oh, yes, yes of course." Damn Trudi . . . damn her to hell. . . .
    "Same order as on the list, sir?"
    Another problem. It seemed reasonable that, as Mia was supposed to have a full checkup, she should be last. On the other hand, if he was satisfied with the working of the blood analyzer in the meantime, Maseba could well take it into his head to come in and finish the sick call himself. And then there was Carvalho; the man was no fool, and it was not normal for the medical officer's orderly to leave the office when an examination was being conducted . . .
    And Carvalho waited.
    Piet said: "Oh, just as they come. We'll have the full-check patient last" And he strove to attend to his professional duties. The cornea had healed, the wounds cleaned easily, the bruised foot was not serious, the suspected tonsillitis was caused by heavy smoking, and the ears of the man with otitis media were swabbed and cleaned by Carvalho.
    And at last there remained Crewwoman Mizuno.
    "Oh, Carvalho," Piet said, assuming an ease he did not feel. "Will you go along to stores and get me half a dozen of these ampoules?" He wrote the code number down on a chit
    Carvalho took the paper and frowned. "But, sir, these..."
    Piet's voice took on a snap. "I want them for my ready-bag, now, please!"
    . Carvalho went. He was hardly out of the office when Piet had the other door open, and Mia was with him, her small round face worried. He tool^ her by the shoulders urgently.
    "Now, what the hell is this about? Were you dizzy? Were you? Or what is that bitch after? Did you tell her . . . ?"
    "Piet—you're hurting my arms!"
    He released her. "Look—Hoffman knew that Maseba would be taking this sick call. It's only by the merest chance that I'm here. Tell me, quickly!"
    "Piet—I don't understand. She couldn't know..
    "Then why did she send you here? Good God! Do you know what happens to a crewwoman caught growing a child?"
    "I was in radar three, doing a cell check for Maranne," she said. "I remember I had just put my hand up to my forehead, maybe stood with my eyes closed for a few seconds. When I opened them again, there was Hoffman, looking at me. It was nothing, Piet, I was just a little tired. But she wouldn't accept my explanation—she just ordered me on this call."
    "And what did you say to her?"
    "What could I say? I just saluted, said 'Yes, ma'am* and left."
    Piet relaxed for a moment Mia smiled, and it made him smile too, and feel better.
    She said, softly: "It won't be long, Piet love. Not long, now. They won't get us." She drew her hand down her belly and added: "Doesn't show, h'm?"
    He patted her in the same place. "Like a board." He added, with ail assurance that he did not feel: "Go on. IH sign you off all clear. But stay out of Hoffman's way, if you can."
    She looked at him wisely. "You, too."
    He stared at her wonderingly for a moment, his fears beginning to rise again. "You think ...?"
    "No, no, Piet love. Just remember there's not long to go now, and we'll be free." She blew him a butterfly kiss, and was gone, just as Carvalho returned with the ampoules.

    The rest of Piet's duty period was spent heloing with the testing of the blood analyzer. Maseba could be as much a fanatic about his own gear as was Bruce over the correct running of Venturer Twelve as a whole. At
    length, duty completed, he walked the corridor and took an elevator back to his quarters.
    Opening the door of his cabin, he found Trudi Hoffman waiting there. She faced him with a gleam of triumph in her ice-blue eyes, a set smile on her face.
    When he trusted himself to speak at last, he said: "Get out of my cabin!"
    Her smile remained, unmoved, mocking. "And if I don't want to?"
    "Get out, before I