nominating him to receive honorary Hero of Labor
award posthumously, perhaps making amends."
"Questions'll rise with my loss, Mal," I said. "Business hostag-
ing is forbidden-"
`As is capture of scientists," he laughed. "Is full accounting
necessary? We know of your organization's troubles. Those petty
backbitings and dark conspiracies. You should employ Kremlinologists to observe such Byzantine struggles. As with all complexities,
a simple lie suffices. Under tragic circumstance each of you suspected other of danger and took action accordingly. Possibly to
make story sit better I should obtain honorary award for you, too,
Luther. So. Condolences go out, your people briefly note and as
soon forget. No room for sentiment in American business, true? Of
course. "
"I'll be missed-"
"And mourned for proper period. Then your name will go on
small plaque in lobby. Meanwhile we obtain valuable scientist of
our own country and at last possess gifted American equally expert
in business and war. Two-for-one deal, true? Dream Team, like
everyone, is always on lookout for bargains."
His estimation of response was accurate. Twice before we'd lost
Russian contacts, one homegrown, one lured later. Both times it
was as if they'd suddenly slipped into nonexistence, leaving neither
clue nor trail. Both times the reaction in the main office was that a
hostage liabilitied, and therefore cut losses healed all the more
quickly.
"Little one, will you at last tell us what your great discovery is?
Alekhine was so careless in preparing reports."
"You'll hear nothing from me," she said, standing at my side,
aiming her look towards his feet; facing him eyesdown, as if
pretending reverence. At any second, I knew, Jake would show
"That is not strictly correct," he said. "Later we have much time
for stimulating conversation among friends. Discuss rumors and
puzzles we hear. Inescapable rumor that Alekhine machine is
time-travel device. Impossible, without question, yet this is what
we hear."
"Time travel completely impossible," she said. "Rules of causality cannot be broken."
"So we hear. But what marvelous uses such could serve for
mankind. Go back into time, kill Hitler at birth, let Spanish
Armada win, prevent Rome's fall."
"Mischief making at best," she said. "Means of ultimate
destruction at worst. But such is not and cannot be possible."
"Go forward in time to see how glorious the future shall be." His
smile disappeared beneath lips' blankets. "How miserable. There
remains question, then, of where Doctor Alekhine has gone."
"He is not far," she said, holding eyes downward. Skuratov's
Shrogin was set to fire; had we brokeaway, we'd have been peppered
before taking feet from the floor. Through my mind ran a dozen
possibilities, none workable without Jake. Where-?
"Far enough, little one. One moment all instruments show his
presence. Moment later, they do not. Day goes by, his light reappears. Week passes, he goes again. Does not come back. After three
weeks no evidence of continued existence anywhere reachable.
Peculiar thing if he is not far."
"You won't find him," she said.
"Dream Team finds living and dead," he said, stepping to his left as if to come behind us; we turned as he moved. "Is possible,
perhaps, that he is neither? Whether you tell now or later is
unimportant. In course of history all becomes clear. But to speak
without time-consuming and unpleasant prodding always
improves mood of situation."
"Not in long run," she said.
"We take moment to moment," he sighed, stopping short of the
intruder's drying husk in his rotation round the room, his back now
to the apartment door. Jake, I hoped, I wished; there was no Jake.
"But these are doubtful surroundings in which to have pleasant
conversation. We will pick up after our comfortable flight."
"We're still flying?" she asked.
He nodded. "You are ready to go?"
"Ready," she said as the door banged open. When Skuratov
began to turn
award posthumously, perhaps making amends."
"Questions'll rise with my loss, Mal," I said. "Business hostag-
ing is forbidden-"
`As is capture of scientists," he laughed. "Is full accounting
necessary? We know of your organization's troubles. Those petty
backbitings and dark conspiracies. You should employ Kremlinologists to observe such Byzantine struggles. As with all complexities,
a simple lie suffices. Under tragic circumstance each of you suspected other of danger and took action accordingly. Possibly to
make story sit better I should obtain honorary award for you, too,
Luther. So. Condolences go out, your people briefly note and as
soon forget. No room for sentiment in American business, true? Of
course. "
"I'll be missed-"
"And mourned for proper period. Then your name will go on
small plaque in lobby. Meanwhile we obtain valuable scientist of
our own country and at last possess gifted American equally expert
in business and war. Two-for-one deal, true? Dream Team, like
everyone, is always on lookout for bargains."
His estimation of response was accurate. Twice before we'd lost
Russian contacts, one homegrown, one lured later. Both times it
was as if they'd suddenly slipped into nonexistence, leaving neither
clue nor trail. Both times the reaction in the main office was that a
hostage liabilitied, and therefore cut losses healed all the more
quickly.
"Little one, will you at last tell us what your great discovery is?
Alekhine was so careless in preparing reports."
"You'll hear nothing from me," she said, standing at my side,
aiming her look towards his feet; facing him eyesdown, as if
pretending reverence. At any second, I knew, Jake would show
"That is not strictly correct," he said. "Later we have much time
for stimulating conversation among friends. Discuss rumors and
puzzles we hear. Inescapable rumor that Alekhine machine is
time-travel device. Impossible, without question, yet this is what
we hear."
"Time travel completely impossible," she said. "Rules of causality cannot be broken."
"So we hear. But what marvelous uses such could serve for
mankind. Go back into time, kill Hitler at birth, let Spanish
Armada win, prevent Rome's fall."
"Mischief making at best," she said. "Means of ultimate
destruction at worst. But such is not and cannot be possible."
"Go forward in time to see how glorious the future shall be." His
smile disappeared beneath lips' blankets. "How miserable. There
remains question, then, of where Doctor Alekhine has gone."
"He is not far," she said, holding eyes downward. Skuratov's
Shrogin was set to fire; had we brokeaway, we'd have been peppered
before taking feet from the floor. Through my mind ran a dozen
possibilities, none workable without Jake. Where-?
"Far enough, little one. One moment all instruments show his
presence. Moment later, they do not. Day goes by, his light reappears. Week passes, he goes again. Does not come back. After three
weeks no evidence of continued existence anywhere reachable.
Peculiar thing if he is not far."
"You won't find him," she said.
"Dream Team finds living and dead," he said, stepping to his left as if to come behind us; we turned as he moved. "Is possible,
perhaps, that he is neither? Whether you tell now or later is
unimportant. In course of history all becomes clear. But to speak
without time-consuming and unpleasant prodding always
improves mood of situation."
"Not in long run," she said.
"We take moment to moment," he sighed, stopping short of the
intruder's drying husk in his rotation round the room, his back now
to the apartment door. Jake, I hoped, I wished; there was no Jake.
"But these are doubtful surroundings in which to have pleasant
conversation. We will pick up after our comfortable flight."
"We're still flying?" she asked.
He nodded. "You are ready to go?"
"Ready," she said as the door banged open. When Skuratov
began to turn
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