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Authors: Frederik & Williamson Pohl
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didn’t miss much.
I said: “I can’t account for it, sir.”
The lieutenant nodded. “But you’d like to, wouldn’t you, Cadet Eden?”
“I don’t know what you mean, sir!”
Lieutenant Tsuya said thoughtfully, “I have questioned him, and all I get out of him is that his forecast was based on the observations we all made together. It is true that the observations support his forecast—viewed in a certain light. It is all a matter of probabilities. I elected to consider the quake very improbable. So did you and Cadet Danthorpe. But Cadet Eskow—no. He considered it probable.” He leaned forward and looked at me searchingly. “And I wonder why, Eden. And so do you.”
I said nothing—but I couldn’t help wondering just how much this lieutenant did know.
The lieutenant said earnestly. “Eden, I am going to take you into my confidence. You know the Jesuit seismologist, Father Tidesley, I believe.”
“Yes, sir. I met him at the Academy.”
“And do you know his theory concerning the recent quakes in this area?”
I hesitated. “Well, sir, not really.”
“He believes that they are artifically caused!” said Lieutenant Tsuya grimly. “He believes that someone is touching them off—perhaps for the profit they can make in stock exchange speculation! What do you think of that?”
I said stubbornly: “I didn’t know that was possible, sir.”
He nodded. “Neither did I,” he admitted. “But now I’m not so sure, Eden. And neither are you. I know of your—researches last night, Eden,” he said. I know what you were doing ’bovedecks in the Dome.
And I know that there is some question about your own uncle.”
He looked at me thoughtfully. Then he seemed to reach a decision.
“Cadet Eden,” he said, “your own loyalty to the Sub Sea Fleet is unquestioned. I will not ask you to betray any confidences you may happen to hold. But—” he hesitated, then nodded, as if making up his mind—”if you would like to continue your, ah researches…why, I will be glad to facilitate them in any way I can.
“Specifically,” he said, “if you require another pass to do any further investigation, I will see that it is granted.”
And that was all he would say.
I went back to our quarters, very much disturbed in mind.
What Lieutenant Tsuya was suggesting was too horrible to believe! Clearly, he knew about Bob Eskow’s absence last night—knew even that I had been following him—and suspected, as I had come to suspect myself, that Bob’s forecast of the surprise quake was by no means an accident.
It was more than I could take in at once.
I couldn’t help thinking of the time when I had come on Bob in the barracks, giving something to that wizened old Chinese—just before we had discovered that the geosonde was missing!
I couldn’t help thinking of what Harley Danthorpe had said about my Uncle Stewart’s broker—and what Father Tide had told me, back at the Academy, concerning the wreck of the sea-car that was trapped in the eruption under the Indian Ocean.
Yet—these were the two who meant the most to me of anyone alive in the world! How could I doubt them?
Firmly I resolved to put the whole thing out of my mind. I would not accept the lieutenant’s offer of a pass—I would not become a spy! Surely Bob had some explanation to make. I would wait for it. And as for my uncle—why, probably he was not within a thousand miles of Krakatoa Dome! The whole thing was a misunderstanding, at the worst.
I found Bob and Harley Danthorpe getting their gear ready for inspection, and hurried to join them. There wasn’t much time.
I didn’t bring up the subject of the forecast, or of my uncle; I was going to wait.
Until the moment when I opened my locker, and my uncle’s picture fluttered out.
Harley Danthorpe picked it up and handed it to me, then he caught sight of the signature. “Oh,” he said. “So that’s him. Jim, I wish you’d change your mind and bring him around to meet
I said: “I can’t account for it, sir.”
The lieutenant nodded. “But you’d like to, wouldn’t you, Cadet Eden?”
“I don’t know what you mean, sir!”
Lieutenant Tsuya said thoughtfully, “I have questioned him, and all I get out of him is that his forecast was based on the observations we all made together. It is true that the observations support his forecast—viewed in a certain light. It is all a matter of probabilities. I elected to consider the quake very improbable. So did you and Cadet Danthorpe. But Cadet Eskow—no. He considered it probable.” He leaned forward and looked at me searchingly. “And I wonder why, Eden. And so do you.”
I said nothing—but I couldn’t help wondering just how much this lieutenant did know.
The lieutenant said earnestly. “Eden, I am going to take you into my confidence. You know the Jesuit seismologist, Father Tidesley, I believe.”
“Yes, sir. I met him at the Academy.”
“And do you know his theory concerning the recent quakes in this area?”
I hesitated. “Well, sir, not really.”
“He believes that they are artifically caused!” said Lieutenant Tsuya grimly. “He believes that someone is touching them off—perhaps for the profit they can make in stock exchange speculation! What do you think of that?”
I said stubbornly: “I didn’t know that was possible, sir.”
He nodded. “Neither did I,” he admitted. “But now I’m not so sure, Eden. And neither are you. I know of your—researches last night, Eden,” he said. I know what you were doing ’bovedecks in the Dome.
And I know that there is some question about your own uncle.”
He looked at me thoughtfully. Then he seemed to reach a decision.
“Cadet Eden,” he said, “your own loyalty to the Sub Sea Fleet is unquestioned. I will not ask you to betray any confidences you may happen to hold. But—” he hesitated, then nodded, as if making up his mind—”if you would like to continue your, ah researches…why, I will be glad to facilitate them in any way I can.
“Specifically,” he said, “if you require another pass to do any further investigation, I will see that it is granted.”
And that was all he would say.
I went back to our quarters, very much disturbed in mind.
What Lieutenant Tsuya was suggesting was too horrible to believe! Clearly, he knew about Bob Eskow’s absence last night—knew even that I had been following him—and suspected, as I had come to suspect myself, that Bob’s forecast of the surprise quake was by no means an accident.
It was more than I could take in at once.
I couldn’t help thinking of the time when I had come on Bob in the barracks, giving something to that wizened old Chinese—just before we had discovered that the geosonde was missing!
I couldn’t help thinking of what Harley Danthorpe had said about my Uncle Stewart’s broker—and what Father Tide had told me, back at the Academy, concerning the wreck of the sea-car that was trapped in the eruption under the Indian Ocean.
Yet—these were the two who meant the most to me of anyone alive in the world! How could I doubt them?
Firmly I resolved to put the whole thing out of my mind. I would not accept the lieutenant’s offer of a pass—I would not become a spy! Surely Bob had some explanation to make. I would wait for it. And as for my uncle—why, probably he was not within a thousand miles of Krakatoa Dome! The whole thing was a misunderstanding, at the worst.
I found Bob and Harley Danthorpe getting their gear ready for inspection, and hurried to join them. There wasn’t much time.
I didn’t bring up the subject of the forecast, or of my uncle; I was going to wait.
Until the moment when I opened my locker, and my uncle’s picture fluttered out.
Harley Danthorpe picked it up and handed it to me, then he caught sight of the signature. “Oh,” he said. “So that’s him. Jim, I wish you’d change your mind and bring him around to meet
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