Johansen stared incredulously at Rush. "You must be stark raving mad!"
Rush looked up from his desk. "I assume you're referring to the errand on which I sent Mr. Thul and Ambassador Turhi."
"Of course I am! Thul's made no secret of the fact that he doesn't like Turhi. How could you stick the two of them in a runabout together and send them out on a jaunt? We could have broken off from our repairs on the Qeexer. If we'd left it sitting in space for a few hours while we checked out this other distress signal...."
"Nothing would've happened, yes, I know. That wasn't the point."
"Then what was?"
"You've checked out Mr. Thul's psychofile, I take it?"
"I read over his career highlights, yes. A solid officer---pardon the pun. Diligent and thorough."
"Yes, but sometimes he has difficulty----oh, what's the old phrase.....working and playing well with others. Particularly when it comes to races with whom he has little to no familiarity."
"The fat that he's extremely suspicious makes him well suited to being head of Security. You don't want someone who trusts everybody."
"Granted. But you don't want someone who's so distrustful that it impedes his ability to function---particularly when it comes to interaction with other crewmen."
"Point taken," said Johansen reluctantly. "Do you have any reason to believe such would be the case with Thul?"
"There was an incident---a series of incidents, in fact---during his first year at Fleet Academy. He apparently wasn't at the Academy for more than five minutes before he got into a brawl with another cadet, who happened to be the first Psychlo in the Academy...."
"Wrrf?" asked Johansen in surprise.
"You know him?"
"I've worked with him. He's a----unique individual."
"Most individuals are," he observed. "In any event, it seems that Mr. Thul's tendency to be judgmental and suspicious proved a hindrance, and friction continued between him and Wrrf. In order to alleviate the problem, the Academy heads forced Mr. Thul and Mr. Wrrf to be roommates. The close proximity prompted an airing out of difficulties and, eventually, a smoothly operating relationship."
"I see. And you decided that pushing Thul and Turhi together for a period of time might smooth out the hostilities in this instance."
"That's my plan, yes. What do you think?"
"Risky and unnecessary. Just order Thul to cooperate with Turhi and let it go at that."
"I've found that human nature----or, for that matter, Malon or Centauri nature....doesn't generally respond well to..."
And then his voice trailed off, and he frowned.
Johansen watched in confusion. "Nick?" she said after a long moment. "What....?"
"We're in trouble," he said.
"What do you mean? What kind of...."
"Captain!" It was James's voice, and there wasn't panic in it, but there was extreme concern. "We've got company!"
Instantly Rush was out on the bridge, his attention on the screen. Soleta had moved to the tactical station to cover for the absent Thul, and she said, "It just dropped out of warp."
The vessel on the screen was approaching them rapidly. It was large and dark with silver markings. As a result it almost seemed to be one with the starry background behind it.
"Go to condition yellow. Beam the repair crew off the Qeexer this instant and then go to positive shield. Scan it for weaponry," said Rush.
"Scanning," she confirmed as the condition-yellow klaxon sounded.
In a low voice, Johansen asked Rush, "How the hell did you know?"
"I usually know. It's a knack."
Before she could inquire further, Soleta said, "Scan complete. They possess front- and rear-mounted phase/plasma cannons. Primitive but effective. If we get into a pitched battle, we could be hurt."
"Captain," said Johansen, "They've made no hostile moves. With all respect, you can't go into any situation assuming that every vessel you're going to encounter may open fire...."
And James suddenly called out, "Captain, they've opened fire!"589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHm4vmrU5A
The silence was thick in the runabout Prennia. Thul was taking great pains not to look in Turhi's direction.589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGd0MUp66S
"Lieutenant, dissembling ill suits you."
"Are you calling me a liar?" inquired Thul.
Turhi studied him a moment more, and then unstrapped himself from his seat and moved to the aft section of the ship. "All right," he said. "Let's go. C'mon."
"What're you talking about?"
"I know what this is all about. This is about the fact that, in your very first assignment as security chief of the Universe, you were beaten up."
"Not beaten up I."
"Yes, you were. I should know. I was the one who did it."
Thul tried to get up so quickly that he almost knocked his chair backward----which was a formidable feat, considering that it was bolted down. "Knocking me off balance is hardly the same as 'beating me up.'"
"Well, now you'll have the opportunity to prove it." Turhi stood in a limber, prepared fashion, his arms poised, his legs slightly bent. "Come on. Take a shot at me. Let's settle this once and for all."
"On a mission are we," Thul told him angrily. "Time this is not for displays pointless of combat."
"Are you afraid?"
"Of you afraid I?" Thul laughed contemptuously. "True honorable fight in, stand a chance against me you would not."
"Then let's find out right now."
"No." And Thul sat back down again.
Turhi strode forward. "Why not?"
"Because," he said reasonably, "if truly your sister aboard the vessel be, wish you to greet her with bruised and battered face? Think I would she be frightened to in such a state see you."
Turhi laughed curtly. "My being disfigured wouldn't be a factor."
"Misplaced be your confidence."
"As is your hostility. We're on the same side, Thul."
Keeping his gaze fixed resolutely on the stars streaking by them, Thul said, "Hate dictators I. Hate stowaways I. Hate I superior to others those who feel. Fall into three categories you be. Sure am I can surmise you, then----hate you I."
For a time, Turhi said nothing. And then he drew very close to Thul and said in a quiet voice that seemed filled with pain, "I've noticed that those who are the most confident that they know another person are the most likely to know the least."
And with that, he sat back down in his seat in the cockpit, and said nothing more for a full hour. Until their sensors told them that the science vessel Ihiolcian Eagle was just ahead. Immediately, Thul began hailing on the subspace radio again, and as he did so, Turhi said nothing. Thul became aware that Turhi was holding his breath, and it was an awareness that annoyed him tremendously. For Vito Turhi's concern over his sister was going a long way toward humanizing Turhi in Thul's eyes, and it was so much easier to dislike someone when you could find nothing redeemable in their character.
And then a voice came over the radio. Turhi jumped so unexpectedly at that sound that he banged his head on the ceiling of the runabout as a voice said, "Incoming vessel---this is the Ihiolcian Eagle, Are you here to help us?"
"Prennia, this be, from the starship Universe dispatched," Thul responded. "Here we be to aid provide whatever temporary can we, then back to the Universe report we must. Short time in, however, be we able offer to you services full of our main ship."
"Ovidia," Turhi was whispering urgently. "Ask them about...."
"Ovidia, a Centauri, mentioned your passenger list did," Thul said. "Ovidia of the royal family deposed of Centauri would that be?"
There was a hesitation on the other end. "We generally don't discuss private matters of our passengers, Prennia...."
"Have nothing to fear from us you, Ihiolcian Eagle. Fleet we be from. For humanitarian aid be we here and," he glanced at the agonizingly eager Turhi, "if the Ovidia in question be she---her brother here I have."
There was the briefest of pauses. "Turhi? Vito Turhi? He's there?"
"Yes, correct that be."
"Tell him---tell him his sister never stops talking about him, and is looking forward to seeing him."
It was all Turhi could do to steady himself. Thul gestured toward the console, silently indicating that if Turhi wanted to say something, he could. And Thul was surprised to see that Thul clearly couldn't do so because apparently he didn't trust himself to speak, so choked was he with emotion. We'll be there within five minutes...."
"We'll be ready for you, Prennia...."
.....and aboard the Ihiolcian Eagle, several Centauri were grouped around the communications console. "We'll be ready for you, Prennia," one of them said. Then he snapped off the comm unit, and turned to the most powerfully built of the group, who was sliding a fresh energy clip into the barrel of his plasma blaster. "We'll be ready for them....won't we, Cartagia?"589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35wLV48biU
"Oh, yes," said Cartagia. "And finally I'll have that reunion with Vito Turhi I've so been looking forward to."
And he slammed the clip tightly into place....589Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbUUdZDOxs
