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stars are all being pulled along very fast by something.
What do you mean, something ? Do you mean by God? the woman asked, crossing
herself. Freddy didn t say anything about that!
No, not God, Viktor said hastily. It doesn t have anything to do with God,
of course.
It s some natural force, probably or, well He stopped, angry at these people
and even more at himself.
He hadn t stopped in time. Are you saying the Great Transporter isn t God?
the woman demanded. An old man down the table stood up, his white mustaches
quivering.
I don t like this kind of talk! he announced. I m going back to work!
And Mirian, glowering as he led Viktor away from the table, warned, You have
to watch what you say, man! I m as tolerant as the next fellow, you know
that but you don t want a charge of heresy and corruption of faith, do you?
This day, Viktor thought gloomily, was not going well at all.
It did not occur to him that it was capable of getting a lot worse.
He was hunched over the keyboard when Tortee came back to her room. He cleared
the screen quickly, but not quickly enough: She had caught a glimpse of the
spectral analysis display.
What s that, Viktor? she demanded ominously. Have you finished the repair
plans?
Almost done, Tortee, he said with a false smile, keeping his anger inside.
I ll have them for you this afternoon.
I want them now!
I ve got a meeting with the Four-Power Repair Committee, and I need to show
them what has to be done to the
Ark.
What ve you been doing? No, she said forcefully as he opened his mouth, I
want to know what you were really doing. Show me that screen
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Frederik Pohi
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again!
But, really, Tortee, he began, and then knew it was no use. Sullenly he
keyed in the file name and watched as the damning spectrum flashed on the
board.
The old woman might have been a religious bigot, but she was not a scientific
fool. She recognized the patterns at once. You re checking spectra, she
announced, and I can guess what that s a spectrum of. Viktor, I don t know
what to do with you. You ve been openly talking religious error He started
to speak again, startled, but she overrode him. Don t deny it! Do you think
people don t report to me? Half a dozen people heard you in the dining hall
today! And you re wasting working time with your immoral habits. I can t put
up with this. Do you have anything to say for yourself?
I m only trying to find out the truth about what s going on! Viktor cried
hotly.
The truth,
Tortee said icily, has long since been revealed to us. Blessed Freddy set it
down for all to see in His Third Testament, and that s the only truth that
matters. I forbid you ever to speak of this subject again. He was astonished
to see that she was really angry. Her pudgy face was squeezed into a scowl.
Don t try my patience too far, Viktor! I don t want to have to punish you.
You wouldn t like it. She stared at him for a moment, then added as an
afterthought, You can forget about using my room for your personal pleasure
again, too. Now get out of here! You and Mirian are wanted at the shuttle.
They re almost ready to fuel up for the first repair crew.
It could have been worse, Viktor thought sourly. Reesa was right. He had gone
farther with Tortee well, with all these superstition-ridden, mule-stubborn
people than was sensible.
For that matter, sending him out to the freezer complex was punishment in
itself. It was late. There was little chance they would be able to get back
before dark, and no one wanted to be outside when even the feeble heat of sun
and star burst were gone.
Mirian did his best to hurry the workers at the liquid-gas plant along. It
wasn t hard to do, because the fuel detail wanted to be back by nightfall,
too. Working at top speed, he and Viktor checked the fuel manifests, inspected
the tanks seals, and agreed that it was all in order. But the haste was all
in vain, because then they were shunted over to the cryonics caves to wait.
Their four-power escort hadn t shown up on time.
Oh, hell, Mirian groaned, pulling unhappily at his beard. We ll never get
back before dark.
I m sorry, Mirian, Viktor said. I think I got Tortee mad at me.
You think you did! Oh, Viktor, just shut up. Every time you open your mouth
you make more trouble! And he slumped down against a wall and closed his
eyes, refusing to speak.
Absently Viktor strolled around the chilly cave, glancing at the tunnels that
led off from the central chamber. Inside each tunnel was row on row of
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