[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
responses will naturally take on more weight. I remind you that cephaloscope
evidence can not be introduced in court to prove guilt only to prove
innocence. The cephaloscope at worst can only fail to eliminate you from the
suspects. I remind you further that refusal to use the cephaloscope is not
only a privilege and a right, but considered by many a moral duty. Hence those
who prefer to give evidence without cephaloscope verification incur no
Page 33
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
prejudice. Use of the instrument is optional with you."
The interrogations lasted three hours. First to be queried were the Iszic.
They left the saloon one at a time, returning with identical expressions of
bored patience. The Codain were interviewed next, then the Monagi, then the
various other non-Earthers, and then Farr. Kirdy indicated the cephaloscope.
"Use of the instrument is at your option."
Farr was in a bad humor. "No," he said. "I despise the contraption, you take
my evidence as I give it or not at all."
Kirdy nodded politely. "Very well, Mr. Farr." He consulted his notes.
"You first met the Anderviews at Jhespiano, on Iszm?"
"Yes." Farr described the circumstances.
"You had never seen them before?"
"Never."
"I understand that during your visit to Iszm you witnessed a tree-raid."
Farr described the event and his subsequent adventures. Kirdy asked one or two
questions, then allowed Farr to return to the saloon.
One at a time the remaining Earthers were interrogated: Ralf and
Willeran, the Wlewskas, the young students, until only Paul Bengston, the
gray-haired sanitary engineer remained. Kirdy accompanied the students back to
the saloon. "So far," he said, "either the cephaloscope or other evidence has
cleared everyone I have interviewed. The other evidence consisting principally
of the fact that the breath components of no one I
have interviewed match the film detected on the wrist-band worn by Mrs.
Anderview."
Everyone in the room stirred. Eyes wandered to Paul Bengston, who went white
and red by turns. "Will you come with me, sir?"
He rose, took short steps forward, looked left and right, then preceded
Kirdy into the captain's cabin.
Five minutes passed. Kirdy's assistant appeared in the lounge. "We are sorry
to have kept you waiting. You are all at liberty to debark."
There was talk around the lounge a sputter and hum. Farr sat silent. A
pressure began to build up inside him: anger, frustration, humiliation.
The pressure grew and finally burst up, to flood his mind with fury. He
jumped to his feet, strode across the lounge, and climbed the steps to the
captain's cabin.
Kirdy's assistant stopped him. "Excuse me, Mr. Farr. I don't think you'd
better interrupt."
"I don't care what you think," snapped Farr. He yanked at the door. It was
locked. He rapped. Captain Dorristy slid it open a foot and pushed his square
face out. "Well? What's the trouble?"
Farr put his hand on Dorristy's chest, pushed him back, thrust open the door,
and stepped inside. Dorristy started a punch for Farr's face. Farr would have
welcomed it as an excuse to strike back, to smash, to hurt. But one of the
assistants stepped between.
Kirdy stood facing Paul Bengston. He turned his head. "Yes, Mr. Farr?"
Dorristy, seething, muttering, red in the face, stood back.
Farr said, "This man he's guilty?"
Kirdy nodded. "The evidence is conclusive."
Farr looked at Bengston. His face blurred and swam and seemed to alter, as if
by trick photography, with the candor and mild good humor becoming deceit and
cruelty and callousness. Farr wondered how he could have been deceived. He
bent a little forward. Paul Bengston met his eyes with defiance and dislike.
"Why?" he asked. "Why did all this happen?"
Bengston made no answer.
"I've got to know," said Farr. "Why?"
Still no answer.
Page 34
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Farr swallowed his pride. "Why?" he asked humbly, "won't you please tell me?"
Paul Bengston shrugged, laughed foolishly.
Farr pled with him. "Is it something I know? Something I've seen?
Something I own?"
An emotion close to hysteria seemed to grip Bengston. He said, "I just don't
like the way your hair is combed." And he laughed till the tears came.
Kirdy said grimly, "I haven't got any better from him."
"What could be his motive?" asked Farr plaintively. "His reason? Why would the
Anderviews want to kill me?"
"If I find out I'll let you know," said Kirdy. "Meanwhile where can I get in
touch with you?"
Farr considered. There was something he had to do& It would come to him, but
in the meantime! "I'm going to Los Angeles. I'll be at the
Imperador Hotel."
"Fool," said Bengston under his breath.
Farr took a half-step forward. "Easy, Mr. Farr," said Kirdy.
Farr turned away.
"I'll let you know," said Kirdy.
Farr looked at Dorristy. Dorristy said, "Never mind. Don't bother to
apologize."
X
WHEN FARR returned to the lounge, the other passengers had debarked and were
passing through the immigration office. Farr hurriedly followed them out,
almost in claustrophobic panic. The
SS Andrei Simic
, the magnificent bird of space, enclosed him like a clamp, a coffin; he could
wait no longer to leave, to stand on the soil of Earth.
It was almost morning. The wind off the Mojave blew in his face, aromatic with
sage and desert dust, the stars glinted, paling in the east. At the top of the
ramp, Farr automatically looked up and searched out
Aurigae. There: Capella, there the faintest of glitters Xi Aurigae beside
which swung Iszm. Farr walked down the ramp and planted his foot on the
ground. He was back on Earth. The impact seemed to jar an idea into his head.
Of course, he thought, with a feeling of relief, the natural thing to do, the
obvious man to see: K. Penche.
Tomorrow. First to the Hotel Imperador. A bath in a hundred gallons of hot
water. A hundred gallons of Scotch for a nightcap. Then bed.
Omon Bozhd approached. "It has been a pleasure knowing you, Farr
Sainh. A word of advice: use vast caution. I suspect that you are still in
great danger." He bowed, then walked away. Farr stood looking after him.
He felt no disposition to scoff off the warning.
He passed immigration quickly and dispatched his luggage to the
Imperador. By-passing the line of heli-cabs, he stepped down the shaft to the
public tube. The disk appeared under his feet (always a thrill in the shaft,
always the thought: suppose the disk doesn't come? Just this once?).
The disk slowed to a stop. Farr paid his fare, summoned a one-man car to the
dock, jumped in, dialed his destination, and relaxed into the seat.
He could not marshal his thoughts. Visions seeped through his mind: the
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]