"In a way it's lucky you did, Captain. That was my only lead."
"They tried to finish us after that. But with full power to the screens, nothing they had could get through. Then they called on us to surrender."
"More than you know. It was a long swing out on our first circuit. Then, coming back in, we figured we'd hit. As a last resort I would have pulled back power from the screens and tried to adjust the orbit with the steering3 jets. But the bombardment was pretty heavy; I don't think we'd have made it. Then we swung past and headed out again. We've got a three year period. Don't think I didn't consider giving up."
"Why didn't you?"
"The information we have is important. We've got plenty of stores aboard. Enough for another ten years, if necessary. Sooner or later, I knew Search Command would find us."
Retief cleared his throat. "I'm glad you stuck with it, Captain. Even a backwater world like Groac can kill a lot of people when it runs amok."
"What I didn't know," the captain went on, "was that we're not in a stable orbit. We're going to graze atmosphere pretty deeply this pass, and in another sixty days we'd be back to stay. I guess the Groaci would be ready for us."
"No wonder they were sitting on this so tight," Retief said. "They were almost in the clear."
"And you're here now," the captain said. "Nine years, and we weren't forgotten. I knew we could count on—"
"It's over now, Captain," Retief said. "That's what counts."
"Home," the captain said. "After nine years...."
"I'd like to take a look at the films you mentioned," Retief said. "The ones showing the installations on the satellite."
The captain complied. Retief watched as the scene unrolled, showing the bleak5 surface of the tiny moon as the Terrific had seen it nine years before.
In harsh black and white, row on row of identical hulls6 cast long shadows across the pitted metallic7 surface of the satellite. Retief whistled.
"They had quite a little surprise in store. Your visit must have panicked them."
"They should be about ready to go, by now. Nine years...."
"I've got what may be an idea," Retief said. "I had a look at some classified files last night, at the foreign office. One was a progress report on a fissionable stockpile. It didn't make much sense at the time. Now I get the picture. Which is the 'north' end of that crevasse10?"
"At the top of the picture."
"Unless I'm badly mistaken, that's the bomb dump. The Groaci like to tuck things underground. I wonder what a direct hit with a fifty mega-ton missile would do to it?"
"Can you hit it?"
"I've got fifty heavy missiles aboard. If I fire them in direct sequence, it should saturate12 the defenses. Yes, I can hit it."
"The range isn't too great?"
"These are the de luxe models," the captain smiled balefully. "Video guidance. We could steer4 them into a bar and park 'em on a stool."
"What do you say we try it?"
"I've been wanting a solid target for a long time," the captain said.
Retief waved a hand toward the screen.
"That expanding dust cloud used to be the satellite of Groac, Shluh," he said. "Looks like something happened to it."
The police chief stared at the picture.
"Too bad," Retief said. "But then it wasn't of any importance, was it, Shluh?"
Shluh muttered incomprehensibly.
"Just a bare hunk of iron, Shluh. That's what the foreign office told me when I asked for information."
"I wish you'd keep your prisoner out of sight," the captain said. "I have a hard time keeping my hands off him."
"Shluh wants to help, Captain. He's been a bad boy and I have a feeling he'd like to cooperate with us now. Especially in view of the imminent13 arrival of a Terrestrial ship, and the dust cloud out there."
"What do you mean?"
"Captain, you can ride it out for another week, contact the ship when it arrives, get a tow in and your troubles are over. When your films are shown in the proper quarter, a task force will come out here. They'll reduce Groac to a sub-technical cultural level, and set up a monitor system to insure she doesn't get any more expansionist ideas. Not that she can do much now, with her handy iron mine in the sky gone."
"That's right; and—"
"On the other hand," Retief said, "there's what I might call the diplomatic approach...."
He explained at length. The captain looked at him thoughtfully.
"I'll go along," he said. "What about this fellow?"
"I will do it," he said faintly.
"Right," Retief said. "Captain, if you'll have your men bring in the transmitter from the shuttle, I'll place a call to a fellow named Fith at the foreign office." He turned to Shluh. "And when I get him, Shluh, you'll do everything exactly as I've told you—or have terrestrial monitors dictating16 in Groac City."
"Quite candidly17, Retief," Counsellor Pardy said, "I'm rather nonplussed18. Mr. Fith of the foreign office seemed almost painfully lavish19 in your praise. He seems most eager to please you. In the light of some of the evidence I've turned up of highly irregular behavior on your part, it's difficult to understand."
"Fith and I have been through a lot together," Retief said. "We understand each other."
"You have no cause for complacency, Retief," Pardy said. "Miss Meuhl was quite justified20 in reporting your case. Of course, had she known that you were assisting Mr. Fith in his marvelous work, she would have modified her report somewhat, no doubt. You should have confided21 in her."
"Fith wanted to keep it secret, in case it didn't work out," Retief said. "You know how it is."
"Of course. And as soon as Miss Meuhl recovers from her nervous breakdown22, there'll be a nice promotion23 awaiting her. The girl more than deserves it for her years of unswerving devotion to Corps24 policy."
"Unswerving," Retief said. "I'll sure go along with that."
"As well you may, Retief. You've not acquitted25 yourself well in this assignment. I'm arranging for a transfer. You've alienated26 too many of the local people...."
"But as you said, Fith speaks highly of me...."
"Oh, true. It's the cultural intelligentsia I'm referring to. Miss Meuhl's records show that you deliberately27 affronted28 a number of influential29 groups by boycotting—"
"Tone deaf," Retief said. "To me a Groacian blowing a nose-whistle sounds like a Groacian blowing a nose-whistle."
"You have to come to terms with local aesthetic30 values," Pardy explained. "Learn to know the people as they really are. It's apparent from some of the remarks Miss Meuhl quoted in her report that you held the Groaci in rather low esteem31. But how wrong you were! All the while, they were working unceasingly to rescue those brave lads marooned32 aboard our cruiser. They pressed on even after we ourselves had abandoned the search. And when they discovered that it had been a collision with their satellite which disabled the craft, they made that magnificent gesture—unprecedented. One hundred thousand credits in gold to each crew member, as a token of Groacian sympathy."
"A handsome gesture," Retief murmured.
"I hope, Retief, that you've learned from this incident. In view of the helpful part you played in advising Mr. Fith in matters of procedure to assist in his search, I'm not recommending a reduction in grade. We'll overlook the affair, give you a clean slate33. But in future, I'll be watching you closely."
"You can't win 'em all," Retief said.
"You'd better pack up. You'll be coming along with us in the morning." Pardy shuffled34 his papers together.
"I'm sorry," he said, "that I can't file a more flattering report on you. I would have liked to recommend your promotion, along with Miss Meuhl's."
"That's okay," Retief said. "I have my memories."
The End
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1
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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hulls
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| 船体( hull的名词复数 )； 船身； 外壳； 豆荚 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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fissure
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| n.裂缝；裂伤 | |
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crevasse
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| n. 裂缝，破口；v.使有裂缝 | |
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ordnance
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| n.大炮，军械 | |
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saturate
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| vt.使湿透，浸透；使充满，使饱和 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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14
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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15
retracted
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| v.撤回或撤消( retract的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝执行或遵守；缩回；拉回 | |
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16
dictating
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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candidly
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| adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地 | |
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18
nonplussed
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| adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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20
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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25
acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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26
alienated
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| adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等） | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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28
affronted
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| adj.被侮辱的，被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 )；相遇 | |
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29
influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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30
aesthetic
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| adj.美学的，审美的，有美感 | |
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31
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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32
marooned
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| adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的 | |
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slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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34
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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