Now Tregare took a turn. "Do any of them buy out? Surely you know that much."

  "Not recently, I believe. But-"

  "How long since the last one you remember?"

  Lena forced a laugh. "This is ridiculous-questioning me like a schoolgirl, about things that are none of your business, anyway. Enough, I say!"

  Alina said, "I, too, feel that it is enough. For I think we have our answer."

  A fit of coughing shook Lena. Finally, wiping her eyes, she said, "Whatever you have, it doesn't change anything. I own control of UET and nobody's taking it away from me. My own money..."

  "Nobody wants to defraud you." For the first time, Liesel spoke. "We'll sort out how much of the Obrigo-Metrokin holdings are your money and how much Rissa's-and mine, for that matter. You'll get everything that's coming to you. Except voting control-you've abused that, Lena, so we-,"

  "Who are you to call me by name?" Lena stared a moment. "You look-a little bit-like my mother. No-more like pictures of my grandmother." She half-stood, lost balance and fell back into the chair. "So that's it! My great-aunt Liesel- you must be! Come to take my Establishment, are you? Well, you won't! I-"

  Head shaking, Liesel said, "I claim no part of the Hulzein Establishment on Earth or any offworld branches you may have. I settled for the share Erika gave me-and set up my own dealings on another planet, a Hidden World."

  "Then what are you doing here? As they say, who's minding the store for you?"

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  "Tregare's sister and her husband."

  Lena sneered. "You trust another Hulzein that far? Very touching."

  With a sigh, Liesel said, "Only half a Hulzein-remember? And I doubt I'll ever see her again, or the planet. Anyway, I've a bigger job to do, here. Helping administer UET."

  Lena's good hand kneaded her withered one. "No matter what, it comes back to one thing, doesn't it? You're trying to take what's mine-and you're not going to. Because if you do, it won't be there any more. Nothing will." And that thought evoked the nearest thing to a real smile that Rissa had yet seen.

  "You made a threat before," said Tregare. "Maybe now you 'd better explain it." Yes-since she has brought it into the open, it is best that he take the initiative.

  Lena raised her pendant and lowered it again. "You see this? You know what it is?"

  "We are waiting for you to tell us," said Alina Rostadt.

  "It's the end of Earth you're looking at," and the harsh voice almost sang. "It's the detonator-a duplicate, rather- for the Australian doomsday bomb. It cost me-oh, how it cost me! But now Earth exists by the mercy of Lena Hulzein!"

  rissa started to move-and Tregare, also-but Lena, teeth bared, gripped the pendant. They sat again. "That's right- you couldn't reach me in time. And I'd better explain why it wouldn't do you any good if you did. The bomb's developed far beyond the power of the one that cost Jupiter a satellite. And this detonator-it's booby-trapped, several ways. For one thing, it will operate if it fails to receive my distinctive brainwave patterns. 1 don't know the effective radius of the receiver-I didn't feel like testing it, just yet. It will also function if the Australians try to tamper with the bomb in any way -they know that, so they haven't tried. Well-you've heard of failsafe devices? This one's different-failure means death, and my death means failure." The crooked grin. "Neatly planned, isn't it?"

  "So now you see why I will continue to control UET." "But-" Alina spoke. "-but you cannot live forever!" "No-no, I can't, can I? But as I told you at the first, Earth won't outlive me." Rissa gasped. The woman was totally insane! She tried to

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  think of alternatives and could find none. She said, "You're in charge, Tregare-Ms. Kerguelen-but if it was me running things I'd say get off this planet. We can't hope to save it." Warn Zelde and Kickem to lift fleet, she meant-but Tregare made no move.

  Lena peered at her. "I don't know who you are and it doesn't matter. But you're going nowhere-none of you are -until you officially sign over to me, on paper and confirmed on recording circuits at your Headquarters computer complex, total control of UET."

  She gave orders for documents to be brought, and view-screen terminals. Then she said, "Cousin Tregare, you'll inform your people that henceforth their allegiance is to me. Explain what happens if I am not obeyed-and that only a small fraction could possibly get off Earth in time to save themselves."

  Rissa looked to Tregare; he shook his head. Checkmate, then. But no matter what she thinks, he can still save the fleet. Thoughts beating against frustration, she watched as servants brought the things Lena had demanded.

  The old woman-the one who had opened the door to them and later had brought Tregare's drink-carried a terminal that looked much too heavy for her. Head bowed, long white hair straggling over her face, she shuffled across the room. As she set the terminal near Lena she slipped-to catch her balance, her hand went to Lena's shoulder. Lena Hulzein snarled-she reached into her clothing and brought out a knife. "You dare touch me-!"

  The knife flashed, barely missing as the other shrank away. Lena made a lunge-time slowed- Rissa was there before the blade could strike, and had Lena's wrist. She gripped it in both hands and braced for effort.

  A hand touched hers. "That won't be necessary, Rissa. The drug, that I put into her shoulder-it's taking hold now." And slowly, Lena slumped into collapse.

  Rissa turned to see who had spoken. It was the old woman, now standing straight and pushing her hair back. Rissa gasped.

  But-it can't be!

  Then, voice loud and ringing, the woman spoke. "I am Erika Hulzein, mother of Frieda and-" She gestured toward Lena. "-and grandmother of ... that." Facing the staff

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  group, she said, "I resume leadership of this Establishment and claim your allegiance from this moment!"

  Her listeners moved uncertainly; then Tregare stood. "And whether she needs it or not, she has the backing of Bran Tregare."

  A man said, "But she can't be Erika Hulzein. She was killed -it's been more than fifty years-"

  An elderly man came forward. He looked closely at the woman. "That's her, all right-I don't know how or why, but it's her." He reached and took her hand in both of his. "And I was never more glad of anything, in my whole life!"

  "Then see that the Establishment is informed. And somebody bring me a drink!"

  The woman sat, and only then could Rissa find voice. She heard herself ask, "Erika! How did you recognize me?"

  "Had me fooled, you did-I thought that one over there was you. But then Lena pulled the knife and you moved. Couldn't have been anyone else, looks or no looks."

  "But, Erika-you here-how-?"

  "A long story, but freeze tells most of it." Erika's eyes narrowed. "But you know that-you're the only one 1 told. Or didn't you get my message?"

  Rissa gasped. Osallin's envelope! No wonder he . . . But she only shook her head.

  "Time and space. Well, no matter." Erika looked down at Lena. "Poor creature. And the worst of it is, she's my fault. Liesel-my sister-she tried to tell me. And I chased her off Earth for it. I wish- "

  "I thought you didn't recognize me." Through the milling group, Liesel came forward. And now it was Erika who gasped; she cried out her sister's name and embraced her. They kissed, then Erika held Liesel's shoulders, gazing at arms' length. They did not, Rissa decided, look like twins; in Liesel's features, Erika's near-harsh handsomeness was somehow gentled.

  Erika said, "With your travel and my freeze, the age difference seems about the same. When we've time, you'll have to tell me all about Number One." Liesel's brows raised; Erika laughed. "Oh, I've had time to scan the reports, to ground myself firmly in this time. I've been out of freeze nearly two weeks."

  "Yes. We'll talk. Now-do you remember Hawkman?"

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  "We've never met." She shook his hand. "My-you are a fine, big man. But I suppose you two are still monogamous." She shrugged, and stood on tiptoe for his kiss.

  "Now where's Bran Tregare?"

  He came to her. "A kiss for your pirate nephew, maybe?" After it, he said, "I always wanted to face you. It's a little different from what I expected."

  She clutched his arm. "Yes-I'm sorry, Bran! My damned Hulzein pride-what it put you through! Oh, yes-I knew-it took time, but I traced you. And by then your ship had Escaped, and later-1 was proud that my own nephew was the dreaded Tregare!" Now she smiled. "And I haven't thanked you for backing my move here, when things looked a little tight."

  "You'd have managed-I speeded it up a little, maybe." He gestured toward Lena, huddled sleeping in her chair. "Do us all a favor?"

  "What is it you want?"

  "Tell somebody where you want this one kept, and send me some electronics people there. 1 think I just figured out how to defuse Lena Diabla."

  rissa and Alina rode a groundcar to the scout. The girl said, "I felt out of place in there, disguised as you."

  "You did well. But, yes-let us change back to being ourselves. We shall certainly surprise Anders."

  They boarded, and indeed he was suitably startled. Then while Alina told him of the happenings he had missed, Rissa carefully removed the Laura Konig accessories. The shower and special solvent washed the dye from her hair; brushing it she found some of the wave would not vanish so quickly, though now the hair lay closer to her head and hung almost its normal length.

  Alina in turn prepared to shower. Rissa said, "Shall I wait for you, to rejoin the others indoors?"

  "No, thanks. I'm not needed there any more-I think I'll stay and keep Anders company."

  Rissa said good-bye and left. From the groundcar she looked, noting things she remembered and also new structures replacing what she had known. She reached the building,

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  thanked the driver, and went inside to where she had left the group. She found all but Tregare sitting to luncheon.

  "Come and sit," said Erika. She, too, had changed her appearance. She wore a bright, trim suit; the white hair was combed to smoothness and, as of old, cut squarely around at chin length. She said, "I was just starting to tell why I pulled the disappearing act. You'll recall, Rissa-Frieda, much as I hated to admit it, was getting pretty unpredictable. She kept trying for children-in the Hulzein way, of course-and aborting monsters. She blamed me for it-and with some justice, I admit. I don'i know if I was really in danger from her, but a couple of funny things happened. What worried me most-I figured she was stable enough to run things while she lived- butt then what would happen? So I decided to go to cover-in freeze, so I could take over again when Frieda died, and train a non-Hulzein successor. Naturally I hadn't considered the possibility, after so long, that she'd produce viable offspring."

  "But the report-that UET killed you in Madrid?"

  "I'd arranged disappearances before-my own wasn't all that difficult. My false trail, after I was safely in freeze, covered several months and thousands of miles. I paid well for it, and the records show I got my money's worth."

  Erika grinned. "My freeze-chamber supposedly contained a wealthy refugee, and 1 sandbagged the computer's instructions for it against the very best grade of prying. It was coded to open when a non-Hulzein took charge of the Establishment, or if UET lost power-whichever came first."

  "So when Tregare took UET Headquarters-"

  "That information triggered it. The people who resuscitated me didn't know who I was, of course. Soon as I was up and around I got to a hidden computer terminal-oh, I'd planned ahead, well as I could-scanned the high spots of the past fifty-six years. Surprised-and pleased-to learn Frieda's trouble had been glandular, and cleared up by treatment. Surprised as hell by Lena's existence-I thought for certain, Frieda'd taken my advice and given it up. So I coded myself up a servant's identity and assigned me to this building, where I could get to Lena, if need be. And it worked."

  "I should say it did," said Liesel.

  Before she could say more, Tregare entered. "It's all taken

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  care of," he said. "Now let's call Australia."

  But first Erika insisted he explain. "Well, the detonator's in a vault-plastic-metal would cut off the outside signals. It's listening happily to a recording of Lena's brainwave patterns, and there's two backup units with automatic alarm and switching if the first fails. So now what we do-" He sat and began to fill a plate. "We call Australia and get the signal patterns the detonator needs from there, to keep it happy, and duplicate that stuff here, too. Then the thing's a dead issue and we can all relax."

  the picture from Australia came clearly, but the man on the screen refused to summon Kane Altworth. Finally Tregare said, "You tell him this is Bran Tregare, that I'm calling from Lena Hulzein's Argentine headquarters, and that he'll never take a more important call in his life. You got that?"

  The screen dimmed, showing only streaks of light. They heard faint voices but not the words. Then Altworth appeared. "Tregare, I hope you know what you're doing."

  "So do I." He explained what had happened, what he had done. "I can see why you didn't dare cooperate with me, before. How long has she had her little toy?"

  "The day you landed, she called and showed me the thing. I thought she was bluffing, but she sent the priming and test signals, and our unit responded. So you see-I've been handcuffed."

  "Sure. Now all we need here is a gadget to feed the signal codes that say you're not tampering with the bomb, and you can get into it and fix it so this detonator won't work any more."

  Altworth shook his head. "Why would you need such a device?"

  "She said the thing blows if the no-tampering signal fails."

  "No-that time she lied. Signal failure would only alert her to operate the detonator."

  "Then start changing your bomb so this detonator won't blow it, and then we can give Lena Diabla back her pretty jewelry. Unless-I don't suppose I can talk you into dismantling the thing altogether?"

  Altworth hesitated. "That's exactly what we'd like to do. If

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  I could be sure-oh, I trust you not to come in here as UET wanted to-but to date you really hold only North America. There are other threats.''

  "I have fifty armed ships to guarantee your safety-UET took Asia with less than that. And we're about ready to move on the other continental Headquarters centers, to do some reshuffling and start phasing out Total Welfare. In a few days I'm going to speak on worldwide broadcast, with translators. We're keeping the world government idea-and you're welcome to join it if you like-but with a lot more local autonomy, once it's working right. Either way, you won't need your bomb-though there's no reason to tell anyone else, right away, that it's out of business."

  For the first time, Altworth smiled. "It's not a bomb, exactly. It-it releases energies that take advantage of any instability in a large mass, magnify it and-given enough power-trigger it." He paused. "Since we won't need it any more, I'll admit something-it would not destroy Earth. The designers first thought it would, but later found an error in their maths."

  Palms spread, he gestured. "But what could we do? Our Jovian demonstration had convinced everyone. We could hardly tell UET that our threat really amounted to wiping ourselves out and causing major damage-but not total destruction-in a considerable part of the world."

  Tregare grinned. "You were flying on a tight string. Well, I guess that's it, for now. Will you call me when your-your gadget's deactivated? And discuss future cooperation, when you get time?"

  "Certainly. There'll need to be a lot of natter-I hope you're not in too great a hurry-as to how closely we wish to be associated with your world government. We have a long tradition of independence, you see."

  "No problem." If there were one, Tregare's gesture waved it aside. "Long as we can work together, I don't especially care about the fancy legalities."

  "Then I believe we're finished with our business for today."

  Rissa said, "Wait! I would like to ask a few questions, if I may. Not about business-but about your grandmother, Camilla Altworth. Did you know her?"

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  Kane Altworth smiled. "Knew her and loved her-what a great old warrior!-for more than thirty years. She was fifty, a little more, when 1 was born. Remarried by then-rny grandfather had been killed, a typical stupid error, by Committee Police."

  "And was that why she joined the Underground?"

  "His death triggered her decision, yes. Uh-by the way, you haven't told me your name?"

  "Bran Tregare's wife-Rissa Kerguelen."

  The man's smile came again, broadened. "Why-when I was a child, she told me of you! I was twelve when your message came, from-oh, yes-the planet Far Corner. She was so pleased, I recall-saying how she'd wondered, all those years, how you'd fared. I'm afraid she didn't live to see your next message, though, from the Hidden World."

 

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