Hitching his long body erect, Tom said with a gesture of his right hand,
"Well, there's only one outfit interested in our destination--and that's
Asteroid Mining."
"Good heavens," Christy said in great surprise. "You don't mean a big
corporation like that would stoop so low?"
Tom smiled at her. "With a monopoly on power metals Asteroid has been
gouging the world. People have become resigned to the situation. But
if we can supply uranium ore cheaper there's going to be a clamor for
private enterprise again. Under the present system private enterprise
has been withering on the vine. This is our big chance and the public
is pulling for us."
Bill's hold on his temper slipped another notch. "Yeah, I saw that
interview with the television news you had. Saw it last night." He
folded his arms across his chest. "If that's your conception of
winning support for our venture then you better take up circus
advertising."
For a moment Tom looked like a man who's taken a bucket of ice water
in the face. Then his feet hit the floor. "Say, now, wait a minute,
Bill!" he said, half in anger. "Who d'you think's been shouldering the
big share of Project Venture--while you've hung on to your job and a
pretty salary?"
"Didn't we agree you'd spend full time on the Project while I acted
as consultant between trips?" Bill shot back.
"Yeah, I quit a fair job as first officer on a freighter to handle
it."
"And you are guaranteed fair wages and a fat slice of any profits we
make," Bill snapped. "The thing I didn't like in that interview of
yours was that starry-eyed eyewash about our ancestor being a man of
vision, a philosopher and a dreamer. That's a helluva tag to put on
us--'The Dream Boys'! Good God!"
Tom stood up, facing his brother in icy silence. Finally he said, "Is
that all you've got to offer--a lotta carping criticism?"
The planes of Bill's cheeks flattened under the downward pull at his
mouth corners. The black ugly tide was running in him now and he could
not stop its sweep. His fear of space, the frantic will to escape from
it again, all the irritation and anger were deep currents and he was a
mere piece of flotsam tossing on the advancing wave of the black tide.
He said, "No, damn you. I've got something else in my craw too. It's
Christy. I've seen the way you look at her, and I know that whenever
my back is turned you're doing your damnedest to break us up!"
Tom's face turned gray and suddenly his eyes were wide open. Knots
stood out on the points of his jaws.
In a strange half choked voice he said, "That's a blasted lie--and you
know it. It's an excuse to cover up for your own peculiar behavior
lately. I think--"
Christy broke in with. "Bill--Tom, for heaven's sake stop it!" Her
beseeching eyes were glancing sharply from one to the other in growing
panic.
Bill stood lightly on his feet, his fingers curling and uncurling into
balled fists.
Tom went on, a bleak look in his eyes. "I think you've been in a soft
berth too long. The monopoly you work for has softened you, taken out
the guts a man needs to stand on his own feet--"
Bill suddenly stiffened. His right shot out in a hard, sharp blow that
crashed against Tom's chin. Tom grunted, a surprised look in his eyes,
and sagged to the floor.
For a moment Bill stood over him, nostrils flaring, his whole body
tense and waiting. But Tom was too groggy to get up.
"Oh, Bill, how could you!" Christy cried out, dropping to her knees
beside Tom.
Bill strode with measured step to the door. There he turned, and
looking back with a sneer, said, "Sweet dreams, Dream Boy!"
* * * * *
In a luxurious office of Asteroid Mining Corporation on the
twenty-third floor of a Manhattan skyscraper a furious official of the
corporation faced an uncomfortable underling.
"I've heard of some pretty crude tricks in my time, Heilman, but
breaking into the Staker Company's office like a common house thief
takes the tin medal for low grade brains!" the official ranted,
pounding his desk. "I suppose you thought that was an excellent way to
advance yourself in the corporation, eh? Finesse, Heilman, finesse.
That's what it takes in matters like this. Asteroid Mining, before it
got the monopoly, stopped competition, but not by common
housebreaking--"
"But--but I thought," Heilman explained lamely, "that we could get a
copy of their trajectory and then deal with them after they got out to
the quadrant. You know, fire a 'meteor' at them, blanket them with
radio jamming, ruin their radar sighting--"
The official snorted and leaned disgustedly back in his leather chair.
"No, no you big dumb ox! You're retired from the team, benched. Now
you can sit on the sidelines and watch how the first string fix Staker
and Company."
* * * * *
When Bill asked for his key, the clerk handed him the key and a
faintly lavender tinted envelope.
Mystified by the feminine handwriting, Bill sat in a lobby chair, and
tore open the jasmine scented envelope.
The note was brief. It said, "Dear Captain Staker: Please call on me
at your earliest convenience, Apt. 5B. It is a matter of utmost
importance to both of us. Margo."
Ever since leaving Tom's office, Bill's mind had been spinning about a
center of hatred and ugly rumination. But now the stimulus of the
jasmine fragrance struck a spark of adventure on the edge of his
churning mind. The tangential path led off into inviting mysterious
shadows and he was going to follow.
The elevator stopped at the apartment floor of the hotel's north
Tower. In the softly lighted corridor his feet fell soundlessly on the
deep pile rug. He turned a corner, then walked up a short flight of
steps to the door of Apt. 5B.
In response to his knock the door was opened by a vision in white
satin. She was startlingly beautiful. Dark heavy lashes, creamy skin,
white even teeth in a flashing smile, a lithe body poised with the
ease of a jungle cat. She was fulsome and high breasted, and as she
followed Bill's quick appraising glance, she seemed to smile knowingly
that all he saw was displayed to best advantage.