"They gave me the freedom of the ship," she said. "If we talk quietly,
maybe they won't come here seeking you for a time."
"It's an idea. Now, what do you know about this?"
Narina opened her mouth to speak and then stopped. Torture would never
open her mouth, but here she was, almost ready to talk because of a
slight show of friendliness. "No," she said.
"Why?"
"I'm not one to be taken in by kindness," she said, coldly; "that was a
nice act you put on, American."
He shrugged. "I might make the same accusation," he told her, "but I
happen to be sensitive enough to know that your attempt at suicide was
no fake. And my name is Harry Vinson."
"Vinson?" she said, sitting up straight. "Vinson, the celebrated
American scientist?"
"Vinson," he said bitterly, "the genius--kidnapped by someone he
doesn't know."
"Harry Vinson," she persisted, "who is master technician in charge of
the logic computer?"
"According to my possible accusation," he told her grimly, "you should
know. You stole the machine and its technician on the same day."
"That's a lie," she blazed at him.
"There are a hell of a lot of us that think so," he snapped at her.
"It's a lie," she persisted.
"Then who did?" he demanded.
Narina shrugged. He was American; there was little point in trying to
keep secret the facts of her own loss from one of the men who were most
likely to know. The chances were high that Vinson had engineered this
coup.
"This very day," she said, "you came and stole our Logic computer--just
as you claim we stole yours. Exactly the same. With a horde of small
machines?"
"Exactly."
"And with its chief technician."
"You?"
"I am Narina Varada."
* * * * *
Vinson gulped and then started to laugh. It did him good, that laugh,
for it was the first that he had in many many hours of worry and fear
and frantic haste. "Narina Varada," he chuckled. "Narina Varada whom I
have always believed to be a severe, frozen-faced harridan of sixty,
with a caustic tongue and a complete disdain for anything less imposing
than differential equations. Narina Varada, I apologize; you're
beautiful."
She smiled; his actions were convincingly spontaneous.
"I think," she said, "that for the moment I'll believe you."
"Thanks," he replied. "And since we're both involved with logic
computers on somewhat the same design--since international spies have
been happily swapping information--I think we can be honest and give
away no secrets."
"Done," she said, holding out a small hand. He shook it gently and held
it longer than necessary.
"Now," he said, "let's see what can be done about taking off from this
old tub. I dislike being surrounded by enemies."
"I've seen nothing human but you," said Narina.
"Um. Now tell me; if the art of guided machinery has advanced this
far, why would any country this capable need to steal our computers?"
"Possibly to keep us from using them to compute the truth," she said.