She looked startled, her eyes widening. "Not--not very much, I guess.
I've heard father speak of them. They're big, Clyde. You don't know how
big. They've offices on Earth and Mars and Venus, too. The ISP can't do
a thing. They can't get past the blue doors. You can't fight the Ring.
They're invulnerable."
"Nothing's invulnerable."
"Clyde!" Her hand started towards him, dropped.
She can't bring herself to touch me, he thought. They're friendly
now--because I'm necessary; they can't do without my help. But what
about afterwards? What then?
If he were lucky, he'd be set free, to work in the moon pits where
his double was now. If he were lucky! He shivered a little. He knew
too much about International Spy Ring, Inc. As soon as he was of no
more use to them, they'd dispose of him. Permanently. Probably in that
dimension where their office was located. That beautiful little world
with the atmosphere of chlorine.
"Clyde," Tani repeated. "What are you going to do? You're not planning
to double-cross the Ring, are you? Not that, Clyde?"
"No." But he filed the idea away. The ISP might be willing to forget
his record, let him start out with a clean slate if he could deliver
the Ring into their hands.
"Why did the Arabs kidnap your father?" he asked Tani suddenly.
* * * * *
The girl hesitated. "He--he was working on teleportation. And somehow
they got wind of it. It would have made space ships outdated. Armies
could be transported instantly behind enemy lines. It would have made
the United States supreme. He was about to succeed." She shook her
head. "But I don't see how the Arabs learned about it."
"Don't you?"
"No." She looked puzzled, then her brown eyes widened in comprehension.
"The Ring! But they're helping to rescue him."
"Why not? They're getting paid by both sides. You heard Thorpe admit
that they'd sold the space drive to every one of the seven countries."
"No. I can't believe it, Clyde." She bit her lip. "They're not like
that. Not really."
"Rubbish."
The girl's face had grown very white. "You won't let me down, Clyde.
You'll get father out, whatever you do?"
He opened his nictitating lids, peered through the wall into the
embassy. There were two women in the swimming pool. The sleeping
chamber was empty. So was the hallway.