"But there must be _someone_," Hale said in embarrassment, "a woman."
"I know a woman Witch on another world. We make love together
sometimes. But I know her only well enough to know better than to ask
favors of her."
"There are lots of Witches," Hale said in nervous exasperation. "One of
them is bound to Companion with you on a thing like this."
Ham touched his fingers to his wrist. "I think not. No other Witch is
going to help me set a precedent to put them out of the trade."
"But the Code!" Hale said furiously. "Surely you can count on your
fellow Witches under the Code."
"Why? I couldn't count on my fellow Companions under the Code," said
Hammen, and pressed his wristphone into silence.
* * * * *
Hammen stepped from the alcove back into Gordus' office to find
a lovely golden woman groveling at the coordinator's feet. The
coordinator was smiling at the pleasure of the thing.
"What's this?" Hammen demanded.
"Cargo," Gordus said.
"Is she ill?"
"Mad."
"Then she can't be transmitted. No one could hold together a
disintegrating personality in transmission," Hammen said.
"It will be difficult. Unprecedentedly difficult. That is why it will
take the two of us acting as Companions to bring her safely to Earth."
"Why is it so important that she get to Earth?"
"Ask her," Gordus suggested.
Hammen glanced down and saw Lad nosing pointedly at the woman. Often he
forgot that the dog was constantly at his side. His eyes lifted up to
the woman.
She had fine features, impressive blonde hair, and she was wrapped in a
frazzled blanket, indigo rubbed away to white threads here and there.
"What's your name, woman?" Hammen asked.
"I know what it is."
"Of course you do," he said sharply, "but I don't."
"I know you don't."
"There isn't much that you don't know, is there?"
"I know everything," she confessed humbly, honey eyes down.