Inwardly he groaned.
She went on with determination. "I _do_ love you. I _do_ want to marry
you. And settle on Titan. The important thing is, do _you_ love me
and really want to marry me? Are you going to be honest with me about
things that concern only us? Of course, I don't mind if you're tricky
with other people. That's life."
_Well, why not?_
Unfortunately, he would be unable to use her anymore for purposes of
finding X. But apparently, he _was_ in love with her.
He held her warm hands. "We'll get married and live on Titan," he said.
She leaned over and kissed him until he thought he'd be forced down
through the bed.
He added, "But first I've got to get back in the good graces of the
settlers." When she smiled incredulously, he said with confidence, "It
should be easy."
And besides, it was necessary.
* * * * *
As soon as Fayette left, he leaped out of bed and grabbed an
encyclopaedia out of the bookcase. He looked up _Unterzuyder_, tracing
down until he found the expected paragraph:
_The fabulous cartels of the Unterzuyders were built up through their
amazing instinct on the stock market. When the market was bullish,
they seemed to know when the crest was reached. Selling short in heavy
amount at this point, they reaped millions in profit as the market
fell, then caught the market again on the upswing. Invariably, the
bulls were caught short by the Unterzuyder bears. The Unterzuyders
seemed to draw some special inspiration from one famous interpretation
of their name, i. e._, undersiders, _those who work from the
underside_....
Unterzuyder sent the book scurrying into a corner. His hunch had been
right. But now was not the time to work out the rest of the puzzle. He
dressed quickly.
When he walked into the dining room, where dinner was in progress, he
was wearing the white bandage pinned around his forehead. He was also
limping very slightly. Sympathy was nonetheless lacking. Complete quiet
reigned in the dining room. The settlers kept their faces turned away,
or looked fixedly at their plates.
Fayette's expression alone showed sympathy. He knew his own face was
fiery red.
Nonetheless, he told the settlers everything he thought necessary.
(They knew it anyway.) He apologized. He pointed out deviously that,
after all, they _were_ on the way to a new world. That much he had done
for them.
"What you do not realize is that it was I, your leader, who diverted
Bigger Bailes from looting the ship.
"Quite deliberately, I built up the feeling that the new course was the
course to X, the hibernaculum of my criminal ancestors. All of you were
convinced. Therefore Bailes became convinced.
"Had he known the Unterzuyder map was a fake, he would have taken it
out on you by looting the ship. I sent him off on a wild goose chase!"
Some of the settlers were looking at him with cautious interest.
Beecher rose at this point.
"I can say something in favor of Mr. Unterzuyder," he said. "His
intentions were good. Mr. Unterzuyder was only after the reward money.
He did _not_ intend to free the Unterzuyders, even though he is an
Unterzuyder himself. And half of the reward money was to go into the
treasury of Titan Settlers!"
Unterzuyder looked pop-eyed at Beecher. But now the settlers were
frankly staring at him. After a moment, they began eating again. In
several minutes more, the hall was full of chatter again.
After the most uncomfortable meal of his life, Unterzuyder headed for
the door. Beecher caught up with him, grinning companionably.
"We did a good job, mister," he said. "I had my own reasons for backing
you up. This thing'll blow over. Then I've got some ideas. You and I
are sharpies, Unterzuyder. We could set up in business on Titan and
build up one of the biggest fortunes in the System, eventually. What do
you say?"
Unterzuyder smiled wanly and said he would think it over. Then he went
to his cabin. In two hours, he had plotted X's location to the dot.
Then he leaned back, nibbling nervously at the pencil eraser.
In five days, with good fortune, the infamous Unterzuyders would be
awake and free....
* * * * *
It took him two days of cautious footwork before the settlers
completely dropped their hostility toward him. Then one evening he told
them simply that they still had Bigger Bailes to worry about.
"When he discovers he's been fooled, it's possible he might head for
Titan and try to loot the settlement. We have to be ready. For several
weeks we'll have to be on guard. The space ship will be camouflaged.
For awhile we'll suspend building operations.
"We'll be ready for offense and defense. We have three life boats which
are maneuverable in empty space or in an atmosphere. These life boats
must be equipped with food, with water, with weapons. I'm calling for
volunteers to help me with that job."
It was a rude shock to Unterzuyder when Fayette became the first
volunteer.
By the fourth day, the life boats were deadly offensive craft.
Unterzuyder paid particular attention to one of the life boats himself.
Quite accidentally, it became loaded down with extra weapons and
supplies.
Only one thing bothered him. Fayette was underfoot all the time.
As the time of leaving approached, his nerves began to get the better
of him. The time, however, _did_ come. At 22:04 on the fifth day, in
the middle of the sleeping period, he dialed open the airlock door to
the blister in which the stout little life boat nestled. He closed it
behind him, turned around. Fayette was standing at the hatch of the
little ship, slickly dressed in shiny boots, smart beige jodphurs, and
a blouse open at the throat.
She was holding her pet neutron gun with the snout pointed toward him.
She was smiling confidently.
"Ralph," she said, "in my hand I hold a weapon. It is not indirect.
It is not subtle. It does not practice deceit. It does not give
half-answers. It says 'yes,' and it says 'no'. That's all it says.
"It also _gets_ yes and no answers.
"But don't be afraid of me, Ralph. I'm here to help you!"