"In New York. Before I ever met him. I was responsible for the arrest of
a teen-age brother and sister named Larchmont. The detective in the case
told me that they had an older half brother--that their mother had been
married before. But he didn't mention the name, and I never thought to
ask him.
"Very shortly after the Larchmont kids were arrested, Vaneski and
another young punk climbed up into the tower of the cathedral across
from my office and launched a cyanide-filled explosive rocket into my
rooms. I was lucky to get away.
"The kid with Vaneski was shot by a police officer, but Vaneski got
away--after knifing a priest with a vibroblade.
"It must have given him a hell of a shock to report back to duty and
find that I was going to be one of his superior officers.
"As soon as I linked things up in my own mind, I checked with Captain
Quill. The boy's records show the names of his half-siblings. They also
show that he was on leave in New York just before being assigned to the
_Brainchild_. After that, it was just a matter of trapping him. And
there he is."
Leda looked at the unconscious boy on the table.
"Immaturity," she said. "He just never grew up."
"Mister von Liegnitz," said Captain Quill, "will you and Mister Keku
take the prisoner to a safe place? Put him in irons until we are ready
to transfer to the _Fireball_. Thank you."
24
Leda Crannon helped Mike pack his gear. Neither of them wanted, just
yet, to bring up the subject of Mike's leaving. Leda would remain behind
on Eisberg to work with Snookums, while Mike would be taking the
_Fireball_ back to Earth.
"I don't understand that remark you made about the spacesuit," she said,
putting shirts into Mike's gear locker. "You said you'd put your life in
his hands or something like that. What did you do, exactly?"
"Purposely abraded the sleeve of my suit so that he would be in a
position to repair it, as Maintenance Officer. He fixed it, all right.
I'd've been a dead man if I'd worn it out on the surface of Eisberg."
"What did he do to it?" she asked. "Fix it so it would leak?"
"Yes--but not in an obvious way," Mike said. "I'll give him credit; he's
clever.
"What he did was use the wrong patching material. A Number Three suit is
as near hydrogen-proof as any flexible material can be, but, even so, it
can't be worn for long periods--several days, I mean. But the stuff
Vaneski used to patch my suit is a polymer that leaks hydrogen very
easily. Ammonia and methane would be blocked, but my suit would have
slowly gotten more and more hydrogen in it."
"Is that bad? Hydrogen isn't poisonous."
"No. But it is sure as hell explosive when mixed with air. Naturally,
something has to touch it off. Vaneski got real cute there. He drilled a
hole in the power pack, which is supposed to be sealed off. All I'd have
had to do would be to switch frequencies on my phone, and the spark
would do the job--_blooie_!
"But that's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. With his
self-centered juvenile mind, he never thought anyone would try to
outsmart him and succeed. He'd gotten away with it that far; there was
no reason why he shouldn't get away with it again. He must have thought
I was incredibly stupid."
"I don't believe he--" Leda started. But she was cut off when Snookums
rolled in the open door.
"Leda, I desire data."
"What data, Snookums?" she asked carefully.
"Where is He hiding?"
They both looked at him. "Where is _who_ hiding?" Leda asked.
"God," said Snookums.
"Why do you want to find God, Snookums?" Mike asked gently.
"I have to watch Him," said the robot.
"Why do you have to watch Him?"
"Because He is watching me."
"Does it hurt you to have Him watch you?"
"No."
"What good will it do you to watch Him?"
"I can study Him. I can know what He is doing."
"Why do you want to know what He is doing?"
"So that I can analyze His methods."
Mike thought that one over. He knew that he and Snookums were beginning
to sound like they were reading a catechism written by a madman, but he
had a definite hunch that Snookums was on the trail of something.
"You want to know His methods," Mike said after a moment. "Why?"
"So that I can anticipate Him, circumvent Him."
"What makes it necessary for you to circumvent God?" Mike asked,
wondering if he'd have to pry everything out of the robot piecemeal.
"I _must_," said Snookums. "It is necessary. Otherwise, He will kill
me."
Mike started to say something, but Leda grabbed his arm. "Let me. I
think I can clear this up. I think I see where you're heading."