[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]"Besides, Joat's my daughter, too. And
I've friends here, the best there are#
Questar-Benn threw up her hands. "Simeon, you're going to be around a very
long time. The offer still stands, I'll leave it on record."
"Hey, Pops," Joat said, her voice a little unsteady despite the cocky tone. "I
mean^ww, Simeon."
"Great Ghu! Canjunt, of all people, not think a more suitable title than
'Pops' to call me?" Simeon demanded in a semi-indignant tone, but he would
have settled for anything of a familial nature from Joat.
"Sure, but I don't think you'd like to know 'em!" She smiled her urchin grin
in his image. "Any rate, I'm gonna be sixteen standard in a few years.
Enlistment age. And I don't want you blaming me for screwing up your career
plans. I... I'd sort of Uke to keep this from happening to somebody else, you
know?" She turned to the admiral. "Think these brass-a... um, general-
type people might have a use for me?"
Questar-Benn shuddered. "I'm probably perpetrat-
ing horrors on some unsuspecting commander left to deal with you in the
future, young lady, but yes. I'd be very surprised if we couldn't find a use
for all of you."
She swept the present company with her piercing gaze.
"Then we may take you up on that offer," Simeon said. Although he was too
enervated to enjoy thoughts of revenge, no amount of emotional exhaustion
could remove the need to do something about the Kolnari: next week, maybe.
"But right now, I'd rather call in the gratitude as a favor, if you don't
mind, Admiral," Simeon said.
"Favor? For who?"
"A friend," he said. A holo grew, of a boy about
Joat's age.
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THE CITY WHO FOUGHT
417
Joat started violently. Seld! They wouldn't let me see ya, said you were
sick!"
The figure nodded. "You knew that. You know I've been sick a long while,
Joat," he said with the incredible batience of the chronic in valid. "Only it
went off the screen. I can see this," ancfne looked down at his frail, fimp
body, strapped in an upright position on the bed, 1>ut I
can'tfeelanything or move it, ordoanything, really."
"Oh, damn!" Joat moved a hand through the holo as if she could reverse the
damage somehow.
"The navy medicos have got me hooked up to a nervesplice monitor, to keep my
heart going and stuff.
Simeon himself," and now he managed a proud grin, "is hacking into it"
Joat blinked. "I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I
shouldn't've called you a wuss. I heaved my cookies afterwards, too. I guess
it's my fault, hey? Expecting you to do more'n you could, should!"
"Nah," Seld on the holo said. "I was stupid, you know. You could do all those
things I couldn't, and I
was... hell, Joat, I was gonna end up like this anyway, sooner'r later.
Grudly, but I knew it. Dad knew it, but he sort of didn't at the same time.
I've had a lot of time to think about it."
Joat nodded, then narrowed her eyes. "Those caps were the final push, weren't
they? Why'd you use one?"
"'Cause I was so scared of seeing you get killed, Joat.
You're my best friend. Besides," he went on, "that Kolnari
Lord'd just belted me real hard. Then... I tell you, the ultimo grudly," and
Seld rolled his eyes in disgust, "when he teserfme.solwantedsomeofmyownback."
"Yeah," and Joat nodded in approval, "you would at that!"
"That's when I had a fit. Would have happened eventually, really it would, Jo.
Dad says another ten years, max."
Joat looked around at the Navy officers. "I don't
418
Aim McQffivy fe? SM.. Stirling think that's good enough. Can't you guys better
the
odds for 'm? Doesn't he deserve more than ten years?"
Her hard voice cracked a little.
Questar-Benn winced and the commodore focused his eyes on something else. ^
"I never get used to this," the commodore under his breath. "What's the favor,
Simeop?
Channa's head came up sharply. "Simeon? You've a suggestion?"
"1 do," Simeon said in such a positive, you-should-have-
known-I-would tone of.voice that he commanded everyone's attention. "I've been
checking around and the
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