Eros at Zenith: Book 2 of Tales of the Velvet Comet by Mike Resnick Page A
Authors: Mike Resnick
Tags: Science Fiction/Fantasy
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SATIN ODYSSEY SPENT 2 YEARS ON SEABRIGHT, AND TOTEM POLE WORKED ON LODIN XI FOR THREE MONTHS.
“Totem Pole?” repeated Crane, unable to suppress a laugh. “You've got to be kidding!”
TOTEM POLE, A/K/A WILHELM SCHNABLE, HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE VELVET COMET FOR 867 DAYS. HE IS ONE OF ITS MOST POPULAR EMPLOYEES.
“I don't doubt it.” Crane paused. “Who is Esteban Morales? His name sounds out of place with the other three.”
ESTEBAN MORALES, AGE 53, VIDEO TECHNICIAN FIRST CLASS, HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE VELVET COMET FOR 402 DAYS. SINCE HE NEVER MEETS THE PUBLIC, HE HAS NO NEED FOR A PROFESSIONAL NAME.
“Do any of the dates match up?” asked Crane.
NO.
“Well, it was a thought.”
Suddenly 22 more names appeared on the screen.
“Who are these?”
EMPLOYEES WHOSE RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE.
I AM TAPPING INTO THE VAINMILL MASTER COMPUTER ON DELUROS VIII, AND TWO GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS THAT I AM PERMITTED TO ACCESS, ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE MY FILES ON THEM.
The machine paused.
THIS MAY TAKE SOME TIME.
“How long?”
POSSIBLY AS MUCH AS 3 HOURS, AS THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE WAIT FOR ACCESS TO THE GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS.
“Well, keep at it.”
I SHALL. IS THERE ANY OTHER SERVICE I CAN PERFORM FOR YOU?
“Maybe,” said Crane, returning to his chair and staring at the screen. “You know why I'm here, don't you?”
TO SOLVE THE MURDER OF EDWARD INFANTE.
“And through your security monitoring system, you've accessed all the information we have on it?”
EXCEPT FOR WHAT TRANSPIRED IN THE TUNNEL: I RECEIVED THAT DATA SECONDHAND WHEN YOU TOLD THE LABORATORY TECHNICIAN WHERE YOU FOUND THE FABRIC.
“Take my word for it, it was true,” said Crane.
I WILL ACCEPT YOUR STATEMENT UNTIL SOME FACT CONFLICTS WITH IT.
“Good,” said Crane. “Now, since you know everything I know, suppose you see if you can come up with the identity of the murderer.”
The machine went dark for ten seconds, then blinked back to life.
INSUFFICIENT DATA.
“Let's attack it another way,” said Crane. “Let me offer up a hypothesis, and see if you can find some flaw with it.”
I SHALL TRY MY BEST.
“Fine,” said Crane, draining his glass. “Feel free to interrupt whenever you want.”
I AM READY.
“All right. Edward Infante was murdered by an expert. This killer hid the body in a ventilation shaft in the tramway tunnel, then moved it two days later to a service port. The only conceivable reason he could have had for doing this is because he wanted the body to be discovered, and he was afraid it might remain undetected in its first hiding place.”
WHY WOULD HE WANT THE BODY TO BE DISCOVERED?
“Hypothesis: to scare somebody aboard the ship.”
WHO?
“I don't know. But if his only purpose was to kill Infante, he'd have left the body where it was less likely to be detected. The fact that he moved it means that he wanted it to be found—and since the murder was meticulously planned to the point where it required the complicity of the victim, the logical conclusion is that it was committed to precipitate or halt some action on the part of a third party. Furthermore, that party has to be a member of the Comet 's crew, since we've placed no restriction on any patron who wishes to leave.”
THAT IS LOGICAL.
“Thank you,” said Crane dryly.
HOWEVER, I MUST POINT OUT THAT BEING LOGICAL DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER EQUALLY VALID HYPOTHESES.
“I'm game. List a few of them.”
THE MURDERER MAY BE A PSYCHOTIC WHO CRAVES EXPOSURE AND PUNISHMENT.
THE MURDERER MAY HAVE ACCESS TO THE STORAGE LEVEL AND MAY HAVE DECIDED THAT THE BODY WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE DISCOVERED IN ITS INITIAL HIDING PLACE.
THE MURDERER MAY FEEL SO SAFE FROM DETECTION THAT HE IS DELIBERATELY TAUNTING THOSE PEOPLE CHARGED WITH APPREHENDING HIM. THE MURDERER “Stop,” said Crane.
The screen froze.
“In every case you listed, you've made the murderer either stupid or crazy. I don't think he's either one.”
UNTIL YOU PROVE OTHERWISE,
“Totem Pole?” repeated Crane, unable to suppress a laugh. “You've got to be kidding!”
TOTEM POLE, A/K/A WILHELM SCHNABLE, HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE VELVET COMET FOR 867 DAYS. HE IS ONE OF ITS MOST POPULAR EMPLOYEES.
“I don't doubt it.” Crane paused. “Who is Esteban Morales? His name sounds out of place with the other three.”
ESTEBAN MORALES, AGE 53, VIDEO TECHNICIAN FIRST CLASS, HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE VELVET COMET FOR 402 DAYS. SINCE HE NEVER MEETS THE PUBLIC, HE HAS NO NEED FOR A PROFESSIONAL NAME.
“Do any of the dates match up?” asked Crane.
NO.
“Well, it was a thought.”
Suddenly 22 more names appeared on the screen.
“Who are these?”
EMPLOYEES WHOSE RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE.
I AM TAPPING INTO THE VAINMILL MASTER COMPUTER ON DELUROS VIII, AND TWO GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS THAT I AM PERMITTED TO ACCESS, ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE MY FILES ON THEM.
The machine paused.
THIS MAY TAKE SOME TIME.
“How long?”
POSSIBLY AS MUCH AS 3 HOURS, AS THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE WAIT FOR ACCESS TO THE GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS.
“Well, keep at it.”
I SHALL. IS THERE ANY OTHER SERVICE I CAN PERFORM FOR YOU?
“Maybe,” said Crane, returning to his chair and staring at the screen. “You know why I'm here, don't you?”
TO SOLVE THE MURDER OF EDWARD INFANTE.
“And through your security monitoring system, you've accessed all the information we have on it?”
EXCEPT FOR WHAT TRANSPIRED IN THE TUNNEL: I RECEIVED THAT DATA SECONDHAND WHEN YOU TOLD THE LABORATORY TECHNICIAN WHERE YOU FOUND THE FABRIC.
“Take my word for it, it was true,” said Crane.
I WILL ACCEPT YOUR STATEMENT UNTIL SOME FACT CONFLICTS WITH IT.
“Good,” said Crane. “Now, since you know everything I know, suppose you see if you can come up with the identity of the murderer.”
The machine went dark for ten seconds, then blinked back to life.
INSUFFICIENT DATA.
“Let's attack it another way,” said Crane. “Let me offer up a hypothesis, and see if you can find some flaw with it.”
I SHALL TRY MY BEST.
“Fine,” said Crane, draining his glass. “Feel free to interrupt whenever you want.”
I AM READY.
“All right. Edward Infante was murdered by an expert. This killer hid the body in a ventilation shaft in the tramway tunnel, then moved it two days later to a service port. The only conceivable reason he could have had for doing this is because he wanted the body to be discovered, and he was afraid it might remain undetected in its first hiding place.”
WHY WOULD HE WANT THE BODY TO BE DISCOVERED?
“Hypothesis: to scare somebody aboard the ship.”
WHO?
“I don't know. But if his only purpose was to kill Infante, he'd have left the body where it was less likely to be detected. The fact that he moved it means that he wanted it to be found—and since the murder was meticulously planned to the point where it required the complicity of the victim, the logical conclusion is that it was committed to precipitate or halt some action on the part of a third party. Furthermore, that party has to be a member of the Comet 's crew, since we've placed no restriction on any patron who wishes to leave.”
THAT IS LOGICAL.
“Thank you,” said Crane dryly.
HOWEVER, I MUST POINT OUT THAT BEING LOGICAL DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER EQUALLY VALID HYPOTHESES.
“I'm game. List a few of them.”
THE MURDERER MAY BE A PSYCHOTIC WHO CRAVES EXPOSURE AND PUNISHMENT.
THE MURDERER MAY HAVE ACCESS TO THE STORAGE LEVEL AND MAY HAVE DECIDED THAT THE BODY WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE DISCOVERED IN ITS INITIAL HIDING PLACE.
THE MURDERER MAY FEEL SO SAFE FROM DETECTION THAT HE IS DELIBERATELY TAUNTING THOSE PEOPLE CHARGED WITH APPREHENDING HIM. THE MURDERER “Stop,” said Crane.
The screen froze.
“In every case you listed, you've made the murderer either stupid or crazy. I don't think he's either one.”
UNTIL YOU PROVE OTHERWISE,
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