some of its drawers bolted, and all the others a little warped and stiff in their sides, so that they opened with difficulty: You come upon me like the morning air
Rising in summer on the dayward hills.
And so unlock the crystal freshets waiting, still,
Since last they ran in joy among the grasses.
He looked down into his cup, smiled, and said: "Dregs", to cover the slight frown he might have shown.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said as if she also worked in the Excelsior kitchen. It was this little domestic note that did it.
He continued to be charming, and in fact disarmingly attentive for the next few minutes until she left, saying: "I shall be looking forward to seeing you later today." And then when he had closed the door to the suite behind her, he walked back out on to the balcony and stood with his hands behind his back, his cheeks puffing in and out a little.
"What is it about her?" he said to Domino.
"There's a remarkable coincidence. She's very much as I'd expect your wife would have been by now."
"Really? Is that it?"
"I would say so. I have."
"Like Clementine Gervaise?" He turned back inside the parlour, his hands still clasped behind him. He placed his feet undecidedly. "Well. What do you think this is?"
"On the data, it's a coincidence."
Michaelmas cocked his head towards the machine. "Are you beginning to learn to think beyond actuarials?" he said with pleasure.
"It may be a benefit of our continuing relationship, O Creator."
"Long time coming," Michaelmas said gruffly. He straight-ened and began to stride about the parlour. "But what have we here? Has someone been applying a great deal of de-ductive thought to what profession a man in my role would choose in these times? My goodness, Dr. Limberg, is all this part of a better mousetrap? Domino, it seems I might also have to watch behind me as I beat a path to his door."
"You are not more than part of the whole world, Mighty Mouse," Domino said.
"You know it," Michaelmas answered, kicking off his shoes as he stepped into the bedroom.
"Well, I'm going to take an hour's nap."
He slept restlessly for thirty-seven minutes. From time to time he rolled over, frowning.
Five
Domino woke him from a dream. "Mr Michaelmas." He opened his eyes immediately.
"What? Oh, I'm afraid to go home in the dark," he said.
"Wake up, Mr Michaelmas. It's nine twenty-three, local."
"What's the situation?" Michaelmas asked, sitting up.
"Multiple. A few moments ago, I completed my analysis of where the capsule crash site must be. I based my think-ing on the requirements of the premise—a low trajectory to account for the capsule's escaping radar notice following the shuttle explosion; the need to have the crash occur within reasonable distance of Limberg's sanatorium, yet in a place where other people in the area would not be likely to notice or find it; and so forth. These conditions of course would fit either the truth or your hypothesis that Limberg is a resourceful liar.
"At any rate, I called the network, as you, and asked for a helicopter to investigate the site. I learned that they were already following Melvin Watson, who had recently taken off. Checking back on his activities, I find that just before catching the plane in New York last night he placed a call to a Swiss Army artillery major here. That officer is also on the mailing lists of a number of amateur rocket societies. On arrival here, Mr Watson called the Major again several times.
Following the last call, which was rather lengthy, Mr Watson immediately boarded one of his client's helicopters and departed, leaving Campion to watch the sanatorium."
"Ah," Michaelmas chuckled. "If Horse had only been modern enough to call the university centre here and get his data from their computer. You would have been on to him in a flash."
Michaelmas patted the cold black top of the machine sitting on the nightstand. He knew exactly what had happened. Somewhere in the back of Watson's mind had been the name of an
Rising in summer on the dayward hills.
And so unlock the crystal freshets waiting, still,
Since last they ran in joy among the grasses.
He looked down into his cup, smiled, and said: "Dregs", to cover the slight frown he might have shown.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said as if she also worked in the Excelsior kitchen. It was this little domestic note that did it.
He continued to be charming, and in fact disarmingly attentive for the next few minutes until she left, saying: "I shall be looking forward to seeing you later today." And then when he had closed the door to the suite behind her, he walked back out on to the balcony and stood with his hands behind his back, his cheeks puffing in and out a little.
"What is it about her?" he said to Domino.
"There's a remarkable coincidence. She's very much as I'd expect your wife would have been by now."
"Really? Is that it?"
"I would say so. I have."
"Like Clementine Gervaise?" He turned back inside the parlour, his hands still clasped behind him. He placed his feet undecidedly. "Well. What do you think this is?"
"On the data, it's a coincidence."
Michaelmas cocked his head towards the machine. "Are you beginning to learn to think beyond actuarials?" he said with pleasure.
"It may be a benefit of our continuing relationship, O Creator."
"Long time coming," Michaelmas said gruffly. He straight-ened and began to stride about the parlour. "But what have we here? Has someone been applying a great deal of de-ductive thought to what profession a man in my role would choose in these times? My goodness, Dr. Limberg, is all this part of a better mousetrap? Domino, it seems I might also have to watch behind me as I beat a path to his door."
"You are not more than part of the whole world, Mighty Mouse," Domino said.
"You know it," Michaelmas answered, kicking off his shoes as he stepped into the bedroom.
"Well, I'm going to take an hour's nap."
He slept restlessly for thirty-seven minutes. From time to time he rolled over, frowning.
Five
Domino woke him from a dream. "Mr Michaelmas." He opened his eyes immediately.
"What? Oh, I'm afraid to go home in the dark," he said.
"Wake up, Mr Michaelmas. It's nine twenty-three, local."
"What's the situation?" Michaelmas asked, sitting up.
"Multiple. A few moments ago, I completed my analysis of where the capsule crash site must be. I based my think-ing on the requirements of the premise—a low trajectory to account for the capsule's escaping radar notice following the shuttle explosion; the need to have the crash occur within reasonable distance of Limberg's sanatorium, yet in a place where other people in the area would not be likely to notice or find it; and so forth. These conditions of course would fit either the truth or your hypothesis that Limberg is a resourceful liar.
"At any rate, I called the network, as you, and asked for a helicopter to investigate the site. I learned that they were already following Melvin Watson, who had recently taken off. Checking back on his activities, I find that just before catching the plane in New York last night he placed a call to a Swiss Army artillery major here. That officer is also on the mailing lists of a number of amateur rocket societies. On arrival here, Mr Watson called the Major again several times.
Following the last call, which was rather lengthy, Mr Watson immediately boarded one of his client's helicopters and departed, leaving Campion to watch the sanatorium."
"Ah," Michaelmas chuckled. "If Horse had only been modern enough to call the university centre here and get his data from their computer. You would have been on to him in a flash."
Michaelmas patted the cold black top of the machine sitting on the nightstand. He knew exactly what had happened. Somewhere in the back of Watson's mind had been the name of an
Similar Books
