way on the staircase, he'd trip over it."
"And what about our room?” continued the Mouse. “Did you see someone inside it?"
Penelope nodded. “There was a man there. If we had gone in, he'd have shot us."
"How did you ever get captured by Jimmy Sunday or the alien or this man you call 32?"
Penelope shrugged. “Sometimes I can't get away in any of the futures I can see."
"How long have you been able to do this?"
"Do what?"
"See into the future."
"Always, I guess."
"How far ahead can you see?"
"It changes."
"A minute? An hour? A week?"
"Not a week,” answered Penelope. “Usually just a few seconds. Sometimes maybe a minute.” She paused. “And I can't always do it. Usually just when I have to."
"Like when someone's going to do something bad to you?"
"Yes."
"How does it work?” asked the Mouse. “Do you read their minds?"
"No. I just see what's going to happen, and then if I don't like it, I try to change it."
"That's quite a gift,” said the Mouse. “Now I know why they want you back so badly."
"I don't want to go back,” whined Penelope. “I want to stay with you."
"Nobody's sending you back,” said the Mouse. She suddenly became acutely aware of the dead man at their feet. “We've got to get out of here.” She began walking down the stairs.
"What about our clothes?” asked Penelope.
"Is the man still in our room?"
"I don't know."
"It's not worth the risk. We'll buy some new clothes on the next world. Come on."
They descended to the lobby, walked out the front door, and hailed a landcab.
As it approached the spaceport, Penelope tugged at the Mouse's sleeve.
"We shouldn't get out here,” she said. “It's not safe."
"You're sure?"
Penelope nodded.
"But we have to get off the planet. Can you see how they plan to attack us?"
"No. I just know it's not safe."
"Then you don't know if we can elude them?"
"What does elude mean?"
"It means to keep away from them."
"I don't know,” answered Penelope.
"All right,” said the Mouse. “We'll play it safe.” She leaned forward and instructed the driver to take them to the vehicle rental section. Once there, she paid off the driver and rented a landcar.
They drove through the streets of Haggard, found an all-night grocery store, bought a dozen sandwiches and a few drink containers, and then headed out of town.
"Where are we going?” asked Penelope, hugging Jennifer protectively.
"Away from anyone who wants to hurt you,” answered the Mouse.
"Good,” said Penelope. “You're my only friend.” She leaned against the Mouse, and was sound asleep a moment later.
The Mouse drove through the night. The vegetation became increasingly sparse, and by sunrise she found herself on the outskirts of a vast desert. She pulled off the road, brought the vehicle to a stop, and began sorting through maps on the viewscreen.
"Where are we?” asked Penelope, waking up and rubbing her eyes.
"I'm not sure,” said the Mouse, still going through maps. “Ah, here we are."
"Where?"
"The Devil's Anvil."
"What's that?"
"That's the name of the desert.” She pointed to a tiny dot in the middle of it. “And this is a village called Ophir.” She hit two buttons on the vehicle's computer, and the map was replaced by a readout. “One bar, one store, one hotel."
"Why would anyone build a city in the middle of a desert?” asked Penelope.
"Good question,” said the Mouse. “Let's find out.” She issued another command to the computer. “Hmm. We may be in luck."
"Why?"
"Because there's a diamond pipe about five miles from Ophir."
"What's a diamond pipe?"
"A mine,” replied the Mouse. “They're still pulling diamonds out of it, or Ophir would be a ghost town."
"Why does that make us lucky?” persisted Penelope.
"Because where there's that kind of money, there's usually a ship or two. No mine owner is going to drive 300 miles into the Devil's Anvil to check on business."
"He'd take a plane, not a spaceship."
"Maybe,” said the Mouse.
"And what about our room?” continued the Mouse. “Did you see someone inside it?"
Penelope nodded. “There was a man there. If we had gone in, he'd have shot us."
"How did you ever get captured by Jimmy Sunday or the alien or this man you call 32?"
Penelope shrugged. “Sometimes I can't get away in any of the futures I can see."
"How long have you been able to do this?"
"Do what?"
"See into the future."
"Always, I guess."
"How far ahead can you see?"
"It changes."
"A minute? An hour? A week?"
"Not a week,” answered Penelope. “Usually just a few seconds. Sometimes maybe a minute.” She paused. “And I can't always do it. Usually just when I have to."
"Like when someone's going to do something bad to you?"
"Yes."
"How does it work?” asked the Mouse. “Do you read their minds?"
"No. I just see what's going to happen, and then if I don't like it, I try to change it."
"That's quite a gift,” said the Mouse. “Now I know why they want you back so badly."
"I don't want to go back,” whined Penelope. “I want to stay with you."
"Nobody's sending you back,” said the Mouse. She suddenly became acutely aware of the dead man at their feet. “We've got to get out of here.” She began walking down the stairs.
"What about our clothes?” asked Penelope.
"Is the man still in our room?"
"I don't know."
"It's not worth the risk. We'll buy some new clothes on the next world. Come on."
They descended to the lobby, walked out the front door, and hailed a landcab.
As it approached the spaceport, Penelope tugged at the Mouse's sleeve.
"We shouldn't get out here,” she said. “It's not safe."
"You're sure?"
Penelope nodded.
"But we have to get off the planet. Can you see how they plan to attack us?"
"No. I just know it's not safe."
"Then you don't know if we can elude them?"
"What does elude mean?"
"It means to keep away from them."
"I don't know,” answered Penelope.
"All right,” said the Mouse. “We'll play it safe.” She leaned forward and instructed the driver to take them to the vehicle rental section. Once there, she paid off the driver and rented a landcar.
They drove through the streets of Haggard, found an all-night grocery store, bought a dozen sandwiches and a few drink containers, and then headed out of town.
"Where are we going?” asked Penelope, hugging Jennifer protectively.
"Away from anyone who wants to hurt you,” answered the Mouse.
"Good,” said Penelope. “You're my only friend.” She leaned against the Mouse, and was sound asleep a moment later.
The Mouse drove through the night. The vegetation became increasingly sparse, and by sunrise she found herself on the outskirts of a vast desert. She pulled off the road, brought the vehicle to a stop, and began sorting through maps on the viewscreen.
"Where are we?” asked Penelope, waking up and rubbing her eyes.
"I'm not sure,” said the Mouse, still going through maps. “Ah, here we are."
"Where?"
"The Devil's Anvil."
"What's that?"
"That's the name of the desert.” She pointed to a tiny dot in the middle of it. “And this is a village called Ophir.” She hit two buttons on the vehicle's computer, and the map was replaced by a readout. “One bar, one store, one hotel."
"Why would anyone build a city in the middle of a desert?” asked Penelope.
"Good question,” said the Mouse. “Let's find out.” She issued another command to the computer. “Hmm. We may be in luck."
"Why?"
"Because there's a diamond pipe about five miles from Ophir."
"What's a diamond pipe?"
"A mine,” replied the Mouse. “They're still pulling diamonds out of it, or Ophir would be a ghost town."
"Why does that make us lucky?” persisted Penelope.
"Because where there's that kind of money, there's usually a ship or two. No mine owner is going to drive 300 miles into the Devil's Anvil to check on business."
"He'd take a plane, not a spaceship."
"Maybe,” said the Mouse.
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