Season of Passage, The (34 page)

'No immediate danger,' Ramsey said.

'What does that mean?' Tom Brenner asked.

'The loss of communications wil not prevent the crew from rendezvousing with the Nova,' Ramsey said.

'Why don't they leave Mars now?' Tom Brenner asked. 'From your last statement, we understood that their water supply was destroyed.'

'They're continuing with their program of exploration,' Ramsey said. 'Their water supply isn't critical yet.'

'How do you know that, if you've lost communications?' the New York Times asked.

'We've only been out of contact for six hours,' Ramsey said.

'What was the crew doing at that time?' CBS asked.

'Resting. Sleeping.'

'Six hours ago would have been in the middle of the afternoon in the Tharsis region,' Tom Brenner said.

Ramsey hesitated. 'They were up late the night before -exploring.'

'They were exploring in the dark?' Tom Brenner asked.

'Because of their low supply of water,' Ramsey said, 'they've been trying to make the best use of their time.'

'You just said their water supply wasn't critical,' Tom Brenner said. 'Why were they exploring in the dark?'

'They've had a change in program,' Ramsey said.

'There have been reports that they've caught an alien virus and gone insane,' ABC said.

"Those reports are absolutely false,' Ramsey said.

'How could there be a threat to our national security, unless there were survivors aboard the Karamazov?' Tom Brenner said.

'There were no survivors,' Ramsey said. He took a breath. He knew he'd come off badly. 'I'm sorry, that's al the questions I can take at this time.

When we re-establish contact, we'l let you know. Now if you'l excuse me.. .'He backed away from his microphone. Tom Brenner nudged Terry.

'Ask about Lauren,' Tom said.

'He just said he doesn't know anything,' Terry said.

'Do you believe him?'

'Of course not.'

'Ask,' Tom insisted. 'You're her fiancé. He knows that. Quick!'

'Hey, Dean!' they cal ed. He and Tom were in the second row, in the center. Ramsey heard him, the whole room did, and another hush swept across

the crowd as Ramsey paused at the exit and turned.

'Yes, Mr Hayes?' he said without the benefit of his mike.

Terry tried to smile, and didn't quite make it. 'I was just wondering, you know, if Lauren is al right. I mean, I heard what you said, but she's my

fiancée and I'd real y like to know. We could keep it off the record.'

Ramsey did not simply look as if he had been losing sleep with the rest of them. He looked as if he could have had a terminal disease - a tumor that

swel ed every time he told a lie. But Terry could see it hurt Ramsey even more to tel the truth. What the man did was tel him nothing at al .

'When we re-establish contact, Terry,' Ramsey said, 'we'l let you know.'

Ramsey left. The reporters began to disperse. Tom Brenner ushered Terry out of the press room and down a long hal that led seemingly nowhere.

Tom talked a mile a minute.

'Have you ever seen such an inept snow job? Here the whole world's watching the greatest exploration in human history and NASA drops the

curtain just when things get exciting. And that bul shit about national security. First the crew is dying of thirst, and now it's "not critical." Never mind

that they're sleeping in the middle of the day, because they've been out al night exploring. If you ask me, they've found a couple of Russians and

they don't know what to do with them.' He paused. 'Hey, Terry, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to listen to my mouth at a time like this. I'm sure Lauren's

al right. NASA's probably stil in contact with the Hawk. They probably just concocted the whole story.'

'Why would they do that?' Terry asked.

'Why did they go to Mars in the first place? Hel if I know. They probably just don't want to upset how good things are going with the Russians. When

you get right down to it, that's al that matters to these people. Ramsey was lying through his teeth.'

Terry nodded. 'I hope you're right.' He veered toward a door that would take him into the front lobby, where Kathy Johnson was waiting.

'Hey, where are you going?' Tom asked. 'We've got to get a story into the office by ten. The boss dislikes our coverage as it is. You especial y have

to be careful, Terry. He stil hates the fact that Lauren got engaged to you after she wouldn't even go out with him.'

'I need to tel a friend what Ramsey said,' Terry said. 'Tel the boss to go fuck himself if he complains about me.'

'Yeah, I told him that for you yesterday. But you know he's a Christian. He didn't understood how he was supposed to do it.' Tom regarded him

closely. 'You look like hel . Fuck the story. It'l just depress the community if we write it. Why should they have to read shit like that? Go home and get

some rest, Terry.'

'Yeah, I might do that.'

Tom squeezed his arm. 'Lauren wil come home. I know it.'

Terry smiled faintly. 'Thanks.'

They parted company and Terry went out and searched the lobby for Kathy. He couldn't find her. Ramsey had been an hour late with his statement.

He figured she might have gone to the cafeteria for coffee, and headed that way himself.

But waiting for an elevator to take him up to the

cafeteria, he thought of Jennifer, and a strong desire to talk to her swept over him. He missed her almost as much as Lauren; she was almost as

hard to get hold of. He hurried to a phone booth and dialed the cabin. The blank screen dissolved and was fil ed with a blazing fire, a snow-lined

window, a cozy living room, and the face of a beautiful young girl half hidden behind a wave of blond hair. Jennifer sat with her profile to the screen,

her expression sad. She didn't even look over to see who it was. He supposed she didn't have to.

'Hel o, Terry,' she said.

'Jenny. How are you? We haven't talked for a while.'

'I'm fine. I sit by the fire.'

He felt an urge to take her in his arms and shield her from what was happening on Mars. Stil , he felt she should know what was going on with her

sister.

'It must be cold there,' he said. 'That's a big fire you've got going.'

'It's cold,' she said.

'Jenny,' he began reluctantly. 'I've got some bad news for you. It has to do with Lauren.' Jennifer didn't react. He continued, 'NASA has lost contact

with the Hawk. Now this happened before. Remember when they landed the second time? It may not be that serious. Personal y, I don't think it is.

It's probably just a minor power failure. Their generators have acted up before.'

Jennifer didn't move or speak, or look his way. Terry could have understood a multitude of reactions, but not this. He wasn't even sure she had

heard him.

'She should be al right,' he went on. 'They only lost contact six hours ago. Not that I real y know what Lauren's been doing the last two days. They

started censoring her reports when she went to inspect the Russian ship.'

'The Russians,' Jennifer whispered. She raised her right

hand and fingered the ring Professor Ranoth had given her. It shone bright in the light of the fire.

'Are you OK, Princess?' Terry asked desperately.

Jennifer lowered her head. 'I told her not to go,' she said, closing her eyes. 'What does it matter what I say?'

The conversation wasn't doing a thing for Terry's morale. 'Are you stil working on your story?' he asked.

'No.'

'Are you taking a break?'

'The story is finished. I came to the end.'

'Great,' Terry said. 'I'm anxious to read it.'

'I suppose you wil .'

'You know,' Terry said, trying to sound enthusiastic, 'Lauren wil be on her way back soon. Once she's up in the Nova, and asleep, I can take another

week off. I'l come see you. We can make a big snowman and blow its head off with Daniel's rifle. We'l be together soon. We'l ...' He stopped.

Tears were rol ing over Jennifer's cheeks. 'Jenny?'

She shook her head slightly. 'No.'

'I'l come. I promise. I'l be there soon.'

She spoke to the wal of his cabin, in a whisper. 'You always took good care of us. Lauren thinks about you a lot. She wants to come home.'

'She wil ' he said gently. 'She's fine. We'l al be together soon. It'l be like old times.'

Jennifer wiped at her tears and sighed. 'Old times, lots of time.' She held up the ring and admired it in the warm orange light. 'I finished the story, but

it's getting cold, Terry. I think the fire's going out.' For the first time, she turned and stared at him, and although it was the most extraneous of

thoughts, he couldn't help marveling how clear and blue her eyes looked in that moment. They were so perfect they didn't look human. 'From the

beginning,'

she said sadly, 'it was my fault.' She reached to cut the line. 'Goodbye, Terry. I wil remember you.'

'Wait! Jenny?'

The screen went dead. Terry sat in the booth for a long time.

TWENTY-FOUR

The darkness reeked of the stench of the ancient altar where the black priest cut out the heart of the living. Jim had been to such places before, in

his travels on Earth, and now he was here again. He never real y understood why there was always a new god that needed a sacrifice. It seemed a

recurring pattern.

Would he be afraid when his turn came?

The three of them stood in the perpetual night of the Martian deep. The top of the hil Bil had spoken of, at the center of the island, was flat; it came

nowhere near the ceiling of the cavern. They had made excel ent time on the journey underground. Hummingbird had swept them through the cave,

past their anchored boat, and over the miles of icy water to the island. Al to land here, Jim thought. Next to a hole in the ground that remained black

even when a light was shone directly into it.

The material of horror. A hole without a bottom.

Jessica herself had insisted on coming. There had been no need for Jim to press Bil on the matter. Unfortunately, Bil was now tel ing her she had

to stay with Hummingbird. There are things down there, my dear, that can't be touched except by an expert like our Professor. Jim was struck by the

sincerity in Bil 's voice. Of course, that had been the

problem good men faced whenever they wished to directly confront an evil; it usual y had an associated virtue that made the good men hesitate. No,

they would say, we cannot kil them. They are God's creatures. Jim wondered if he hadn't made a serious mistake. Courage was certainly not one

of the evil's virtues on this occasion. The laser Jim carried had been overloaded and had burned out the previous night, while it was supposed to be

recharging. Friend's broken circuits could have accidental y caused the damage, but who real y believed that?

Not me. Not Bil . Probably not even Friend.

Jim was glad he had told Lauren and Gary to hide a laser near the Karamazov. He had done little else for them.

Jessica agreed at last to stay with Hummingbird. Bil told Jim that it was best they start down. Goodbye, Jessie, Jim said, keep an eye open.

Jim fol owed Bil into the pit. The way was more of a drop than a slope, and Jim had to fight to keep his footing. The loose ground covered his boots

like oily mud. It made him feel dirty. He knew one thing for sure. No angel walked by his side on this journey.

The outside temperature increased sharply. Even inside his suit, Jim felt the heat on his skin. A sober red light began to glow up ahead. A foul smel

breathed inside his head. His thoughts were unpleasant. Fire and brimstone, and a place where the damned souls of a cursed people were sent

when they were through tormenting the good guys. Except here they were never through. Yeah, he recognized the place. He had read enough

stories about it.

At last Jim understood just what it meant to be on the planet Mars. He was afraid.

On the threshold of an entrance into a place of burning pools, Bil paused and turned to Jim. Bil smiled, but the expression was a mere movement

of the mouth, and did not touch his eyes. Jim could hardly bear to look at his eyes. There was nothing there.

'Coming in?' Bil asked.

They always invite you in.

Jim had led a ful life, yet suddenly regrets rose up inside him. Three stood out sharply. He would have liked to laugh with Gary and Lauren again.

He would have liked to feel an ocean breeze on his face one more time. And most of al , he would have loved a final talk with Jennifer Wagner. He

had given the glass slipper to the right person, he was sure of that. But now he would never know whether the ring was magical or not. Only she

could have told him.

'Yes,' Jim said. He stepped forward. He knew he wasn't going to find his way home this time.

The snow crunched softly under Lauren's feet as she strode across the bleak Martian plateau towards the Karamazov. The sky was a depressing

sheet of clouds. A quarter mile more and she would reach the Russian lander. She was alone. Gary remained in the Hawk, trying to maintain the

il usion with Bil that everything was cool. Lauren had spoken to Bil for only a moment this morning, and she knew things were not cool. He didn't

have Ivan's wicked grin, but he had Ivan's eyes, and that was bad enough.

She had only remembered Dmitri's diary this morning, after the others had left. Gary had been furious with her.

'Damn you, Doc, how could you have forgotten that?'

'The second I found it, a corpse jumped me!'

'Wel , go get it.'

'Now?'

'Yes.'

'By myself?'

' You're the one who doesn't think anything weird is going on. What are you afraid of'?'

A lot of things, Lauren thought. She checked her watch. They would have reached the island by now. God, Jim had better be al right. She would