Antagonist - Childe Cycle 11 (36 page)

here
to
the
ship,
or
going
out
to
see
them,"
she
said;
"so
we'll
have to
instruct
our
people
outside
to
make
the
initial
approaches
to
the researchers."

"That's
right,"
he
said.
"We'll
put
together
a
prospectus
for
our people—by
the
way,
they
should
be
very
clear
that
this
is
an
undercover
operation:
they
can't
let
the
researchers
know
who
they're working
for
...
in
fact,
the
researchers
themselves
would
be
wise not
to
let
anyone
know
what
project
they're
working
on."

"We'll
have
to
give
some
thought
to
which
of
our
people
to
give this
job
to,"
Toni
said.
"Most
of
the
staff
aren't
really
geared
up for—what
did
you
call
it?—'undercover'
work."

"Run
this
through
Henry,"
Bleys
said.
"He'll
probably
suggest using
some
of
the
Soldiers
who
were
raised
on
this
planet;
they'll
be more
likely
to
have
the
right
accents
and
mannerisms
to
be
accepted
as
normal
Cetans;
with
a
suitable
cover
story,
they'll
raise less
suspicion."

"You're
worried
that
if
the
researchers
talk
about
what
they're doing,
it
may
draw
interest
from
the
wrong
quarter?"

"Certainly,"
he
said.
"But
I
also
don't
want
the
researchers
to
get themselves
killed
before
they
complete
their
work
for
us."

There
was
a
short
silence
in
the
room,
before
Toni
continued.

"So
what
is
it
you
want
researched?"

"Actually,
you
have
one
more
data-sort
to
do,"
he
said.
"I
want you
to
separate
out
researchers
who
seem
to
have
familiarity
with something
like
image
alteration
or
image
recognition
software."

"That
kind
of
information
ought
to
be
in
their
resumes."

"Then
go
through
our
files
on
the
organization's
personnel
here on
Ceta,"
Bleys
said.
"I
mean
the
files
we
brought
along
with
us, rather
than
those
in
the
local
offices.
Copy
the
photos
of
every
staffer over
forty-five
years
of
age.
Give
those
photos
to
about
a
half
dozen of
the
imaging-qualified
researchers,
scattered
around
the
planet. Those
researchers
should
not
be
given
any
other
information—not even
the
names
we
have
for
those
subjects.
We
want
the
researchers trying
to
identify
the
photos
with
no
preconceptions—understood?"

"I
see
what
you're
saying,"
Toni
said.
"Could
I
suggest
the
researchers
be
told
to
think
of
the
subjects
as
they
were
about twenty-five
years
ago?"

"You're
proceeding
on
the
assumption
that
those
staff
people would
have
been
most
active
in
whatever
they've
been
up
to,
when they
were
in
their
thirties
or
so?"
Bleys
said,
nodding.
"I
was
coming
to
that,
but
don't
let
the
researchers
overlook
checking
on
the current
faces."

"I
understand,"
Toni
said.
"And
the
other
group
of
researchers?"

"Again,
give
them
nothing
to
base
a
preconception
on,"
he
said. "Simply
tell
them
to
dig
up
any
information
they
can
on
any
secret, semi-secret,
or
underground
organization
on
this
planet
during
the period
between
fifteen
and
forty
years
ago—particularly
focusing on
the
areas
of
finance
and
crime."

"That's
a
pretty
broad
mandate,"
she
said.
"It'll
likely
take
weeks to
get
full
results
back."

"True,"
he
said.
"I
don't
think
we
have
that
much
time,
but
we don't
necessarily
need
the
full
details,
either;
I'll
be
satisfied
with sketchy
reports
if
they
come
quickly."

"Let
me
see
if
I
can
come
up
with
some
way
to
include
in
the package
a
requirement
that
the
researchers
report
to
the
person who
hired
them
once
a
day—it'll
mean
our
people
have
to
be
reachable,
somehow,
which
Henry
won't
like."

"Maybe
the
researchers
ought
to
make
themselves
reachable at
designated
times
each
day,"
Bleys
suggested.
"Most
of
the
good research
facilities
have
excellent
communications
equipment,
and I'm
sure
Ceta
won't
lag
in
that
respect."

"Staggering
the
report
times
will
make
it
possible
for
a
single
one of
our
people
to
deal
with
more
than
one
researcher,"
she
pointed out.
"But
would
reports
twice
a
day
be
better?"

"Yes,"
he
said.
"The
researchers
can
be
told
their
reports
back
will help
narrow
the
field
of
the
research—I
mean,
that
with
their
reports we'll
be
able
to
send
back
suggestions
on
where
to
focus
their
efforts."

"All
right,"
she
said,
nodding
in
her
turn.
"Anything
more?"

"No."

"Then
I'll
get
started."

"Cheese?"
Her
voice
came
out
of
the
starlit
darkness
of
the
bedroom
they
were
sharing.

"I
wasn't
really
thinking
about
cheese'''
he
said,
turning
his
head in
her
direction.
He
could
see
a
pale
shadow
that
was
her
body, faintly
lit
by
the
artificial
starlight.

"I
knew
that
she
said.
"But
if
it's
not
too
nosy,
I'd
like
to
know how
that
led
you
to—whatever
it
led
you
to."

"I
don't
mind,"
he
said.
"But
it's
going
to
sound
silly—maybe flimsy."

"But
you
went
somewhere
with
it,
didn't
you?"

"I
just
started
from
there,"
he
said.
"The
thought
of
how
hard
life has
been,
for
so
many
on
the
Younger
Worlds,
reminded
me
that
life is
much
better—even
luxurious—for
me
now.
And
for
the
Others we've
been
leading."

"I
guess
you
could
say
you've
raised
the
Others
to
an
elite
position,"
she
said.
"Is
that
bad?"

"It
might
be."

"You're
saying
we've
been
spoiled?"

"I
know
I've
gotten
too
used
to
the
good
life."
He
raised
himself on
an
elbow,
turning
his
upper
body
slightly
sideways
to
face
her.

"That's
not
so—you
work
harder
than
anyone
I
know!"

"That's
kind
of
you,"
he
said.
"And
it
may
be
true—but
in
any case,
that's
not
exactly
what
I
meant."

They
were
in
a
force
bed,
so
he
did
not
feel
any
movement
when she
sat
up,
but
he
could
see
her
pale
form
rise
a
little,
and
loom closer.
He
rolled
onto
his
back
again.

"Then
you
have
to
explain
what
you
mean,"
she
said,
settling down
while
leaning
against
his
side.
He
had
automatically
raised
his arm
as
she
moved
toward
him,
and
now
he
brought
it
down
behind her
back
as
she
raised
her
head
to
accommodate
his
shoulder.

"Life
has
been
going
well
for
us—for
our
Others,"
he
explained. "It
may
have
led
us
into
a
sort
of
spiritual
contentment—which,
I guess,
can
look
like
simple
laziness
in
some
contexts."

"How
can
you
say
that?
The
Others
here
on
Ceta
do
work
hard— they're
always
on
the
go!"

"Yes,
they
are,"
he
said.
"At
least,
it
certainly
looks
like
it,
on
the surface.
But
what
if
they've
gotten
complacent,
too?"