Retief Unbound (14 page)

"I'm sure I don't know what
you're talking about," Miss Meuhl snapped, her eyes sharp behind the heavy
lenses.

"If you'll listen, you may
find out," Retief said. "I have no time to waste, Miss Meuhl. They
won't be expecting an immediate move—I hope—and that may give me the latitude
I need."

"You're still determined to
make an issue of that incident." Miss Meuhl snorted. "I really can
hardly blame the Groaci; they are not a sophisticated race; they had never
before met aliens."

"You're ready to forgive a
great deal, Miss Meuhl. But it's not what happened nine years ago I'm concerned
with. It's what's happening now. I've told you that it was only a lifeboat the
Groaci have hidden out. Don't you understand the implication? That vessel
couldn't have come far; the cruiser itself must be somewhere nearby. I want to
know where."

"The Groaci don't know.
They're a very cultured, gentle people. You can do irreparable harm to the
Terrestrial image if you insist—"

"We're wasting time,"
Retief said, as he crossed the room to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out
a slim-barreled needier.

"This office is being watched;
not very efficiently, if I know the Groaci. I think I can get past them all
right."

"Where are you going with . .
. that?" Miss Meuhl stared at the needier. "What in the world—"

"The Groaci won't waste any
time destroying every piece of paper in their files relating to this affair. I
have to get what I need before it's too late. If I wait for an official Enquiry
Commission, they'll find nothing but blank smiles."

"You're out of your
mind!" Miss Meuhl stood up, quivering with indignation. "You're like
a .. . a . . ."

"You and I are in a tight
spot, Miss Meuhl. The logical next move for the Groaci is to dispose of both of
us. We're the only ones who know what happened. Fith almost did the job this
afternoon, but I bluffed him out—for the moment,"

Miss Meuhl emitted a shrill laugh.
"Your fantasies are getting the better of you," she gasped. "In
danger, indeed! Disposing of me! I've never heard anything so ridiculous."

"Stay in this office. Close
and safe-lock the door. You've got food and water in the dispenser. I suggest
you stock up, before they shut the supply down. Don't let anyone in, on any
pretext whatever. I'll keep in touch with you via handphone."

"What are you planning to
do?"

"If I don't make it back here,
transmit the sealed record of this afternoon's conversation, along with the
information I've given you. Beam it through on a Mayday priority. Then tell the
Groaci what you've done and sit tight. I think you'll be all right. It won't be
easy to blast in here and anyway, they won't make things worse by killing you
in an obvious way. A Force can be here in a week."

"I'll do nothing of the sort!
The Groaci are very fond of me! You . . . Johnny-come-lately! Roughneck!
Setting out to destroy—"

"Blame it on me if it will
make you feel any better," Retief said, "but don't be fool enough to
trust them." He pulled on a cape, and opened the door.

"I'll be back in a couple of
hours," he said. Miss Meuhl stared after him silently as he closed the
door.

It was an hour before dawn when
Retief keyed the combination to the safe-lock and stepped into the darkened
Consular office. Miss Meuhl, dozing in a chair, awoke with a start. She looked
at Retief, rose, snapped on a light, and turned to stare.

"What in the world— Where have
you been? What's happened to your clothing?"

"I got a little dirty—don't
worry about it." Retief went to his desk, opened a drawer, and replaced
the needier.

"Where have you been?"
Miss Meuhl demanded. "I stayed here."

"I'm glad you did,"
Retief said. "I hope you piled up a supply of food and water from the
dispenser, too. We'll be holed up here for a week, at least." He jotted
figures on a pad. "Warm up the official sender. I have
a
long transmission for Sector Headquarters." "Are you going to
tell me where you've been?"

"I have a message to get off
first, Miss Meuhl," Retief said sharply. "I've been to the Foreign
Ministry," he added. "I'll tell you all about it later."

"At this hour? There's no one
there."

"Exactly."

Miss Meuhl gasped. "You mean
you broke in? You burgled the Foreign Office?"

"That's right," Retief
said calmly. "Now—"

"This is absolutely the
end," Miss Meuhl said. "Thank heaven I've already—"

"Get that sender going, woman!
This is important."

"I've already done so, Mr.
Retief!" Miss Meuhl said harshly. "I've been waiting for you to come
back here." She turned to the communicator and flipped levers. The screen
snapped aglow, and a wavering long-distance image appeared.

"He's here now," Miss
Meuhl said to the screen. She looked at Retief triumphantly.

"That's good," said Retief.
"I don't think the Groaci can knock us off the air, but—"

"I have done my duty, Mr.
Retief; I made a full report of your activities to Sector Headquarters last
night, as soon as you left this office. Any doubts I may have had as to the
rightness of my decision have been completely dispelled by what you've just
told me."

Retief looked at her levelly.
"You've been a busy girl, Miss Meuhl. Did you mention the six Terrestrials
who were killed here?"

"That had no bearing on the
matter of your wild behavior. I must say, in all my years in the Corps, I've
never encountered a personality less suited to diplomatic work."

The screen crackled, the ten-second
transmission lag having elapsed. "Mr. Retief," the face on the
screen said sternly, "I am Counselor Nitworth, DSO-1, Deputy
Under-Secretary for the Sector. I have received a report on your conduct which
makes it mandatory for me to relieve you administratively. Pending the
findings of a Board of Inquiry, you will—"

Retief reached out and snapped off
the communicator. The triumphant look faded from Miss Meuhl's face.

"Why, what is the
meaning—" - "If I'd listened any longer, I might have heard something
I couldn't ignore. I can't afford that, at this moment. Listen, Miss
Meuhl," Retief went on earnestly, "I've found the missing cruiser.
It's—"

"You heard him relieve
you!"

"I heard him say he was going
to, Miss Meuhl. But until I've heard and acknowledged a verbal order, it has no
force. If I'm wrong, he'll get my resignation. If I'm right, that suspension
would be embarrassing all around."

"You're defying lawful
authority. I'm in charge here now." Miss Meuhl stepped to the local
communicator.

"I'm going to report this
terrible thing to the Groaci at once, and offer my profound—"

"Don't touch that
screen," Retief said. "You go sit in that corner where I can keep an
eye on you. I'm going to make a sealed tape for transmission to Headquarters,
along with a call for an armed Task Force. Then we'll settle down to
wait."

Retief, ignoring Miss Meuhl's fury,
spoke into the recorder.

The local communicator chimed. Miss
Meuhl jumped up and stared at it.

"Go ahead," Retief said.
"Answer it."

A Groacian official appeared on the
screen.

"Yolanda Meuhl," he said
without preamble, "for the Foreign Minister of the Groacian Autonomy, I
herewith accredit you as Terrestrial Consul to Groac, in accordance with the
advices transmitted to my Government direct from the Terrestrial Headquarters.
As Consul, you are requested to make available for questioning Mr. J. Retief,
former Consul, in connection with the assault on two Peace Keepers, and illegal
entry into the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"Why . . . why," Miss
Meuhl stammered. "Yes, of course, and I do want to express my deepest
regrets—"

Retief rose, went to the
communicator, and assisted Miss Meuhl aside.

"Listen carefully, Fith,"
he said. "Your bluff has been called. You don't come in and we don't come
out. Your camouflage worked for nine years, but it's all over now. I suggest
you keep your heads and resist the temptation to make matters worse."

"Miss Meuhl," Fith
replied, "a Peace Squad waits outside your Consulate. It is clear you are
in the hands of a dangerous lunatic. As always, die Groaci wish only
friendship with the Terrestrials, but—"

"Don't bother," Retief
cut in. "You know what was in those files I looked over this
morning."

Retief turned at a sound behind
him. Miss Meuhl was at the door reaching for the safe-lock release.

"Don't!" Retief
jumped ...
too late. The door burst inward,
a crowd of crested Groaci pressed into the room, pushed Miss Meuhl back, and
aimed scatter guns at Retief. Police Chief Shluh pushed forward.

"Attempt no violence,
Terrestrial," he said. "I cannot promise to restrain my men."

"You're violating Terrestrial
territory, Shluh," Retief said steadily. "I suggest you move back out
the same way you came in."

"I invited them here,"
Miss Meuhl spoke up. "They are here at my express wish."

"Are they? Are you sure you
meant to go this far, Miss Meuhl? A squad of armed Groaci in the
Consulate?"

"You are the Consul, Miss Yolanda
Meuhl," Shluh said. "Would it not be best if we removed this deranged
person to a place of safety?"

"Yes," Miss Meuhl said.
"You're quite right, Mr. Shluh. Please escort Mr. Retief to his quarters
in this building."

"I don't advise you to violate
my diplomatic immunity, Fith," Retief said.

"As Chief of Mission,"
Miss Meuhl said quickly, "I hereby waive immunity in the case of Mr.
Retief."

Shluh produced a hand recorder.
"Kindly repeat your statement, madame, officially," he said. "I
wish no question—"

"Don't be a fool, woman,"
Retief said. "Don't you see what you're letting yourself in for? This
would be a hell of a good time for you to figure out whose side you're
on."

"I'm on the side of common
decency!" "You've been taken in. These people are concealing—"

"You think all women are
fools, don't you, Mr. Retief?" She turned to the police chief and spoke
into the microphone he held up.

"That's an illegal
waiver," Retief said. "I'm Consul here, whatever rumors you've heard.
This thing's coming out into the open, in spite of anything you can do; don't
add violation of the Consulate to the list of Groacian atrocities."

"Take the man," Shluh
said. Two tall Groaci came to Retief's side, guns aimed at his chest.

"Determined to hang
yourselves, aren't you?" Retief said. "I hope you have sense enough
not to lay a hand on this poor fool here." He jerked a thumb at Miss
Meuhl. "She doesn't know anything. I hadn't had time to tell her yet. She
thinks you're a band of angels."

The cop at Retief’s side swung the
butt of his scatter gun and connected solidly with Retief's jaw. Retief
staggered against a Groacian, was caught and thrust upright, blood running down
onto his shirt. Miss Meuhl yelped. Shluh barked at the guard in shrill
Groacian, then turned to stare at Miss Meuhl.

"What has this man told
you?"

"I—nothing. I refused to
listen to his ravings."

"He said nothing to you of . .
. some
alleged ...
involvement."

"I've told you." Miss
Meuhl said sharply. She looked at the expressionless Groaci, then back at the
blood on Retief's shirt.

"He told me nothing," she
whispered. "I swear it."

"Let it lie, boys,"
Retief said, "before you spoil that good impression."

Shluh looked at Miss Meuhl for a
long moment Then he turned.

"Let us go," he said. He
turned back to Miss Meuhl. "Do not leave this building until further
advice."

"But...
I am the Terrestrial Consul."

"For your safety, madam. The
people are aroused at the beating of Groacian nationals by an . . .
alien."

"So long, Meuhlsie,"
Retief said. "You played it real foxy." "You'll. .. lock him in
his quarters?" Miss Meuhl said.

"What is done with him now is
a Groacian affair, Miss Meuhl. You yourself have withdrawn the protection of
your government."

"I didn't mean—"

"Don't start having second
thoughts," Retief said. "They can make you miserable."

"I had no choice. I had to
consider the best interest of the Service."

"My mistake, I guess. I was
thinking of the best interests of a Terrestrial cruiser with three hundred men
aboard."

"Enough," Shluh said.
"Remove this criminal." He gestured to the Peace Keepers.

"Move along," he said to
Retief. He turned to Miss Meuhl.