Soothsayer (24 page)

"You can't climb hand-over-hand on that thing,” said the Mouse. “It'll cut right through your fingers."

Merlin smiled. “I won't have to. There's a little pulley mechanism in there that'll reel the wire in."

"It'll dislocate your arm."

He smiled. “I'm wearing a harness beneath my waiter's jacket. I'll be fine."

The Mouse looked unconvinced. “Have you ever tried this stunt before?"

"No ... but I got the wristband from a friend who does it every night in the circus."

"Why did he part with it?"

"He was in hospital getting a pair of prosthetic legs,” answered Merlin. “He hadn't any use for it.” He saw her worried expression. “He was there because of a different trick, not this one."

"I don't know...” said the Mouse.

"Please, Mouse,” said Penelope. “We have to hurry!"

"All right,” said the Mouse instantly.

She ducked her head, stepped through the hole in the window onto the ledge, quickly and expertly found some handholds and footholds, and began making her way up the outer wall of the building.

"Careful,” whispered Merlin, more to himself than to the Mouse, who was now halfway to the roof. “Careful."

"It's all right,” said Penelope, picking up Maryanne from the floor, where she had been playing with her before Merlin arrived. “She's not going to fall."

"I wish I was as sure as you,” said Merlin, craning his neck to watch the Mouse.

Penelope walked over to the table and calmly ate one of the sandwiches that Merlin had delivered in his guise as a hotel waiter.

"Don't you give a damn what happens to her?” he demanded irritably when he saw what she was doing.

"I told you—she's not going to fall."

"You'd better be right,” he said. “Because if you're not, I'm not only going to lose a partner, but you and I are still stuck in this room."

Penelope held a final bite of the sandwich up to Maryanne's mouth, then placed it on the table and carefully dabbed at the doll's lips with a linen napkin. Then she tucked the doll under her arm and walked to the window.

"She should be there now,” she announced.

"She is,” said Merlin with a sigh of relief. He turned to Penelope. “Let's figure out the logistics here. We can't both fit through the hole together, and if we break the glass and it crashes down to the street, we'll give ourselves away.” He examined the window again. “Grab a couple of napkins from the table."

Penelope smiled and held up the napkins she had brought with her.

"So you figured it out, too?” he said. “Smart kid.” He attached the wire to his harness. “Be very careful going through the hole here. Then, once you're on the ledge, wrap your hands in the napkins and hold onto the edge of the glass while I climb through.” His gaze went from the girl to the ledge to the roof and back again. “I don't suppose you're strong enough to hold on to my back?"

"I don't think so,” answered Penelope.

"All right,” he continued after a moment's thought. “Once I get out on the ledge too, I'll lift you up until you can wrap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist. That way I'll be able to keep an arm around you as well.” He paused. “Try not to worry. It won't take us very long once the pulley mechanism starts working."

"I'm not worried at all,” said Penelope.

"I wish I could say the same,” muttered Merlin. “Everything
should
work, but this is the Mouse's specialty. I've never done anything like this."

"We'll be fine."

He felt the cord jerk against his harness; the Mouse was signaling him that she had secured her end on the roof.

"I hope so,” he said. “Put the doll down and I'll lift you through the hole."

"Maryanne goes where I go,” said Penelope.

"It's just a doll,” said Merlin. “I'll buy you another."

"I don't want another. I want
her
."

He stared at her for a moment, then shrugged and sighed. “Okay, give her to me and I'll put her in a pocket."

"No you won't,” said Penelope. “You'll leave her behind."

"All right—carry her yourself,” said Merlin irritably. “See if I give a damn."

He guided Penelope through the hole in the window, while she clutched Maryanne to her chest. Then he maneuvered her until she was balanced on the narrow window ledge. She grasped the edge of the glass with a napkin-wrapped hand while the other held the doll.

A moment later Merlin was standing on the ledge beside her, and then, with the Mouse guiding them, they began their ascent. For a instant they got caught at the edge of the roof, and Merlin was absolutely certain the titanium cord would break or the pulley mechanism would fail, but eventually, with the Mouse's help, they reached the temporary safety of the roof.

"Follow me,” said the Mouse, as Merlin stood, hands on knees, gasping for breath, and Penelope inspected Maryanne for abrasions.

Merlin nodded and forced himself to follow the Mouse and Penelope across the rooftop. When they reached the edge, they looked down some 60 feet at the rooftop of an adjacent building.

"We can't chance taking the firestairs here,” explained the Mouse, “because we might run into the Yankee Clipper's men in the lobby. I think our best bet is to get to the building next door and leave through
its
lobby. How long is that cord of yours, Merlin?"

"Long enough to reach that rooftop, anyway."

The Mouse smiled. “Don't look so worried. Going down is much easier than going up."

"Faster, at least,” he muttered.

They were both right: it was easier and it was faster, and five minutes later the three of them walked down the firestairs to the ground floor.

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The stairwell let them out in the bustling lobby of an office building. Most of the shopping arcade seemed to consist of local travel agencies, but there was also a small branch bank and a clothing store that specialized in safari outfits.

"How did you find us?” asked the Mouse, as they walked to the main exit. “In fact, how did you even know we were on Calliope?"

"Later,” said Merlin, looking around. “Let's put a little distance between us and your pirate friend first."

He summoned a groundcab, asked the driver to recommend an inexpensive family hotel near one of the smaller entertainment complexes at the south end of town, and they rode in silence until they reached the hotel some fifteen minutes later.

Merlin walked up to the desk, explained that there had been a mix-up at the spaceport and that their luggage would be arriving that evening or the next morning, and booked two adjoining bedrooms. No comment was made: misplaced luggage was a common occurrence, given the quantity of luggage that had to move through the spaceport, and certainly the three of them appeared to be a typical family, operating on a budget but still determined to enjoy those features of Calliope that they could afford.

When they reached their rooms and opened the connecting door between them, Penelope approached the Mouse. “I saw some little girls outside on the play equipment,” she said. “Can I go play with them?"

The Mouse shook her head. “I'm afraid not."

"Why not?"

"Because those little girls don't have 18 pirates and half the bounty hunters in the Cluster looking for them, and you do. We can't take a chance that someone might identify you."

"No one will,” said Penelope. “Not today."

"You're sure?” said the Mouse.

"Yes."

"You're taking
her
word for it?” demanded Merlin.

"Of course,” said the Mouse.

"If she's spotted, we're all in trouble,” continued the magician, and suddenly the Mouse remembered that he was unaware of her extraordinary power, that they had parted before Penelope had demonstrated it for the first time.

"She won't be spotted,” said the Mouse. “If you won't trust her, then trust
me
."

Merlin placed a hand on Penelope's shoulder and waited until she turned to face him.

"You be very careful now,” he said. “And if you see anyone staring at you, you come right back here and let me know."

"Nobody will stare at me,” replied Penelope.

"I'm sure they won't,” said the Mouse, before Merlin could protest. “Go on out and play."

"Will you watch Maryanne for me?” asked the little girl. “I don't want her new clothes to get dirty."

"I'd be happy to,” answered the Mouse, taking the doll from her.

"Thank you,” said Penelope. “I guess I'll go now."

"Have a good time,” said the Mouse.

Penelope paused at the door, a worried expression on her face.

"What's the matter?” asked the Mouse.

"I don't know any games,” said Penelope. “I haven't seen another little girl since I was five years old."

"Then they'll teach you."

"What if they don't like me?"

"Nonsense,” said the Mouse. “You're a very likeable little girl."

"But
if
they don't?"

"They will,” the Mouse assured her.

Penelope stared at the doll. “Maybe I should bring Maryanne after all. If they don't like me, maybe they'll like
her
."

"Don't worry so,” said the Mouse soothingly. “Who wouldn't like a sweet little girl like you?"

"Lots of people,” said Penelope seriously. “Like the Iceman."

"You'll be fine,” the Mouse assured her. “Just introduce yourself and I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you."

"I hope so,” said Penelope uncertainly. Then she ordered the door to open, stepped out into the corridor, waved a very nervous good-bye to the Mouse and Merlin, and began walking away as the door closed behind her.

"Who's the Iceman?” asked Merlin, finally inspecting the inexpensively-furnished room with an expression of distaste. “Kind of a personal boogeyman?"

"Not exactly,” said the Mouse, seating herself on a large chair and tucking her feet beneath her. “I used to work for him, a long time ago."

"I never heard you mention him."

"He had a different name then,” said the Mouse. “Enough about the Iceman. How did you ever find us?"

"It's a long story.” He stared at a holographic print of an alien landscape that hung above the bed. “God, that's ugly!"

"Maybe you should begin at the beginning,” said the Mouse. “How did you get away from all those bounty hunters after you dropped us off on Binder X?"

"I didn't."

The Mouse frowned. “What are you talking about?"

"I didn't get away from them all,” repeated Merlin. “I thought I had lost them, but Three-Fisted Ollie caught up with me on a little hellhole called Feathergill.” He sighed. “Six billion birds, fifty billion fish, and one ugly little Tradertown with two run-down hotels. I'll swear every other person on the planet was an ornithologist or an ichthyologist. If there was one place in the whole galaxy I could have sworn no one would look for me, it was Feathergill."

"Obviously you were wrong."

"I spent almost a month there,” replied the magician. “Three-Fisted Ollie found me a few days ago."

"Obviously he didn't kill you."

Merlin chuckled. “Obviously."

"So what happened?"

"He wanted the little girl. He and Cemetary Smith had gotten word that the Yankee Clipper was putting her up for auction to the highest bidder, and their employer wanted her pretty badly. But they had a problem: neither of them had ever seen Penelope close up. Ollie knew I had, and he wanted to make sure no one was selling a ringer, so he and Smith offered me a deal—half a million credits if I could make a positive identification, whether their employer is the high bidder or not."

"So that's how you knew where the Yankee Clipper was keeping us!"

"Of course that's how I knew,” replied Merlin with a smile. “I'm an illusionist, not a magician.” He walked across the faded carpet to a plain wooden chair and sat down on it, grimacing in discomfort. “All interested parties were allowed to make sure the girl was as advertised. In fact, I almost bumped into a pair of mean-looking bounty hunters coming out before I got into my waiter's outfit."

The Mouse looked amused. “You're a man of many talents, no question about it,” she said. “Today you were a waiter, and tomorrow you can go back to being an illusionist—but for tonight, you're a hero for rescuing Penelope and me."

"I rescued
you
,” Merlin corrected her. “I just
borrowed
Penelope."

"What do you mean?” asked the Mouse warily.

"If she's worth half a million credits just to identify, think of how much the Yankee Clipper will pay to get her back.” He paused. “Or if we can find a safe enough place to hide her, maybe we'll even conduct the auction ourselves."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're being awfully dense, Mouse,” said Merlin. “We're sitting on a gold mine. We could make a big enough killing so both of us could retire. I've heard that the bidding is going to start at ten million credits."

The Mouse stared at him for a long moment.

"You're a fool,” she said at last.

"I thought I was a hero,” he said.

"I thought so, too. I was wrong."

"I don't supposed you'd care to tell me why?"

"First, I'm very fond of that little girl, and I'm not about to let you or anyone else sell her as if she was some kind of animal. Second, hasn't anyone told you that there's a reason why she's worth so much?"

"Who cares why?” said Merlin with a shrug. “She's worth a bundle, and we've got her. That's all I need to know."

"No, that's
not
all you need to know,” said the Mouse, looking out the grubby window at Penelope, who was standing by herself, watching a trio of girls at play.

"All right,” said Merlin, shifting uncomfortably on the straight-backed wooden chair. “Suppose you tell me why she's so valuable."

"She's valuable because she has a gift, an ability, that a lot of people, and even governments, want to control."

"What gift?"

"Precognition."

"Bunk,” said Merlin. “If she's got precognition, she must know I plan to hold her for ransom. Why did she agree to come with us?"

The Mouse looked at Merlin and smiled. “Try not to let it hurt your sensitive feelings,” she said, “but you are the least menacing alternative that was presented to her. Compared to the Iceman and the Yankee Clipper and some of the others, you're so low on the scale that she hasn't even bothered getting rid of you."