New Ally, Old Adversary

Helena and her comrade from the Circus, Luise deForrest, faced a dilemma: What

should they do with the captured Captain Fortier? They couldn't let him go, but at the

same time they didn't want to breach the Circus' cover by bringing him back there. Even

though Fortier's loyalty to the Empire was unquestioned, it was bad policy to let too

many people know of the Circus' connection with SOTE.

Helena thought of a compromise. She checked into a small hotel and Luise brought

Fortier up to the room via the back entrance. From there they placed a call to Duke

Etienne explaining the situation, and he agreed to come at once to find out more details.

While waiting for the Duke to arrive, Helena had more chance to converse with the

prisoner. She wanted very much to hate him because of what had happened to her

father, but found she could not. For one thing, she knew the captain was honest,

intelligent, and doing his duty to the Empire as he understood it. Helena had to admit that

if she'd been the one to discover the evidence against her father, she might very well

have turned him in herself. More important, Helena thought Paul Fortier a very attractive

man. He was short and muscular, with a handsome face, dark hair, brown eyes, and a

pencil-thin mustache. She remembered reading his personnel dossier after the

Coronation Day Incursion; while his family was of DesPlainian origin, the last few

generations had lived on one-gee worlds and so did not have quite the strength or

reflexes of the true DesPlainians. She also remembered he was single-a fact she'd noted

at the time, and which now popped into her memory with disturbing ease. Watching him

lying on the bed across the room from her, she suddenly found herself thinking very

unprofessional thoughts.

Angry with herself, she pushed those thoughts from her mind to concentrate on the

business at hand. "Why did you come here, Captain?" she asked in as neutral a tone as

she could muster.

"I should think that would be obvious," he replied just as coolly. "I wanted to take you

back."

"But you've been following me for two days. Why didn't you just grab me and pull me in?"

"I wanted to see if you'd lead me to anyone else." Helena stood up and wandered around

the room, deliberately turning her back on him. Luise was keeping watch to make sure he

made no sudden moves, but she stayed discreetly out of the conversation.

"Despite what you think," Helena said after a moment, "I'm not a traitor. The only reason

I escaped was to find some friends and clear my father's name. I know he was innocent.

"

"If he was, no one is sorrier about his death than I am," Fortier said quietly.

"You're just saying that because I have you here at gunpoint. "

"It's the truth. You and your friend could have killed me there on the street when you had

the chance, but you didn't; I have to think that speaks of good intentions. You could have

killed several of my officers while you were escaping from the Anna Libeling, but you

didn't do that either. Your behavior isn't what I'd expect from a deadly enemy of the

Empire."

Helena's fists were tightly clenched. "Nevertheless, my father is dead."

Fortier paused and took a deep breath. "That's not my doing. After you escaped, I

reported back to Luna Base and was told to bring your father to Earth for interrogation. I

handed him over and that's the last I saw of him. I was ordered to try to track you down,

so I came here. It occurred to me you might want to check out my story for yourself, and

this was the natural place to do it. I heard about your father's execution in the newsrolls,

the same as everyone else. It was the Empress who decided he should die; you'll have

to blame her for that."

It didn't soothe Helena to realize that Fortier was absolutely right. Edna Stanley held the

ultimate authority in that matter, and the execution could not have taken place without her

express consent. Sometime in the future, if-no, when-her innocence was re-established,

Helena knew she'd have to confront her lifelong friend about the horrible murder of a

good and loyal man. The prospect did not appeal to her.

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Duke Etienne. The Circus' manager

had come disguised so Fortier couldn't recognize him; since Luise never made public

appearances without heavy clown makeup, Fortier couldn't associate her face with the

Circus either. The Circus' cover remained unbroken.

"Well, young man," Etienne said to the prisoner, "you've made quite a name for yourself.

I'm sorry we had to meet under such tragic circumstances."

"I didn't realize I was that famous," Fortier said. "Your. recent exploits have been justly

renowned in certain official circles," the Duke told him, putting just enough emphasis in his

voice to make his meaning unmistakable. "I even have a very personal reason to be im-

mensely grateful to you-a reason which, for security's sake, I can't explain right now."

Indeed he did. Not only had Captain Fortier saved the Empire at the time of the

Coronation Day incursion, he had also saved the life of the Duke's daughter Yvette.

"Please accept my assurance," Etienne continued, "that you are among friends here."

"I'd find it easier to believe that if that lady didn't have her stunner pointed at me all the

time," Fortier said dryly. The Duke nodded at Luise. "Put the gun away," he said. "We

don't need it anymore. Captain Fortier will remain with us of his own accord. I even

suspect, when I tell him my little story, he'll volunteer to help us."

Fortier leaned forward on the bed. "You intrigue me, Gospodin. Please continue."

Etienne d'Alembert sat across from the naval officer, watching his face intently. "When

Helena came to me for help, she told me your story of the investigation leading to her

father's arrest. I have, in my time, performed services for the Empire along those same

lines, and I respect your efforts. Nonetheless, something in what you'd said raised my

suspicions-something you knew nothing about since it was well before your time. It was

that something which brought me here to Durward. "

"The unfinished business with Elsa Helmund?" Fortier ventured.

"Only peripherally. I suspect Elsa Helmund is an unimportant piece of the entire picture,

merely a device to lure you from Lateesta to Preis. Something you reported about her,

though, interested me greatly. You said you first became suspicious when you saw the

necklace she was wearing: an integrated circuit chip on a golden chain."

"Yes," Fortier said. "I'd been told that some members of a certain conspiracy wore such

things as identification symbols.

"That was my information, too," Etienne agreed. "Have you heard of Duke Fyodor Paskoi

of the planet Kolokov?" Fortier searched his memory. "I think . . . A couple of years ago,

wasn't it? Something about treason. The planet reverted to the throne and a new Duke

was appointed. I'm afraid I don't remember any of the details; I wasn't involved with it in

any way."

"No reason why you should remember. I, however, was involved with it in a large way, as

was the young lady who'd just been pointing her stunner at you. When I first met Duke

Fyodor, he was wearing an identical chain around his own neck."

"I guess that stands to reason."

"Much more to the point," the Duke went on, "I thought at the time that I'd seen such a

necklace before, but I couldn't remember where or when. The memory did not come to

me instantly and I quickly became embroiled with other matters, so I didn't worry about it

again until the story of Elsa Helmund made me think of it. In the past few days I have

thought about it quite a lot, and I've finally recaptured the elusive memory. I'd like to

share it with you.

"Nearly twenty years ago I was performing some . . . shall we say investigative services

for the good of the Empire. Certain traitors and other high-level criminals were being

given new identities so they could escape detection. Along with forged identities, they

were receiving plastic surgery to alter their appearance. I set out to discover who was

doing these things.

"The trail led me to a surgeon named William Loxner, who had a practice right here on

Durward. My investigation uncovered enough evidence to have him convicted for his

crimes. I believe the sentence he received was ten years in prison. I don't know what's

happened to him since then, although I intend to find out.

"I was telling you, though, about the memory of the necklaces. While gathering evidence,

I visited Loxner as a prospective patient. My first sight of him was when he came out of

his office, saying goodbye to an elderly woman and setting up another appointment for

her. Loxner was in his sixties and the woman looked even older, easily in her seventies. I

never saw her again; she apparently had no connection to the case I was working on.

"But I remember most clearly the fact that both Loxner and the old woman were wearing

identical necklacesintegrated circuit chips on golden chains. Loxner was fingering his

necklace nervously; in retrospect, I'm guessing that the woman may have been a

superior in the organization. At the time, of course, the necklaces meant nothing to me,

but I recall thinking how odd it was that two people would be wearing the same

distinctive article of jewelry. Today I find it more than odd, I find it downright suspicious

that such a coincidence should happen on Durward-a planet with such a scandalous past

and now with a question mark for a present. Do you agree, Captain?"

Fortier's eyes were alight with the challenge of this puzzle; he was clearly as hooked on

the mystery as the rest of them. "I'm not sure this business with the necklaces has

anything to do with the case against Gospozha von Wilmenhorst's father," he said slowly.

"But you're right, it's too coincidental to be ignored. Something more is happening here

on Durward, and I'd like to know what it is as much as you would. Tracking down people

after twenty years can be difficult. . . ."

"This is where I'm sure you'll be most helpful, Captain," the Duke smiled slyly. "You

currently have the full cooperation of the police and other agencies, while I'm acting

unofficially. You were very adept at tracking down tiny clues on the trail to Helena's

father; I'm sure you'll prove no less skilled on this case."

Fortier's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "There's just one thing. Putting the gun away

was a nice show of trust, but it was still meaningless since you outnumber me three to

one. You've still offered me no credentials to prove I should cooperate with you, merely

old tales and innuendos. I do want to investigate this Dr. Loxner, but how do I know it's

for the best to share my data with you?"

"You couldn't stop me from doing my own investigation. I might still hold you here against

your will, though I promised I wouldn't and I won't. My investigation will go more smoothly

with your help, but it will get done one way or another. It seems more efficient for both of

us to work together.

Fortier still looked doubtful. He had no firm proof that the other three still weren't

members of the conspiracy trying to trick him into doing some work for them. The doubts

and suspicions could have been argued for hours, so Helena took matters into her own

hands.

"Trust must always be mutual, Captain," she said to Fortier. "Perhaps if we give you an

indication of our trust in you, you'll give more to us in return. You came here to recapture

me. I am willing, here and now, to surrender myself into your custody if you will help with

this case. I'd like to work at your side, if I may; I'm not inexperienced at piecing puzzles

like this together. But if you want you may put me under guard, handcuff me, do anything

that will assure you I mean what I say. Does that add up to the right hour on your

timepiece?"

Fortier stared deeply into Helena's face. He recognized the sacrifice she was prepared

to make on behalf of this case. After all, her father had just been executed for treason

and she could conceivably share that fate. She was literally putting her life in his hands.

But more than that, her final words sent a chill down his back. "Timepiece" was his

undercover codename. For her to know it at all meant she must have some high connec-

tions in intelligence circles, with access to his dossier. His entire perception of her shifted

immediately. Who was she, to be given such knowledge? It occurred to him for the first

time that she might know far more about him than he knew about her.

"Khorosho," he said slowly, nodding, "If you can trust me that much, I think I can risk

trusting you. You have yourselves a deal, tovarishchi."

The next morning Helena returned with Fortier to police headquarters. The Naval officer

made no mention of her, no report to his superiors, nor did he insist on restricting her

motions in any way. He did ask, when they were alone, how she knew his codename and

she admitted she'd been given legal access to his files at one time. She would say

nothing beyond that, however, and Fortier had to content himself with that tantalyzing

piece of information. Helena found, though, that he was watching her more critically out

of the corners of his eyes when he thought she wouldn't notice. His opinion of her was

undergoing a thorough re-evaluation, and she didn't mind that a bit.

The first item they checked was the police file on Dr. Loxner. The surgeon had served

seven years of his sentence in prison, where he'd been such a model prisoner he was

released on parole. He adhered strictly to the conditions of the parole and, at the end of

his appointed time, was freed from constraints. There was no record, at least on

Durward, of his ever being in trouble with the law again.

They next checked with the Durward Medical Association and the Durward Board of

Surgery. Dr. Loxner had kept up his membership in both organizations even while in

prison, and had never been uncertified. Upon his release on parole, he was permitted to

open a new practice in tandem with another doctor, and that practice had continued for

another six years, until Dr. Loxner retired.

Helena stared at the file and went suddenly pale. Sensing her reaction, Fortier asked, "Is

there something significant about that?"

The young woman pointed at the name of Loxner's partner. "Dr. Immanuel Rustin was

personal physician to Duke Fyodor Paskoi of Kolokov. He specialized in prosthetic

devices. He also worked as a member of the conspiracy, building robots. He built the

robot that took your place a few months ago."

Fortier looked at her, his mouth slightly agape. "You know about that, too?"

"I know about a lot of things."

Fortier looked at her, not even bothering to disguise the admiration in his voice. "When I

first met you, I naturally assumed you were the spoiled daughter of a Grand Duke. Since

then you've been a constant source of astonishment. I keep wondering how much more

I'll find out when I get to know you better."

Helena looked quickly away. She could not help noticing his use of the word "when"

rather than "if." Her pulse was beating out a strange rhythm, and she felt safer changing

the subject altogether. "I particularly know about those robots; they've caused a great

deal of damage. This is a fascinating connection, because it ties Loxner in once more

with the conspiracy, and with the robots. If he and Rustin worked on the robots together,

he might have had some role in creating the robot of Herman Stanck."

She suddenly grew very quiet, and Fortier wondered what she was thinking. She did not

share her thoughts with him, but instead pressed the investigation even harder.

By the end of the day they had learned a few interesting facts. Dr. Loxner was

reasonably well off, and had been able to retire to a private asteroid in the Durward

system several years ago. There was no death certificate, so there was a good

possibility he was still around-and still linked to the conspiracy. An attempt to locate his

patient files, though, proved futile; the records had apparently been destroyed. A further

check on Dr. Immanuel Rustin showed that the man had lived on Durward and had been

a close colleague of Dr. Loxner for nearly thirty years, though they'd only officially been

partners for the last six years of Loxner's practice. After Loxner retired, Rustin emigrated

to Kolokov, where he took the job as permanent physician to Duke Fyodor. Helena had

some idea of what he'd done from then until his death, when the Circus had investigated

the Duke's activities.

The hotel room Helena had rented on the spur of the moment had been turned into the

central rendezvous point so Fortier wouldn't learn about the Circus. Helena called the

room and spoke with Luise, acting as liaison. They set up another meeting with Duke

Etienne for later that evening.

Etienne and Luise were both fascinated to hear about Loxner's connection with Immanuel

Rustin. It was Luise who had interrogated Rustin under nitrobarb and learned about the

robots in the fast place. She admitted to feeling a terrible sense of deja vu, as though the

universe were closing itself together in a tight knot.

The Duke, too, could feel events rushing toward some conclusion. "I think," he said, "we

ought to pay a visit to Dr. Loxner on his private asteroid. There are a few questions I'd

like to ask him, and the answers might become very interesting indeed.''