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single harshly bright lamp was aimed straight into his eyes.
His arms and feet were numb. He had lost track of the time since they'd strapped him into this chair. He couldn't see
the walls. The window, if there was one in this room, must have been behind him. His mouth and throat were
sandpaper-dry; they hadn't allowed him even a drink of water for a very long time. Yet his bladder was full and ached
dully.
For the moment he was alone. The bruise under his eye throbbed painfully. They hadn't used any physical torture on
him, but they'd underestimated his own anger and determination. David had fought them when they brought him into
this interrogation room. He knocked down several of them before Leo and the others had battered him into un-.
consciousness. When he woke up, the strap had been tightly fastened around him.
He heard the door open, but he couldn't see anything beyond the glare of the lamp. A single pair of feet stepped
lightly toward him.
"You are a very stubborn man." It was Bahjat's voice.
"Thanks," he replied, his voice cracking.
"Here." He could just make out her shadowy form.She must be standing next to the lamp on the desk, he thought. Her
hands materialized out of the darkness. There was a glass of water in them.
He leaned his head forward and sipped. The water tasted wonderfully sweet and refreshing. Bahjat tilted the glass for
him and he gulped it all down.
"You must tell them what they want to know," she said, her voice soft, concerned.
"Why? So they can blow up Island One?"
COLONY " 395
"No," she said, "not that. We simply want to ... to occupy the space colony. We don't want to hurt anyone."
"This is your idea, isn't it?"
"Mine ... and Hamoud's."
He gave a harsh, dry bark of a laugh. ' 'I guess you were right. We can't be political opponents and lovers not at the
same time."
"You don't love me," Bahjat said.
"I did."
"Until you were reunited with your Englishwoman."
"Evelyn? I hardly know her."
"Don't lie," Bahjat said. "You can't protect her."
"She came up to Island One for a couple of weeks."
"And you came to Earth after her."
"And found you."
A long, silent pause. Then; "I saw the two of you together. ..."
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 "And I saw you with Hamoud. You've slept with him, haven't you?"
"Before... it seems like years ago. But not anymore. Not since ... you."
David said urgently, "You mustn't destroy Island One. For God's sake, Bahjat, it's too important!"
Her voice hardened. "That's precisely why we want it. It is important. And we will take it, not destroy it."
"I won't help you," he said.
"Yes, you will. We have sent some of the local volunteers out to find the proper drugs. The small doses we've already
used on you haven't been enough. Now we'll be forced to give you massive doses of serum. You will tell us everything
we want to know, David. I only hope it doesn't permanently harm you."
"Thanks for your concern."
"Help us, David. Help yourself," she whispered. "When all this is finished we can be together. I promise you."
"I love you, Bahjat," he said, "but I don't trust you."
She stood there feeling the sullen anger in his bleary eyes. He looked gaunt, battered, drained of strength and hope...
yet undefeated.
With a conscious effort, Bahjat clasped her hands behind
BEN BOVA " 396
her back; otherwise, she would be caressing him, soothing his wounds, unstrapping him from that chair and helping
him toward freedom.
Not trusting herself to say another word, she abruptly turned and hurried out of the room.Do not look back at him!
she commanded herself. Yet she did as she opened the door. His head had dropped to his chest. He seemed to be
dozing.
Hamoud was out in the corridor. Bright daylight streamed through the windows on the opposite wall, making Bahjat
wince and squint after the darkness of the interrogation cell.
"He's not asleep, is he?" Hamoud asked, peering over Bahjat's shoulder as she closed the door. "He mustn't get any
sleep."
"He isn't asleep," she lied. "He's just trying to get his eyes out of the lamp's glare."
Hamoud looked pleased. "He's close to cracking. The kids have found a whole satchel full of scopolamine and other
things. Snatched it from the local hospital. We'll pump him so full of it that he'll be bouncing off the ceiling."
"Make certain that you don't kill him before he tells us what we must know," Bahjat said sternly.
"We wouldn't have to do this if you would let us try a little carving on the English. A few screams from her and he
would talk."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "That's what I found out from him just now. She didn't help him to escape. And he
doesn't care about her."They are not lovers!
"But he's the kind who wouldn't let her suffer."
"He is the kind," Bahjat snapped, "who will not tell us anything that will endanger his beloved Island One. Not
willingly. Not consciously. Besides ... I thought you liked the Englishwoman. I thought she was one of yours."
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 Hamoud shrugged. "There are always others."
With a pained sigh, Bahjat said, "If you have the necessary drugs, use them. But be careful with them!"
COLONY " 397
"Yes," Hamoud said, grinning, "O mighty Scheherazade. Hearkening and obedience."
"And be certain that you don't kill him," she added. "Of course not." Hamoud made a low, mocking bow.Not until after
he's talked, he added silently.
BOOK FIVE
December, 2028 A.D.
World Population: 7.34 Billion
Island One isn't paradise, but it's close enough! The people are friendly most of them, anyway. The administration
settled us in a nice, roomy apartment in a building close to the farm|. And as soon as we've worked up enough credit,
we can get a house of our own. Ruth works at a research laboratory and I go to the fields every morning. I'm glad her
lab is inside the main cylinder here, because I don't like the idea of her going out every day and getting doses of
radiation. We're planning to have children, and I don't care how safe they claim it is I don't want her taking
chances.
The farms are so highly automated that there's not all that much for me to do. I've got lots of spare time. I read a lot
more than I was able to back home, and we're both getting involved in lots of civic groups. Following Dr. Cobb's
suggestion, I'm studying about the asteroid belt. Looks to me like there's going to be another gold rush out there
someday. But when?
Called Mom and Dad and told them to plan to come up here for Christmas. Between the two of us, Ruth and I can
afford their fare. Next year we'll invite her parents.
 The journal of William Palmquist
THIRTY-SIX
David fought his way through a cold gray blanket of fog
that enveloped him completely. He couldn't see, couldn't move, couldn't even feel anything except the chill dampness
that seeped through every pore and iced the marrow of his bones.
He could hear, though. Far, far off in the gray blankness that engulfed him he could dimly hear voices. They were
saying something important, something about him. Something terribly important.
But it was too cold.Sleep, David told himself.Sleep. Forget everything else and let yourself sleep. You deserve to rest
and have some beautiful sleep. You need it after what you 've been through. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]