Stairway to the Stars | Page 6

herself than he was. He wasn't going to start rescuing fair maidens now--even if she needed rescuing. Still, there was something awfully attractive.... Damn, but he was confused!
Dor's smile didn't really last that long; Farmer's thoughts were going fast now, somehow. He had finished those just described before Dor said, "All right, Garf. Fun's fun; now let's kiss and make up. After all, it's illegal for us to be here--not only our own cops, but the Galactic Federation, would be on our necks if they knew. Let's see if we can close up the gate ourselves or if this needs to be reported. And then let's go home."
Garf grinned. "Whatever you say, my dear." He dipped an eyebrow in a wink. Behind Dor, the nonapus stirred sluggishly, extended a tentacle, opened a claw, and nipped Dor neatly on the behind. She screeched.
There was an explosion in Farmer's brain. This was too much--Garf had gone too far! The burly editor plunged across the deck, swinging a fist. To his surprise, Garf did nothing to stop him; probably, John Andrew figured later, the fishman expected no further trouble from the humans after the treatment they'd had.
Farmer's haymaker connected.
Garf staggered across the deck until he brought up against the rail, holding his jaw and shaking his head muzzily. Farmer braced himself for retaliation, hoping it would be something less than a bolt of barbed lightning. But Garf remained unpredictable. He mumbled something that wasn't "Oh the hell with it" but sounded like it, and softly and silently slid overboard. He disappeared under water with scarcely a ripple.
"Good!" Dor said, briskly. "Now, I'll just.... Ah!" She strode directly to Ray's invention, and Farmer wondered why both the aliens were so interested in a gadget that didn't work.
* * * * *
Dor wasted no time. She bent over, picked up the machine, yanking wiring loose carelessly, straightened up, turned a beaming smile on Farmer and Ray, said "Goodbye," and headed for the rail.
Ray yelped. He started after her, but his progress in the diving suit was waddling and slow. She reached the rail first and went over. Ray was not too far behind, and he slammed his helmet down angrily as he reached the rail. Farmer, galvanized belatedly, gave chase as well.
Dor was picking her way slowly down the stone steps, the machine cradled under her arm. Ray climbed up on the rail, poised there a second, then attempted a swan dive. John Andrew yelled at him as he arced forward, but it was too late. The old man dropped like a stone, flapping his arms, bounced slightly on the top step, then slid forward down several more steps on his faceplate.
Dor hesitated, her head just above water. She looked at the limp, diving-suited body beside her, then back at the launch and Farmer. Again, she came to a decision quickly.
Bending, leaving a trail of bubbles as her head went under, she set the Judge's invention down on a lower step and picked up the Judge instead. Cradling him in her arms, she started back up again, calling to Farmer to be ready to take her burden aboard.
They got him on the boat with little difficulty, and John Andrew laid him on the deck as Dor sprang lithely over the rail again, showing interest in the little fellow's condition. The diving helmet came off easily, not having been properly fastened down at all. Farmer bent anxiously over the Judge, looking for signs of life.
The diving suit had shipped some water, and the Judge had gotten a nasty crack on the head--but he was a tough bozo. There was no blood, his breathing seemed almost normal, and he already showed signs of returning consciousness.
John Andrew turned to Dor. "Well, I should thank you for bringing him back, I guess," he muttered. "But now that you're with us again"--he shot out a big paw and grabbed her by the wrist--"how about explaining some of this?"
He was very gentle with the wrist. He didn't want to hurt her; he was wondering already, in fact, what had made him get so rough at all. But she didn't seem to mind.
"I've got to go quickly," she told him. "I think Garf will be all right now, but he may take a notion to come back. And I have to see that the gate is closed before ..."
"What gate? Get back where?" Farmer managed to put more curiosity than impatience into his tone.
"Back to my own planet--Tamdivar, sun Nogore, member of the Galactic Federation," she said patiently. "The gate is a matter-transmitter between my world and yours. It was once in constant use, but my government closed it when you people got to the point where you were running around in submarines, using depth bombs, and just noticing our aircraft too