The Janus Syndrome | Page 9

furniture panel, punching for
an easy chair. As it popped up, she settled into it, crossed her legs, and
smoothed the knee of her jumpsuit.
She said, "Nothing much. It's really just a matter of
information-gathering."
She changed position, curling up, getting comfortable. "But I'm
required as a link, so that you can understand the background you'll be
getting. The sentient at the other end of the link was on the scene just
recently -- she made the arrangement, although I am not sure how. I
think some sort of hypnosis was used to avoid trouble."
That meant telepathic hijinks on the part of the sentient in question;
Annabelle's trouble was that she used hypnosis in the telepathic sense --
direct mental jiggery-pokery, mainly pokery with the jiggery for extras.
She went on, "The other thing is that you have abilities as an operator
that will probably assist you on the mission. In case there's any
trouble."
She ran a hand through her long black hair, and looked around at my
quarters.
"They aren't much, " I said, "but they're all I was given. Someone
decided that, being a natural transient who never sticks in place, I didn't
need anything fancy."

I stretched a leg out along the bed, wriggling to get comfortable on the
lumps, and gave it a mighty whack with my heel. It thudded dully. "Or
comfortable, for that matter." I returned my attention to Anna. "So I
have a mission that requires some little help from SAS. What're my
chances of coming back in a rubber bag?"
Anna blinked and wrinkled her nose at me. "None at all." She shrugged.
"It's a fairly easy mission."
I sighed and shook my head. "Anna, my little love-dove, the last time
anybody told me that I nearly came home in a doggy-bag . The friendly
natives were, in order, cannibalistic, advanced, and hungry for the latest
foreign food -- me, in case you don't get the idea."
"I mean it, " she said, sounding offended.
"So did they."
She stood up and walked to the door, standing with her back against it
and looking at me, smiling, a little wickedly.
"Look who's complaining, " she said. "Weren't your ancestors
cannibals?"
I got up off the bed and joined her at the door, leaning against it with
my arms to either side of her and looking lovingly into her eyes.
Grinning, naturally.
"Nope, they weren't. They were all vegetarians."
"You and an oversexed Shiktabria, Tomari."
I made a face and she made one back.
"At least they always kept away from fatty foods," I said, and projected
a feeling of desire at her. I wasn't sure whether it would register; it
didn't work most of the time, but sometimes she'd be in the right frame
of mind to pick it up.

She was this time. She pulled a rueful face.
She said, "I told you about that mythical big buck, Tomari."
"Well, Missy, me hear tell you is unloved around this place."
She grinned. "That's my secret."
I smiled. "Yours and Area Fourteen's, you mean. It gives him a thrill in
his rectifiers," Area Fourteen said.
"I don't have rectifiers," Area Fourteen muttered.
He sounded a little wistful.
I said, "Poor you. Would you mind not peeking through the keyhole?
I'm trying to seduce this woman here, and I have to concentrate."
"Should you succeed --"
"You'll be surprised. Now go away."
He didn't say anything more.
I turned back to Anna, who was leaning with her arms folded.
"Where was I?"
"You were trying to talk yourself into stealing a kiss from me."
I gave her an offended look.
"Talk myself into it? I was actually trying to assuage your fears, my
dear Annabelle."
She grinned. Wickedly.
"I'm waiting Tomari. I have to have something to tell Sweet Jane
about."

Sweet Jane was Anna's constant companion, in most places. The
cauliflower.
I said, "Where is she?"
"Sleeping. Silly thing was up for a week researching."
"You'd better tell Jane cauliflower's good for her."
"That was not a funny remark."
"And the same to you, Bubble-belle."
"Why does my heart become solid concrete when you try endearments
like that?"
"Uh-uh, the liquid concrete just sets, that's all."
She wrinkled her nose. "Anybody ever tell you that you're a mushbag?"
"Once in while."
There was a space of silence, and then she said, "I knew it. You're
leading me on again, Tomari."
So I kissed her.
And that computerized sonofabitch who was watching -- Blew a Bronx
cheer.
# It was protoplasmic.
It was a protoplasmic lump.
Colored a sort of putty gray.
It stood in the corner of Annabelle's office, like a potted plant.
It shuddered.

And burped.
Then shivered and jumped.
I counted another two shudders, seven shivers, and four jumps -- it