Free Rissa and Tregare by F. M. Busby Page B

dead one. Think of Great Salt Lake on Earth-only twice as salty and maybe the size of Australia."
    She thought back, recalling. "Yes. I would not be able to swim in it, would I? The water so much heavier-I would float too high."
    "That's right. I tried once; you can almost crawl on it." He looked thoughtful. "Those grassrunners-that herd you saw. If we have time we should go out and bag a couple, while they're in this close. Good eating, the few times I've tasted that meat."
    "I am not sure whether I have had any. Except for bush stomper I do not know what animals I have eaten from, on this world."
    He paused. "We haven't had grassrunner-of course I don't know what all you've eaten, other times. But Deverel has a couple in freeze, and-I forgot to mention, we're invited to eat with Hain and Anse on the scout, a little later. All right?"
    "Yes. Of course."
    "I'll call, then-and if the menu's not already planned ..." "Yes. But, Bran-how much later, do we go there?" "What? Oh-well, enough, I'd say. If I'm reading you right."
    "I think you are. I will be back in a few moments." She was, and in the bed felt herself closer to completion than before-but still not enough to strive. To his look of in-quiry, she answered, "It will happen, Bran-and this waiting, now, is not unpleasant." "If you say so. Well, let's go to dinner."
    if Tregare had not told her, she thought, she could not have guessed the relationship of Deverel and Kenekke. Yet obvi-ously they were a team of long standing; in preparing and serv-ing the meal they worked together without getting in each other's way, cramped though the space was, and with hardly a word about the operation. Instead the talk concerned ships and their people- Inconnu, Carcharodon, Lefthand Thread, and others.
    "How do you like grassrunner steak?" Tregare asked.
    She was chewing a bite and could only nod. Then she swal-lowed and took a sip of wine. "I like it-it has a gamy tang that bushstomper lacks. I see why it must be cooked well-done; a rare cut, I think, might be rather tough."
    "That's right," said Deverel. "Oh, you can age it, but to my mind it loses something that way."
    "At any rate, it's very good. Thank you for sharing it."
    "Any time," said Kenekke. "Lots more where this came from." He poured more wine for the other three; his own glass held water.
    "I wish we'd hear from Gonnelsen," Tregare said. "He should be picking up more signals by now if the others are on time-or coming at al." Deverel spoke. "What do you figure for the minimum?"
    "Eight's best, but I'll try with six if I have to. Less than that, we're forced to give it up this time."
    "This time?" It was Kenekke. "Look, skipper-when wil we be lucky enough to get another advance schedule? And be able to meet the timing?"
    Tregare shrugged and drained his glass. "We could always go back to the first plan-though I admit I like this one a lot better." Well, he was not going to tell her-there was no point in asking. She stood. "Suddenly I am very tired. Wil you excuse me, please?
    And thank you again, gentlemen." They said their goodnights, and she returned to the cabin. an hour later, when Tregare entered, she was soaking in the tub. "Rissa? You feeling al right?"
    "Yes, I feel wel. Would you hand me a towel, please?" She stood and began drying herself.
    "Then why leave so early?"
    "I did not like it, Bran-that you talked over my head, of things you al knew and I did not, as though I were a school-girl."
    "Oh, hell-I'm sorry. It's just that it would have taken too long, there, to fil you in-repeating, as you say, things they do already know."
    Wrapping the towel around her, she moved to sit in the kitchen and poured coffee for herself. "And is there time for it now, Bran? For instance, what is this advance schedule, and why is it so important?" He sat facing her. "All right. You guessed that I plan to take Stronghold. My first idea was simply to scout the place, wait for a time when few ships were in port, and go in by force. But