Crashlander

Carlos grinned at him. «That would do it, but there are other problems. A collapsar can't even form at less than around five solar masses. You'd think someone would have noticed something that big, this close to Sol.»

«Then what?»

Carlos shook his head. We would wait.

* * *

The relay from Southworth Station gave us registration for three space tugs, used and of varying ages, all three purchased two years ago from IntraBelt Mining by the Sixth Congregational Church of Rodney.

«Rodney?»

But Carlos and Ausfaller were both chortling. «Belters do that sometimes,» Carlos told me. «It's a way of saying it's nobody's business who's buying the ships.»

«That's pretty funny, all right. But we still don't know who owns them.»

«They may be honest Belters. They may not.»

Hard on the heels of the first call came the data Carlos had asked for, playing directly into the shipboard computer. Carlos called up a list of names and phone numbers: Sol system's preeminent students of gravity and its effects, listed in alphabetical order.

An address caught my attention:

Julian Forward, #1192326 Southworth Station.

A hyperwave relay tag. He was out here, somewhere in the enormous gap between Neptune's orbit and the cometary belt, out here where the hyperwave relay could function. I looked for more Southworth Station numbers. They were there:

Launcelot Starkey, #1844719 Southworth Station.

Jill Luciano, #1844719 Southworth Station.

Mariana Wilton, #1844719 Southworth Station.

«These people,» said Ausfaller. «You wish to discuss your theory with one of them?»

«That's right. Sigmund, isn't 1844719 the tag for the Quicksilver Group?»

«I think so. I also think that they are not within our reach now that our hyperdrive is gone. The Quicksilver Group was established in distant orbit around Antenora, which is now on the other side of the sun. Carlos, has it occurred to you that one of these people may have built the ship-eating device?»

«What? … You're right. It would take someone who knew something about gravity. But I'd say the Quicksilver Group was beyond suspicion. With upwards of ten thousand people at work, how could anyone hide anything?»

«What about this Julian Forward?»

«Forward. Yeah. I've always wanted to meet him.»

«You know of him? Who is he?»

«He used to be with the Institute of Knowledge on Jinx. I haven't heard of him in years. He did some work on the gravity waves from the galactic core … work that turned out to be wrong. Sigmund, let's give him a call.»

«And ask him what?»

«Why …?» Then Carlos remembered the situation. «Oh. You think he might — Yeah.»

«How well do you know this man?»

«I know him by reputation. He's quite famous. I don't see how such a man could go in for mass murder.»

«Earlier you said that we were looking for a man skilled in the study of gravitational phenomena.»

«Granted.»

Ausfaller sucked at his lower lip. Then, «Perhaps we can do no more than talk to him. He could be on the other side of the sun and still head a pirate fleet.»

«No. That he could not.»

«Think again,» said Ausfaller. «We are outside the singularity of Sol. A pirate fleet would surely include hyperdrive ships.»

«If Julian Forward is the ship eater, he'll have to be nearby. The, uh, device won't move in hyperspace.»

I said, «Carlos, what we don't know can kill us. Will you quit playing games.» But he was smiling, shaking his head. Futz. «All right, we can still check on Forward. Call him up and ask where he is! Is he likely to know you by reputation?»

«Sure. I'm famous, too.»

«Okay. If he's close enough, we might even beg him for a ride home. The way things stand we'll be at the mercy of any hyperdrive ship for as long as we're out here.»

«I hope we are attacked,» said Ausfaller. «We can outfight —»

«But we can't outrun. They can dodge; we can't.»

«Peace, you two. First things first.» Carlos sat down at the hyperwave controls and tapped out a number.

Suddenly Ausfaller said, «Can you contrive to keep my name out of this exchange? If necessary you can be the ship's owner.»

Carlos looked around in surprise. Before he could answer, the screen lit. I saw ash-blond hair cut in a Belter crest over a lean white face and an impersonal smile.

«Forward Station. Good evening.»

«Good evening. This is Carlos Wu of Earth calling long distance. May I speak to Dr. Julian Forward, please?»

«I'll see if he's available.» The screen went on hold.

In the interval Carlos burst out: «What kind of game are you playing now? How can I explain owning an armed, disguised warship?»

But I began to see what Ausfaller was getting at. I said, «You'd want to avoid explaining that, whatever the truth was. Maybe he won't ask. I — «I shut up because we were facing Forward.