“What’s a field base without coffee?” she said, with a smile. “Or should we go native and drink tea?”
“No, I could sure use a cup of strong black coffee.” Lucas said.
“Make that two,” said Darkness. “I’ll take mine with sugar.” Linda gasped and spun around, instinctively going for her weapon.
“All right, if it’s that much trouble, forget the sugar,” Darkness said.
She expelled her breath and put away her pistol. “Dr. Darkness! You almost gave me a heart attack,” she said. Darkness had appeared sitting on the couch beside Lucas, his legs casually crossed, his right hand resting on a silver-headed, ebony walking stick, which he held upright, its tip resting on the floor. He was dressed in his habitual Inverness coat and tweeds, a faintly bored expression on his gaunt features.
“Doc, am I ever glad to see you!” said Lucas.
“Ah, well, such an enthusiastic greeting can only mean that you’re in it up to your hips,” said Darkness. “What have you done now, boxed yourself into your usual corner or are you experiencing difficulties with the transponder?”
While Linda went to make the coffee, Lucas quickly filled him in.
“Hmm. it does seem as if you’ve bitten off a bit more than you can chew this time,” the scientist said. “Drakov and the Network. And this Hellfire Club, as well. Drakov really is becoming a considerable annoyance, isn’t he
“Doc, you have a positive genius for understatement,” Lucas said.
“I have a positive genius for everything,” Darkness said, “but that is quite beside the point. The question is, what are we going to do about this situation of yours?”
He reached into his jacket pocket for a pack of cigarettes. It was a perfectly ordinary, casual motion, but his right arm left a blurred series of afterimages as he moved, giving the effect of rapid, stop-motion photography. He removed a cigarette and lit it, inhaling deeply.
“It really is most inconvenient that your people can’t carry communicators all the time,” Darkness said. “That would have solved this entire problem, but I suppose it wouldn’t do to have voices suddenly coming out of little boxes in colonial Boston. It could tend to upset people. And miniature receivers might still have been spotted, but under the circumstances, it would have been worth taking the risk. “
“All right, so maybe I was being too cautious, but it’s too late to do anything about that now. Talking about how I screwed up isn’t going to help us. You got any ideas
“Well, part of your immediate problem can be easily solved. I can locate Steiger. Cross, and Delaney through their symbiotracers and inform them of the situation-”
“Hold it! Wait a minute!” Lucas said. You told me their symbiotracers were malfunctioning!”
“Oh. no. I solved that little problem. It turned out to be merely a minor glitch in my receiving equipment. Simply a matter of fine-tuning. I can locate them anytime I want.”
“And You didn’t tell me?”
Darkness raised his eyebrows. “Well, you didn’t ask.”
Lucas leaned back against the couch and put his hands up to his head. “ Sweet God All Mighty!” he said. “I don’t believe it! Didn’t you hear what I’ve just said? The Network’s got Steiger! And all the time, you could have told me where he was!”
“As I recall,” said Darkness, “the last time we spoke, they didn’t have him or if they did, you neglected to apprise me of the situation. Frankly, I’m not really surprised. Steiger’s knack for getting in over his head is rivaled only by your own. I suppose you’d like me to get him back for you?”
“Yes, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.” Lucas said in an exasperated tone.
“No trouble at all,” said Darkness. ‘It’s not as if I haven’t got several dozen more important things to do. I really do wonder, Priest, how you ever managed before I came along. Every time I see you, you’re in some sort of difficulty. All things considered, it’s a miracle we haven’t got at least a dozen temporal disruptions to contend with-”
“ Doc For crying out loud!”
“Oh. I suppose you want me to leave now?”
“If you don’t mind!”
“What about my coffee?”
“Jesus, give me strength! We’ll keep the pot warm, okay’?”
“Well, all right, you don’t need to shout. You realize that I have no way of getting any sort of fix on your other people, since they’re not equipped with symbiotracers.”
“Just get Creed, Andre, and Delaney back here.” Lucas said. “Hunter’s with Delaney. Andre should be on her way hack here by now. In fact. I don’t know what’s keeping her… unless… “