'No, I suspect something else is going on.'

'Why?'

'Because the old Raymond Morita was what they call a south paw. The man we saw here tonight is right-handed.'

'You're saying he's not really Ray Morita?'

'Sadly, it's nothing as straightforward as that.'

Ace turned and looked at the Doctor. They were now approaching the WAC barracks where she was staying. The rows of dark windows glinted in the moonlight and Ace suddenly realised that it was long after lights out and she was going to have trouble getting inside. But at the moment this was the least of her worries. She peered into the shadows of the Doctor's face, trying to discern his expression.

'Doctor, what the h.e.l.l is going on? Why did we come here?'

'Because someone, or something, is trying to tamper with history at this most delicate point. And thereby destroy the human race.'

They came to a stop by the front steps of the WAC barracks. 'Well thanks for that,' said Ace. 'I'm really going to get a good night's sleep now.'58.

Chapter Five.

By the Pond The next day Ace was stuck in the cla.s.sroom at the ranch school with the Doctor again, laboriously working through calculations. A constant stream of visitors meant that they hardly had a moment to themselves and Ace wasn't able to ask any of the questions that were burning inside her. Instead she had to sit, silent and bored, but also frightened, as the Doctor argued matters of physics with an endless series of distinguished visitors. Occasionally she was called upon to do some work and, since she had taken her capsule that morning, she performed each computation with breathtaking speed and complete accuracy. The visitors, who included Teller and Fuchs, were duly impressed with her efforts, but Ace derived no pleasure from them. She felt like she was on display in a freak show.

Things got much worse when Professor Apple turned up. Under the pretext of getting Ace to help with some calculations he pa.s.sed her a folded piece of paper, then hastily retreated from the room. Ace looked at the folded sc.r.a.p of paper in her hand, then at the Doctor. He raised his eyebrows quizzically.

'From Professor Apple?'

'He pa.s.sed me a note,' said Ace.

'So, what does it say?'

'I don't dare look at it. Here.' She pa.s.sed the paper to the Doctor. 'You read it for me.'

The Doctor took it, unfolded it and peered at it. Ace could see that the paper was densely packed with minute handwriting in peac.o.c.k-blue ink. The sinking feeling she'd experienced when Apple pa.s.sed her the note suddenly intensified. She repressed the urge to ask the Doctor what it said. He seem to be taking an inordinate amount of time reading it.

Finally he looked at her and said, 'Hmm. He goes on rather at length but, to synopsise, he wants to take you to the movies.'

'What movies? Where?'

'Apparently they show films here on the Hill on a regular basis. He wants to take you to the next screening.'

Ace repressed the urge to ask what was showing. 'What else does he say?

That can't be all. He's written a letter half the length of War and Peace War and Peace.'59.

'As I said, he goes on somewhat. But the gist of his rather prolix screed is that he wants you to go to the movies with him then join him for a meal and drinks in his quarters afterwards.'

'Yeah, like that's going to happen,' said Ace. 'What else? He must say something else with all those words.'

'Hmm. Yes. Essentially he goes on to say that he feels an enormous, shall we say, rapport rapport with you. You're the first woman he's felt any sense of deep connection with in his entire life. A deep spiritual connection. He is immensely grateful to have met you, you've changed his life, you've awakened him, he always thought he'd be alone, half a creature looking for its lost other half, his missing soul mate. . . shall I go on?' with you. You're the first woman he's felt any sense of deep connection with in his entire life. A deep spiritual connection. He is immensely grateful to have met you, you've changed his life, you've awakened him, he always thought he'd be alone, half a creature looking for its lost other half, his missing soul mate. . . shall I go on?'

'No,' said Ace emphatically. She felt like her ears and cheeks were on fire.

What made it worse was that she'd heard some of the girls talking in the WAC barracks, comparing the men on the Hill, and the subject of Professor Apple had come up. They'd all dismissed him, regarding him as some kind of s.e.xless walking brain. He wasn't even considered relevant in the discussion of eligible males. Apple was regarded as a man totally devoted to his work, a gelding.

Yet Ace had awakened something in him.

The Doctor was studying her. 'I take it you're not likely to be accepting the Professor's invitation any time soon.'

'Any time ever. What is that bloke's problem?'

'On the basis of this letter,' said the Doctor, handing the folded paper back to her, 'I would say unrequited infatuation.'

'But he doesn't have any right to be infatuated with me. He hardly knows me. He was with me for half a day and most of that he spent being horrible to me. Now suddenly I'm the only woman in the world for him.'

'Well he does feel a deep spiritual connection with you,' said the Doctor dryly.

'And that's another thing. He only feels that because he thinks I'm some kind of calculating whiz. If he knew the real me he wouldn't feel any kind of spiritual anything.' Ace took the folded note and threw it viciously into the far corner of the cla.s.sroom, exactly as Professor Apple had thrown the chalk on her first day here.

'Never mind,' said the Doctor. 'We have plenty of other matters to preoccupy us.' He glanced at the blackboard. 'Do you feel like abandoning our research in favour of some detective work?'

'Please.'

As they made their way back up Bathtub Row, Ace said, 'All right. I've kept quiet this long. But now I've got to ask, what are we looking for?'60.

The Doctor was frowning intently, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. 'Did you notice anything unusual when we visited here last night?'

'Let me think.

Oppy wasn't here, but Kitty said that was usual.

She wasn't drinking, she was just sitting there quietly reading a magazine, which I thought was a bit unusual because after that party I reckoned she was the type to hit the bottle every night. But maybe I was wrong.'

'Anything else?'

'Not that I can think of.'

'Who else did we see?'

'At the house? Rosalita. There was nothing unusual about her. She just made us chilli, and that's her speciality.'

The Doctor said nothing. They came in sight of the Oppenheimer house now, just in time to see Oppy himself appear around the corner holding a shovel. He had a glum expression, which changed to something resembling embarra.s.sment when he caught sight of the Doctor and Ace. He looked like a little boy caught in a shameful act. Despite this, he paused in a sociable fashion and lowered the shovel and greeted them politely. 'Acacia. Dr Smith.

What can I do for you?'

'As a matter of fact, it was your cook I was hoping to see,' said the Doctor.

Ace glanced at him in surprise. This was the first she'd heard of this. Why was the Doctor interested in Rosalita?

'Sorry I can't help you there. She's got the afternoon off.'

'I see,' the Doctor frowned. 'What a shame.'

'As a matter of fact, it is.' Oppy picked up the shovel. 'I could do with her help right now myself.'

'Really?' said the Doctor. 'With what?'

Oppy shrugged, his lanky frame shuddering. 'Nothing, I guess. It's a man's job really. We just get spoiled having Rosalita around to do the dirty work.'

He rested the shovel on his shoulder and glanced at the house.

'Perhaps it's something we can help you with.'

Oppy shrugged again. 'If you really want to. But maybe Acacia ought to stay here.' He and the Doctor started for the rear of the house, leaving Ace in the front yard. She stayed there for all of five seconds, then followed. She found the two men standing by the kitchen door. Oppy was saying, 'Kitty called me home. She was having a conniption fit and I can't say I blame her. It's only a trivial little thing, but I see why she's upset.'

The two men looked up as Ace joined them. They were standing by a metal garbage can that stood just outside the kitchen door. The lid of the bin was half open and on the ground in front of it was a long brown shape. It took Ace an instant to realise that it was a dead animal. A dead rat, to be precise.

The animal was lying on its back, its belly exposed, small paws jutting in the 61air, tail askew and buck teeth protruding forlornly from its mouth. Ace felt a shudder of disgust. 'Yuck,' she said.

Oppy smiled at her. 'That was pretty much my wife's reaction. I guess we all know that there are things like rats around. We just don't want to be reminded of the fact.'

Ace watched while Oppy and the Doctor buried the rat under a tree. When Oppy went to put the shovel away, the Doctor hurried back to join her. 'It's time we were going.'

'Where?'

'In search of Rosalita.'

'Why?' Ace found herself hurrying to keep up with the Doctor.

'I asked you before if you noticed anything unusual. What about now?'

'A dead rat, I suppose.'

'What do you suppose killed the rat?'

'Poison?'

'Good guess. Only the Oppenheimers haven't put out any poison for the local vermin.'

'Perhaps someone else did.'

'Perhaps so.'

The Doctor was moving so quickly that Ace almost had to run to keep pace with him. 'Where are we going?'

'Oppy said Rosalita is down at Ashley Pond.'

When they reached the pond, there was no sign of Rosalita. But Ace saw something else instead. There on the fringe of the water, beyond a cl.u.s.ter of trees, was an old wooden bench with three men standing beside it.

'Doctor, look,' said Ace. One of the men was Major Butcher and another one was Ray Morita. The third, Ace didn't recognise. He was a young man in army uniform. He looked extremely frightened. As Ace followed the Doctor, hurrying over towards them, she saw the reason for the young man's frightened expression. Butcher was pointing his gun at them.

The Doctor sighed with exasperation. 'Not the gun again, Major.' Butcher wheeled and pointed his weapon at the Doctor and Ace before dismissing them as a threat and turning back to the other two men, whom Ace now realised were his prisoners. The young man in army uniform, who was clutching a rucksack, only looked more miserable at the sight of the newcomers, but Ray seemed delighted to see them.

'Ace, Doctor, man am I glad you're here. Old Butcher's really bringing me down.'

'Not as far down as you're going to be when I'm finished with you,' said Major Butcher. He reached in the pocket of his jacket with his free hand and 62took out a pair of handcuffs. 'Put those on,' he said. He threw them onto the ground between Ray and the soldier. Ray peered at the handcuffs.

'Me or him, man?' said Ray.

'Both of you,' said Butcher. 'Handcuff yourselves together. I'm taking you in. You're both under arrest.'

'Under arrest?' said the Doctor. 'For what?'

'You stay out of this,' said Butcher.

'With pleasure,' said the Doctor, 'but I suspect Oppy will want to know why one of his key scientists is under arrest.'

'I caught them both,' said Butcher. 'In the act.'

'In the act of what?'

'It's all just one big mistake, man,' said Ray.

'Shut up,' said Butcher. 'In the act of pa.s.sing on subversive material.'

'What subversive material?' said Ray.

'You know exactly what,' said Butcher. 'It's in Private Dobbs' rucksack there.'

'No sir. It's not true, sir,' said the soldier.

'Shut up Dobbs,' said Butcher.

'Permission to speak sir,' said Dobbs.

'Permission denied.'

'You've got this all wrong, baby,' said Ray. He looked at the Doctor and Ace, as if asking them for help. 'Just look in the rucksack man.'

'Shut up and get those cuffs on.'

The Doctor stepped a little closer to the men and Butcher immediately turned his gun on him. 'Oh come now Major, really. Is there any need to point that thing at me? I'm merely going to pick up this rucksack.'

'Leave it alone.'