XI: SIXDAY NIGHT
At about 26:30 o'clock, according to Toal, we crawled under the electric wires across the road and reached the walls of Joetropolis. The Young Farmer School had refused to open its gates because of six different Ordinances.
Most of the clouds had cleared away, but the dark nebula hung dim and threatening overhead. While Toal searched for a signal button, I—a collapsing hulk of cuts, bruises, tatters, and disgust—sat in the road. With one foot, the Hog had wrecked ten x-tops, three coupons worth of robotic. I had been unable to find the hisser. The only whole pieces of equipment that we recovered were the light, a water pump, the sniffer, one can of S-rations, and a tube of pellets.
Lights suddenly spotted us. A man loudly intoned, "Why break Ordinance 921?"
"This is Recessive Betty Toal and Alien Hunter Ube Kinlock," Toal said. "Open the gate!"
The man said, "Not till morning. The Hog might enter."
Toal said, "The Hog is in the swamp. Kinlock wounded him. Kinlock should see a doctor. We've walked seventeen miles. Throw us a rope, if you won't open the gate."
Then a voice that I recognized spoke. "Let them climb up," ordered the shuttle pilot, Olaf Ypsilanti. "Want to discuss this matter with them."
A mesh of wooden slats and plastic ropes clattered against the logs. "Let me help you, Kinlock," Toal said.
"I'm all right. You first," I said.
Toal slung her weapon and climbed up the net as if she had had no exercise for days. Ypsilanti's fleshy face appeared in the light. Roughly, he helped Toal over the sawtoothed parapet.
Slowly, I followed. No one assisted me at the top. I tore two new gashes in my ragged oversuit, and my ankles turned under me when I dropped down to the walk.
Someone turned a searchlight and illuminated the six men and one woman standing on the planks. Ypsilanti gripped Toal's wrists in his big hands. "Why treat me this way, Betty?" he asked, "Were to marry next week. Am a strong, handsome Dominant. Any female Minimum should be proud Controls Council selected me for her."
"Turn loose, Ypsilanti!" Toal said.
Ypsilanti said, "You imitate the alien's ugly accent. Have schemed to be deported rather than marry me."
Toal said, "I'd cut my throat first."
Ypsilanti released her. His voice throbbed with anger. "Would not have you! Have been in the woods with an alien!" He put his open palm in her face and shoved. Toal slammed back against the logs.
Shocked by the shuttle pilot's brutality, I swayed to my feet and grabbed his shoulder. I said, "Don't—" and then Ypsilanti's clenched hand thudded against my jaw. I flipped backward, slid on my shoulders, and stopped with my head hanging over the edge of the walk.
Although I had seen box fights in historical tridies and read of them in books, I had always supposed they belonged in mythology.
Ypsilanti said, "Galactic Government slave! You are not fit to walk on Maggie!"
It seemed that he had told me this before. I sat up. Betty Toal, with knife in hand, struggled between two guards. Ypsilanti kicked me on the leg above the knee. I seized his ankle, jerked, and let go. Yelling, the shuttle pilot toppled from the wall.
"Good! Good!" Toal cried. Blood ran in two streams from her nose. One of the guards had her knife.
Ypsilanti, covered with mud, ran up a flight of steps farther down the walkway and stalked toward us. "Hold him!" he commanded. "Will beat his head off!"
A man emerged from the shadows behind the pilot and said, "Ypsilanti, stop."
Ypsilanti whirled. He stood rigid and said, "Maximum Macready, the alien tried to murder me!"
"Nonsense. Saw you knock him down. You should not be here. Have no authority over the guards."
Maximum of the Jury Qasim Pierre Macready glared at the guards. "Release them," he said. "Alien Kinlock has been hired to kill the Hog. Must not interfere." Macready looked closely at my cuts and ripped clothing. He asked, "Any success, Alien Kinlock? Rasmussen thought the Hog got you. Came for help. Tractor had trouble, due to neglect by Farmer Yuko. Rasmussen did not reach the city before sunset. Shoot the Hog?"
Toal answered, "Kinlock shot him, Maximum. He risked his life. The Hog crawled to the swamp. We expect to find his body tomorrow."
Ypsilanti said, "She should not go with this alien."
"Has Alien Status," Macready said. "What she does is not important. If the Hog is indeed dying, is great news. Will be best proved. Kinlock, go to Doctor Izard."
Macready turned and left. I stared at Ypsilanti and the guards. They returned my scowl. Toal and I headed for the steps.
As we went down, Toal said, "You fixed Ypsilanti! If Macready hadn't come, you would have really beaten him. Ypsilanti's needed it for a long time."
"How's your nose?" I asked.
"It's almost stopped bleeding. Turn at the next corner to the doctor."
"You go about your nose. I want to ask Rasmussen a few things."
"I'll come, too," Toal said. "I'd like to watch."
She guided me through dimly illuminated streets, until we reached the wall again. We climbed the ramp and started across the steel bridge leading to Rasmussen's rooms. Something barricaded the walk.
I turned my light on the obstruction. Two toothies blinked from the top of my own baggage. Rasmussen's windows were dark.